The Crime Writers’ Association

Wild Words Festival

A Brand New Festival … It’d be a Crime to Miss it! Wild Words Festival is a brand new literary festival in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, taking place over the Jubilee Weekend of 3–5 June 2022. Featuring a host of true crime and crime fiction write...


Notes on Word Count for CWA Writing Competitions

Different competitions have different rules – and different levels of rigour in the way they apply them. For the Debut Dagger we are super-strict. We ask for entries not to exceed 3,000 words (1,500 words for the synopsis) by even a word. The ti...


Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate 19-22 July 2018

The world-class, award-winning Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, now in its 15th year, returns to the magnificent Old Swan Hotel this summer from the 19-22 July. Celebrating the very best in crime fiction, the Festival is a firm date in ...


CWA Dagger Shortlists 2018

The Crime Writers’ Association announced the shortlists for the prestigious annual Dagger awards for crime writing at an evening reception at Daunt Books, Cheapside, London, on Wednesday 25 May. The shortlists provide some interesting duplications....


Daggers Shortlist has been announced

The 2023 shortlists for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Dagger awards, which honour the very best in the crime-writing genre, have been announced at Crime Fest in Bristol. 2023 marks the CWA’s 70th Platinum Jubilee Year; the Dagg...


Agatha Christie Centenary Celebration

BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL CELEBRATE A CENTURY OF CHRISTIE CREATIVITY Diary date: Thursday 15 September 2016 Dame Agatha Christie’s home town marks her birthday and the 100th anniversary of the completion of her first crime no...


CWA Daggers Announced

Chris Whitaker, Clare Mackintosh, Michael Robotham, Vaseem Khan and Peter May win 2021 CWA Daggers. The winners of the 2021 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced. The prestigious Crime Write...


Notes on Word Count for CWA Writing Competitions

Different competitions have different rules – and different levels of rigour in the way they apply them. For the Debut Dagger we are super-strict. We ask for entries not to exceed 3,000 words (1,500 words for the synopsis) by even a word. The ti...


SGM December 2023

We’re holding a brief Special General Meeting on Saturday 2 December at 10am to present the new Articles of Association to the membership and ask for you to approve them in this special resolution. Our Articles form our constitution and direct how ...


A Detective’s Take on Crime Fiction

CWA Scotland — A Detective's Take on Crime Writing 27 June 2024 at 7 pm with Iain Souter. Iain is a second-generation copper from a crop of three who followed their father into the service in Northern Constabulary… pre-Police Scotland. He...


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