Dagger in the Library 2017 Longlist Announced
The longlist of the CWA 2017 Dagger in the Library was officially announced on the evening of February 6th at the First Monday crime writing meeting in London.
The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by a crime writer that users of libraries particularly admire. It is one of the most prestigious crime writing awards in the UK and previous winners include Elly Griffiths, Christopher Fowler, Sharon Bolton, Belinda Bauer, Mo Hayder, Colin Cotterill, Craig Russell, Stuart MacBride, Jake Arnott, Alexander McCall Smith, Stephen Booth, Peter Robinson and Lindsey Davis.
The CWA, in discussion with its 2017 partners The Reading Agency, revised the 2017 Dagger in the Library format so that, uniquely among crime writing awards, only library staff were able to nominate authors. Nominations were received from 175 libraries across the UK and Ireland – with 110 authors suggested as worthy winners.
The Dagger in the Library is intended to promote crime fiction in general and, in particular, the longlisted authors. The CWA will work with The Reading Agency, local libraries and the Crime Readers’ Association to promote novels from the longlisted authors to reading groups across the country during over the next few months – and in particular to the 175 libraries already engaged with the Dagger. We will be utilising The Reading Agency’s website, Reading Groups for Everyone, and The CWA’s Dagger Reads website to host reading group material for novels by the longlisted authors. Feedback received from reading groups via Reading Groups for Everyone feedback will be a major factor in the judges’ decision as to who should proceed to the shortlist and the eventual winner.
The longlisted authors can be viewed here.
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