The Crime Writers’ Association

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 ...


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 ...


Bookshop of the Month – February 2022: Winstone Books

Winstone Books in Sherborne, Dorset, is our February Bookseller of the Month. Bookseller Elly Griffiths paid them a visit. By serendipitous coincidence, February 2022 marks the tenth anniversary of Wayne Winstone opening his first bookshop. Winsto...


Bookshop of the Month – July 2021: The Steyning Bookshop

Every month, as part of the new CWA Booksellers Champion initiative with bestselling author Elly Griffiths, we want to celebrate a bookshop because we believe bookshops don’t just sell our books – they bring our streets alive. Kicking this off is...


CANCELLED: Candlelight Crime Writing Salon

THIS EVENT HAS UNFORTUNATELY BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO VENUE ISSUES This January, Forensic Outreach is proud to announce our very first Candlelit Crime Writing Salon. Joining us at our inaugural salon on January 19th is the Editorial Director of Crim...


Crafting Compelling Coppers – celebrate National Crime Reading Month with the CWA

Join the Crime Writers' Association as we celebrate National Crime Reading Month on Tuesday 15 June at 7.30pm. Authors Jane Bettany (creator of DI Isabel Blood), Liz Mistry (writer of the DI Gus McGuire and Nikki Parekh series), Roz Watkins (DI Meg ...


A Detective’s Take on Crime Fiction

Join former copper, former detective, and present-day librarian Iain Souter for a fun and informative cop's eye view of crime fiction! Iain Souter is a second-generation police officer from a crop of three, who followed their father into the servi...


An Evening with Sir Alec Jeffreys

An Evening with Sir Alec Jeffreys Join the Royal Society of Biology for an evening with Sir Alec Jeffreys on Monday 16th May 2016 at the Science Museum’s IMAX Theatre, London. The inventor of forensic DNA fingerprinting tells his story at this s...


Antony Johnston and David Beckler at Leigh Library

As part of National Crime Reading Month, local author CJ Harter will interview best-selling crime writers Antony Johnston, creator of Atomic Blonde and The Exphoria Code, and David Beckler, author of Brotherhood.   After the interview, there w...


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