The Crime Writers’ Association

Gŵyl CRIME CYMRU Festival

Join us for Wales’s very first international crime fiction festival, Gŵyl CRIME CYMRU Festival. It kicks off in Aberystwyth this spring with its own unique brand of murder, mystery and criminal mayhem. From April 21-23 you can join bestsellers...


Entries for this year’s CWA Dagger Awards

The Crime Writers’ Association Daggers have been synonymous with quality crime writing for almost sixty years. Every year publishers put forward books for The Daggers, but until now the full list of titles submitted has not been revealed. The CWA h...


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...


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...


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...


Short Story Dagger

Short Story Dagger This award is for any crime short story first published in the UK in English during the Judging Period, whether on its own or within an anthology or collection. Upon publication it must have been for sale to the public, either in ...


Dagger in the Library 2017 Longlist Announced

The longlist of the CWA 2017 Dagger in the Library was officially announced on the evening of February 6th at the First Monday crime writing meeting in London. The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by a crime writer that users of li...


CWA Debut Dagger Competition Now Open

The Crime Writers’ Association have opened their popular Debut Dagger competition for 2018. The competition is for the opening of a crime novel and any writer who has never had a traditional publishing contract for a full-length novel can enter, ev...


CWA Opens Membership to Self-Published Authors

For the first time in its 68-year history, the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association will allow self-published authors to join its ranks. The move comes after the CWA consulted its members, who voted with an 84% majority in favour to accept self-p...


Private: Dagger Awards to Carry Cash Prizes and Open to Authors to Self-Nominate from 2023

The CWA Daggers – synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century – is set to again award cash prizes beginning in 2023, for titles published and nominated in 2022. Detail of the amounts will be announced next year. The CWA is delig...


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