The Crime Writers’ Association

Short Story Dagger

This award is for any crime short story first published in the UK in English during the Judging Period, whether on its own or within an anthology or collection. Upon publication it must have been for sale to the public, either in print or e-book, through established channels or platforms.

The term short story refers to a work of fiction no shorter than 1,000 and no longer than 15,000 words.

You are able to nominate a full anthology where we consider every story, or an individual story.

Publishers or authors can nominate.


2025 longlist

Author Title From Editor Publisher
Bennett, S.J. The Glorious Twelfth Midsummer Mysteries Martin Edwards Flame Tree Publishing
Berthal, J.C. A Date on Yarmouth Pier Midsummer Mysteries Martin Edwards Flame Tree Publishing
Cleeves, Ann Parkrun Murder in Harrogate Vaseem Khan Orion Books
Griffiths, Elly The Valley of the Queens The Man in Black and Other Stories Quercus
Hallett, Janice Why Harrogate? Murder in Harrogate Vaseem Khan Orion Books
Khan, Vaseem Murder in Masham Murder in Harrogate Vaseem Khan Orion Books
Macintosh, Clare The Perfect Smile Murder in Harrogate Vaseem Khan Orion Books
McCormick ,William Burton City Without Shadows Midsummer Mysteries Martin Edwards Flame Tree Publishing
Shroff-Shah, Meeti A Ruby Sun Midsummer Mysteries Martin Edwards Flame Tree Publishing
Ware, Ruth Murder at the Turkish Baths Murder in Harrogate Vaseem Khan Orion Books

Short Story Dagger 2024 Winner


Sanjida Kay

From: The Book of Bristol

The Divide

Comma Press

Judges’ Comments
Bristol-set tale of social division, loneliness, and how our desire for connection can make us vulnerable, with a bittersweet conclusion


The 2025 Judges

Chris Simmons  (Chair)

Chris Simmons is the online editor of his brainchild, Crimesquad.com – a crime review website, running since March 2005. Chris is a past judge for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, which has highlighted the debuts of authors such as Louise Penny (John Creasey Dagger winner), S J Watson, Sarah Hilary, James Oswald and two-time Dagger winner, Wiley Cash.

Harriet Tyce

Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated in 1994 with a degree in English Literature before working as a criminal barrister for nearly a decade. Having escaped law and early motherhood, she started writing, and completed the MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction at the University of East Anglia. She has written three novels to date, the Sunday Times bestsellers Blood Orange and The Lies You Told. It Ends At Midnight was published in April 2022 to critical acclaim.

Laura Wilson

Laura Wilson’s psychological crime novels have been critically acclaimed. Stratton’s War won the CWA Ellis Peters Award for Historical Crime Fiction and both The Lover – which won the Prix du Polar Europeen – and A Thousand Lies were shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. She also writes for young adults as Jamie Costello. She has taught on the Crime/Thriller MA course at London’s City University, written a series of Crime Fiction Masterclass columns for Mslexia magazine, judged both the CWA John Creasey Dagger and the Debut Dagger, programmed the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, and co-organised the Killer Women Festival. She is also the Guardian’s crime and thriller fiction reviewer.

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