WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Crime fiction enthusiasts, writers, booksellers and prolific readers with
a deep knowledge of the genre, who’d like to help judge our
Gold, Steel, Twisted, Historical and Whodunnit entries.

WHAT’S NEEDED FROM YOU?
Judging happens between 1st January and 31st December 2026, and
you need to be available to read a wide range of submissions during that time.
The Chair will collaborate with the judges to produce a longlist of
12 titles per Dagger, by the end of February/early March 2027.
When the longlist is established, the judges have 5-6 weeks to read, re-read
or gather their thoughts in readiness for an online meeting, where the
winner plus a shortlist of 6 titles per Dagger is agreed.
A judge is invited to sit on a panel for up to 3 years,
and can step down at any time.

WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT?
As a thank you for your time and effort, the CWA offers an
honorarium of £100 per person, an invitation to the Dagger
Awards Dinner in July and a free ticket worth £150.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD YOU KNOW?
To avoid any conflict of interest, a judge (or their publisher) should
not submit their novel into the category in which they’re judging.

STILL INTERESTED?
Email secretary@thecwa.co.uk with a personal statement detailing why
you think you’d be a good judge and which Dagger(s) you’re interested in

Deadline: 6pm, Friday 27th February.

We can’t wait to hear from you!