Nominations for the 2025 Daggers Are Now Closed.

Nominations for the 2025 Daggers (except for the Emerging Author Dagger) are now Closed. Thank you for your entries, and see you next year!

Enter Your Short Story for a Chance at £500!

Enter your mystery story of 3,500 words or less in the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition. Deadline 28 February, 2025. You can find the details here.

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Unpublished Writers, Enter the Emerging Author Dagger!

Do you have a crime novel in progress? Your opening and synopsis could win you £500 and other fabulous prizes. Deadline 28 February 2025. Check out the details here.

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Library Staff, It’s Your Turn to Vote!

The Dagger in the Library rewards authors who are popular with library borrowers, and who help to promote libraries. Now that library patrons have submitted their favourite authors’ names to the staff of their local libraries, it’s time for library staff to vote! Read more about the process here.

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Are You an Emerging Author?

Are you an unpublished writer who is serious about crime writing? You may qualify for Emerging Author membership with the CWA. Read more about the Emerging Author membership process and benefits here.

Time to Read a Dagger-Listed Book?

For full lists view a PDF here, or click on individual Dagger pages for all shortlists and longlists.

• The CWA Daggers

Find What You’re Looking For

Looking for a certain kind of crime novel, or one by a particular author?
See what a search brings up in Find An Author/Book.

Critiques & Editing

Want an expert critique or edit of your crime novel?
Check out the CWA’s Criminal Critiques & Editing.

The Crime Readers’ Association

Would you like monthly eNewsletters about the latest crime books? Visit the Crime Readers’ Association and subscribe – it’s free.