The Crime Writers’ Association

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...


Chiswick Book Festival

Murder and Mayhem in Leafy Chiswick Saturday September 14th The Art of the Thriller Former soldier and diplomat Alan Judd and former BBC journalist Peter Hetherington discuss with Julian Worricker the art of writing gripping fiction. Crime and Suspen...


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...


Book Signing: Jan Edwards


Debut Dagger Tips: Joanne Spain

Joanne Spain’s life was changed by her decision to enter the CWA Debut Dagger competition in 2013. She credits her experience with the CWA contest with helping to shape her now-flourishing writing career. Now, having secured a two-book deal with Qu...


CWA Unveils 2019 Dagger Shortlists

The author behind one of the biggest shows on TV, a world renowned forensic anthropologist and the son of ‘the godfather of tartan noir’ have been shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Dagger awards. The ten Daggers awarded annually by the CWA are ...


Book Launch – A Wash of Black

IT'S NOT LIFE THAT IMITATES ART. IT'S DEATH. Anna Symons. Famous. Talented. Dead. When the body of a famous actress is found mutilated on an ice rink in Manchester, recreating a scene from a blockbuster film she starred in years ago, DI Erika Piper...


Book Signing with Simon Michael

Bestselling Crime author and CWA Member Simon Michael will be signing copies of his books from the Charles Holborne 1960s London crime thriller series.  ...


Book Signing with Alice Castle

Alice Castle was a feature writer on the Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph before turning to a life of crime. Alice will be signing copies of Death in Dulwich, The Girl in the Gallery, Calamity in Camberwell, Homicide in Herne Hill and...


Dagger in the Library

Dagger in the Library  The Dagger in the Library 2024 is closed. Thank you for voting! The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by an established writer of crime fiction or non-fiction who has long been popular with borrowers from...


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