The Crime Writers’ Association

Historical Dagger 2021

Shortlisted


Ovidia Yu

The Mimosa Tree Mystery

Little, Brown Book Group


CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition

Have you penned one of the murkiest, most deadly crime stories the nation has yet to be intrigued by? We’re looking for the best unpublished stories to send chills up the spines of our judges for this year’s Margery Allingham Short Story Competit...


Robert Goddard to receive CWA Diamond Dagger 2019

The Crime Writers’ Association is delighted to announce that Robert Goddard is to receive the 2019 CWA Diamond Dagger, the highest honour in British crime writing. The Dagger award recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by ...


Notes on Word Count for CWA Writing Competitions

Different competitions have different rules – and different levels of rigour in the way they apply them. For the Debut Dagger we are super-strict. We ask for entries not to exceed 3,000 words (1,500 words for the synopsis) by even a word. The ti...


Dagger in the Library

Dagger in the Library  The Dagger in the Library 2025 will be open shortly for libraries and borrowers to put forward names for libraries to vote on in the New Year. The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by an established write...


Trying Again, by Sherry Rankin

I do not have a risk-taking personality. The whole idea of attempting to find an agent and get published always seemed so daunting to me that, for decades, I was afraid even to try. I always loved to write, however. So a few years ago, I took stock o...


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...


Erin Kelly at Gliterary Lunch, London

If you want to treat your clients, friends or simply yourselves to a entertaining afternoon listening to two bestselling authors talk about what lies behind their latest books while you enjoy good food, wine and conversation, please come and join us ...


Crime #2 at Havering Literary Festival

Isabelle Grey has published four novels in a crime series set in Essex and featuring DI Grace Fisher – Good Girls Don’t Die, Shot Through The Heart and The Special Girls. The fourth book, Wrong Way Home, a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month, is...


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...


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