The Crime Writers’ Association

Essex Book Festival’s Golden Age of Crime

CWA members Helen Barrell, Simon Brett and Isabelle Grey are hosting various events within the Essex Book Festival's homage to Golden Age crime writing - and crime writing today! Join Essex Book Festival for a weekend of sleuthing in Southend-on-...


Dark Stories and Disturbing Tales with Emily Koch, Jane Corry, Jane Shemilt and Melanie Golding

These best-selling authors, all writers of powerful thrillers, discuss the art of writing and why psychological suspense is so popular during these turbulent times. How do you write a thriller that makes you stay up all night, feverishly turning t...


Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

The Margery Allingham Short Mystery CompetitionHow to Write a Winning Story We asked Martin Edwards, the inaugural winner of the CWA/Margery Allingham Short Story competition for 6 great tips and here they are: Read the great short stories (not...


The CWA Remembers David Stuart Davies

The CWA has lost one of its most loyal members in David Stuart Davies, a novelist, editor, and playwright who achieved an international reputation as an expert on Sherlock Holmes. David was born in Huddersfield, the town where he lived for much of...


2022 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

Ray Celestin, MW Craven, Janice Hallett and Mark Billingham awarded 2022 CWA Daggers. The winners of the 2022 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced. [For photos of the event, see: https://thecw...


Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation

Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation Sponsored in honour of Dolores Jakubowski. This award is for crime novels (defined by the broadest definition to include thrillers, suspense novels and spy fiction) as long as the book was not originally wr...


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...


When the Killing Starts with RC Bridgestock

Best-selling crime duo Bob and Carol Bridgestock write as RC Bridgestock and are hosts of the murder mystery evening mentioned above, as well as a jazz night, tea and scones afternoon and many other events in West Yorkshire during June and July in a ...


Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Ian Fleming said there was one essential criterion for a good thriller, ‘one simply has to turn the pages’. Eligible books in this category are thrillers set in any period and include, but are not limited to, spy fiction...


Morecambe & Vice Crime Writing Festival

On the Weekend of Sat 30th Sept & Sun 1st October get your little grey cells at the ready and your poisoned pens filled to the brim with ink as the Quirkiest crime festival in the UK will be making its debut in Morecambe. Set in the auspicious s...


Join the CWA

Become part of a thriving community of successful crime writers with invaluable support, expertise and marketing opportunities for all our members.


Advertise with us