Celebrate National Crime Reading Month on 8 May with Rachel Abbott and Sharon Bolton
Celebrate National Crime Reading Month with Bolton Central Library and Museum as Bestselling, Award winning crime writers Rachel Abbott and Sharon Bolton will be talking about their exciting new books. Rachel's new book "Come a Little Closer" has be...
Submitting for CWA Competitions: In at the Kill
The deadline’s getting close! So here’s some last-minute advice for you on the practicalities of submitting. Please remember the rule: if you have any problems with your Debut Dagger submission, you must let us know on comps@thecwa.co.uk befor...
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...
Debut Dagger Writing Tips
Here are tips from recent newsletters compiled for you by Dea Parkin, the CWA’s Competitions Coordinator (and professional editor). If you’re at the stage where your entry is finished and you’re into the all-important revision and editing pr...
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...
2019 runner up
Decluttering - Rosie De Vekey The Greenville Herald 21st December 2018 ‘Ghosting husbands’ on the rise! Pressures of Trump’s America blamed for men disappearing from families in record numbers. A beginning It’s a war...
2019 shortlisted story
Trick of the Eye - Louise Harnby ‘Maybe they bricked it up and skimmed it but it was there.’ Laura Hughes swears there was a door but I’m looking at concrete. On the other side is a room that never sleeps. The call centre runs twenty-four...
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