The Crime Writers’ Association

Debut Dagger Rules

Rules and Submission Guidelines CWA Debut Dagger 2024 The Debut Dagger, an international competition for the opening of an adult/YA crime novel and synopsis, is aimed at debut writers. The CWA defines a debut writer for the purposes of this com...


Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize Winner to Be Announced 17 June

The world-famed Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced the shortlist for its Margery Allingham Short Mystery competition, with the winner to be announced online on 17 June at midday. The competition celebrates the classic mystery story, ...


Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition – Rules

Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition - The rules Please read all terms carefully before submitting your entry. Please pay attention to the Margery Allingham’s definition of a mystery and the chronology it outlines. Submission of an entry...


Membership FAQ

Membership FAQ...


Debut Dagger Tips: Kristina Stanley

  Prepare to be deeply jealous when you find out the circumstances in which Kristina Stanley penned her Debut Dagger shortlisted novel, Blaze. However, despite a deeply glamourous writing story, the Canadian newcomer faced the same struggle as a...


Come and Chat to CWA Oxford – via Zoom

The Crime Writers Association was founded in 1953 to support, promote and celebrate the crime writing genre. Would you like to chat to some of the CWA Oxford crime writers over a coffee or gin and tonic? All totally virtual, of course, but in every ...


The Life of Crime, with Martin Edwards

Martin Edwards won the highest honour in UK crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger, for his outstanding contribution to the genre. He is President of the Detection Club, a former Chair of the CWA, consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics a...


CWA Appoints Elly Griffiths as Booksellers Champion

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has appointed a new Booksellers Champion as Reading Month begins across the UK. Best-selling author Elly Griffiths has taken on the role which aims to build links between crime authors and bookshops. The C...


CWA appoints Maxim Jakubowski as Publishers’ Liaison Officer

Press Release from the Crime Writers’ Association February 2019 The Crime Writers’ Association has appointed Maxim Jakubowski as its first ever Publishers’ Liaison Officer. Jakubowski, who currently also serves as a CWA Vice Chair, takes up the...


CWA Christmas Party

It’s beginning to look a lot like… The supermarket shelves are full of mince pies, the lights on Oxford Street are twinkling and various celebrities are heading to the Australian jungle. This can only mean one thing. It’s time to book your t...


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