The Crime Writers’ Association

Writers in Residence – at home with Rachel Sargeant

The CRA: Please tell us a little about yourself and the books you write. I’m a full-time author, living in Gloucestershire. Brought up in Lincolnshire, I have also lived in London, Shropshire, Germany and Wales and like to feature places I know i...


Shaking Hands with the Devil author Bryan J Mason at Clifton, Bristol

Debut author Bryan J Mason is holding a presentation and signing event for his darkly comic novel, Shaking Hands with the Devil. The story follows serial killer Clifton and Detective Hicks through 1990 London. Details are on the attached link for t...


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...


Northern Ireland is Set for NCRM 2024

PRESS RELEASE The Crime Writers Association, National Crime Reading Month NI Crime Writers team up with Libraries NI and local bookstores to celebrate National Crime Reading Month with a host of events across the province throughout June. Fo...


CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition – Winner Announced

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced the winner of its Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize. Camilla Macpherson beat strong competition with her short story, ‘Heartbridge Homicides’. Camilla lives in The Hague in the Nether...


Join the CWA

Join the CWA Who can join? We offer full membership for those in the UK and overseas who have had published a full length work of crime fiction or non-fiction, and provisional membership for those who have a contract from a recognised publishing ho...


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...


AGM 2024 Voting Form

AGM 2024 Voting Form Voting has now closed....


April 2022: Torquay

April 2022: TorquayVenue: The Imperial Hotelby David Whittle I felt a sense of mildly suppressed excitement setting off for my first CWA Conference. It had been a long time coming, of course. I’d booked originally for 2020 and, like all of us, h...


Trying Again, by Sherry Rankin

I do not have a risk-taking personality. The whole idea of attempting to find an agent and get published always seemed so daunting to me that, for decades, I was afraid even to try. I always loved to write, however. So a few years ago, I took stock o...


Join the CWA

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