The Crime Writers’ Association

Seven Writing Tips from Leigh Russell

Chair of the CWA Debut Dagger judges, Leigh Russell, has sold well over a million books. Writer’s Block The best cure for writer’s block is a deadline. If you’re not fortunate enough to have an external deadline set by a publisher, you can ...


International Literary Properties (ILP) to sponsor the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2023

International Literary Properties (ILP), the global company that invests in, acquires, and manages the intellectual property rights to books, plays and other literary works, has announced their sponsorship of the 2023 Crime Writers' Association John ...


Bloody Scotland. Deadlier: Sophie Hannah in conversation with Cath Staincliffe

Women crime writers, from Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, to Val McDermid and Margaret Atwood, have always been a bloodthirsty bunch. They’ve also produced some of the very best work in the genre. A new compilation, Deadlier, contains 100 of...


Dagger in the Library 2022

Shortlisted


Susan Hill


CWA’s Margery Allingham Short Story Competition to Continue

The Margery Allingham Society has agreed with the Crime Writers’ Association that the popular short mystery competition will run for at least another five years, until 2024. The Society, set up to honour and promote the writings of the great Golden...


2021 winning story

Heartbridge Homicides - Camilla Macpherson ‘Haven’t seen you before,’ said Janet, as she approached the thin, nervy-looking man waiting at the red and white parking barrier. Beyond the barrier (so near, but yet so far) lay the studio where H...


2020 winning story

A Time to Confess - Della Millward “In my experience, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it.” Alex Mason’s clear voice carried across the dry air of the cavern and Peter was glad there weren’t many people around to hear her. Sometim...


2020 highly commended story

Sting in the Tail - Laila Murphy Did you know that insects are among the most successful species on Earth? They outlived dinosaurs. They’ll outlive us. My speciality is wasps. Vespology. Wasps get a bad deal. People are afraid of them but the...


2020 highly commended story

Voices - Lauren Everdell “Someone do the handoff?” “Jane Doe, Patient Foxtrot Alpha One One, found semi-conscious in an alley. Multiple stab wounds to the torso and apparent blunt force trauma to the back of the skull. Query traumatic brai...


2019 winning story

A Perfect Murderer - Ray Bazowski “There’s something that needs to be said at the start.” This forbidding sentence was how Mother always began family meetings. Since flight was impractical and fight inconceivable, we all looked for ways to b...


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