Time to Get Crime Writing for Prestigious CWA Competitions
Two crime writing competitions are open now. 1)The CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition Not to be missed for lovers of short-story writing – and being shortlisted for this renowned competition brings attention and prestige to the writing C...
The Entry Process
The Entry Process There are four kinds of Dagger, differentiated by how they are nominated. See below for an explanation of the different entry processes, and who may nominate for each Dagger. Please do not hesitate to contact the Dagger Liaison Or...
My Debut Dagger Experience, by Biba Pearce
I first found out about the CWA Debut Dagger several years ago from a writing group on Facebook. I'd been writing for a long time, an embarrassingly long time, with not much to show for it. Granted, I'd been juggling motherhood with a full-time job...
Crime at Havering Literary Festival
Author of the Stephens & Mephisto novels, Elly’s real name is Domenica de Rosa. She came up with Elly Griffiths after developing the idea for her Dr Ruth Galloway character while on holiday in Norfolk. Her agent told her: ‘This is crime. You ...
Third time lucky with the Debut Dagger, by Anna Caig
I’ve wanted to write crime fiction ever since I read Death on the Nile as a teenager and was blown away that something so clever, so dazzling and brilliant, could even exist. But life takes over, doesn’t it. It was only in 2017, when I saved up e...
Opening Windows, by John Kennedy
A certain writer, arguably lauded for the wrong things but at the same time often underrated, once said something about writing behind closed doors and rewriting with the window open. Well, for me, the Debut Dagger competition opened that window. Get...
Debut Dagger Tips: Greg Keen
Words of advice from award-winning authors… His day job involves training and coaching businesses to deliver barnstorming presentations and wow their clients, so it’s no wonder that Greg Keen was a natural storyteller. In 2015, he w...
Short story guide
Short story guide We accept short story submissions for the CRA website, to provide you with a platform to win over new readers and expand your fan base. It might also be useful to showcase your writing skills if you’re looking for a new agent or ...
Private: Joffe Books New Publication Prize for Crime Writers of Colour
Joffe Books, in conjunction with bestselling crime writer Dorothy Koomson and literary agent Susan Yearwood, is seeking to discover a new crime fiction writer to join our bestselling list. We are launching a new writing prize for unagented crime fict...
Debut Dagger Success Story by Fiona McPhillips
I had never written a novel before I entered the 2021 Debut Dagger. I was halfway through an MA in Creative Writing and too focused on the rhythm of my prose, the structure and shape of my short stories. A novel felt like a marathon when I’d only e...
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