The Crime Writers’ Association

Val McDermid Honoured for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction

On Thursday 21 July, Val McDermid was announced the winner of the seventh Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award. Sara Paretsky, Lynda La Plante, Ruth Rendell, PD James, Colin Dexter and Reginald Hill are former recipi...


Debut Dagger Deadline Draws Near

The deadline to enter the most hotly contended competition for aspiring crime novelists is fast approaching. Aspiring crime novelists have until the end of February to enter the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Debut Dagger, which is sponsored b...


What Happened When I Won the Debut Dagger by Shelley Burr

When I entered the Debut Dagger, my wild dream was to make the longlist so I would have something to put in my almost bare author bio.The day I won was surreal. Despite the CWA’s urging I didn’t fly from Australia to London for the ceremony, as I...


Short Story Dagger

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 ...


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About the CWA The CWA promotes, supports and celebrates crime writing, and writers of all crime fiction and non-fiction from across the globe. We’re proud to be a growing, thriving community with membership encompassing authors of all ages and at ...


Margery Allingham Short Story Readings

Join the Margery Allingham Society online for a reading of several of Allingham's stories, including The Rescue of Rainclouds, The Wisdom of Edras, The Sexton's Wife, The Wind Glass, and The Barbarian. This event is free and open to the public. If...


CWA Debut Dagger Writing Competition 2021 Now Open for Entries

Aspiring authors are invited to submit the opening of their novel to the coveted Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Debut Dagger competition 2021. The international writing competition opened for entries on October 1. Entrants must send in their firs...


Come and Chat to CWA Oxford – via Zoom

The Crime Writers Association was founded in 1953 to support, promote and celebrate the crime writing genre. Would you like to chat to some of the CWA Oxford crime writers over a coffee or gin and tonic? All totally virtual, of course, but in every ...


Pauline Rowson at Totton Library

Adventure, mystery, heroes and the sea have always held a fascination for Pauline Rowson so it wasn’t surprising that she turned to crime – writing that is – and created an exciting series of marine based crime novels set against the atmospher...


Corporate and Associate Members

Corporate and Associate Members Associate membership is open to those who, in their profession or occupation, are associated with the crime genre – including publishers, editors, literary agents, crime reviewers, booksellers and those connected wi...


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