Libraries are now voting for the winner of the Dagger in the Library 2019, after Martin Edwards carried off the award in 2018. The CWA’s 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 besides Martin include Mari Hannah, 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.

Uniquely among crime writing awards, library staff members (up to three from each UK library) are the only ones who can nominate and they are asked to vote for living authors whose first book was published in 2009 or earlier and who have published crime novels, true crime or non-fiction that have given pleasure to library users over the years. The judges – all librarians themselves – have selected an eligible author list which is now on the CWA website. From the nominations, judges will select a longlist and then a shortlist, from which judges will also identify authors who have lent their time and helped support the cause of libraries over their careers.

To vote, librarians need to visit https://thecwa.co.uk/cwa-dagger-in-the-library before the end of February 2019.

The longlist for the CWA Dagger in the Library will be announced at CrimeFest in May, and the CWA will work with libraries and the Crime Readers’ Association to promote the longlisted authors and their books to readers across the country in the following months.