“I value that brooch more than anything else I own apart from for my wedding ring.”

– Sarah Paretsky, Diamond Dagger winner 2002

The Diamond Dagger is our award for lifetime achievement. It has been awarded every year since 1986. Among the winners are some of the world’s leading crime writers, all of whom express their appreciation at receiving an award which is in the gift of other authors. It may be the only literary award decided on this basis.

As the name suggests, the Diamond Dagger is the CWA’s most prestigious award. Since its inception in 1986, it has honoured the lifetime achievement of a top crime or thriller writer.

The CWA committee selects the winner from writers nominated by our membership. Nominees have to meet two essential criteria: first, their careers must be marked by sustained excellence, and second, they must have made a significant contribution to crime fiction published in the English language, whether originally or in translation. The award is made purely on merit without reference to age, gender or nationality.

The award, specially produced by Cartier for the CWA, is a silver book with a diamond-encrusted Dagger plunged into pages engraved with the winners’ names, has long been recognised as the highest accolade a crime writer can earn. Past winners include PD James, Ruth Rendell, John le Carré, Ian Rankin, Frederick Forstyth, Lee Child and Simon Brett.

The winner of the 2015 CWA Diamond Dagger will be announced in February and will be awarded their prize at our Dagger Award Ceremony in June 2015, which is also National Crime Reading Month.