The Crime Writers’ Association

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...


Northern Ireland is Set for NCRM 2024

PRESS RELEASE The Crime Writers Association, National Crime Reading Month NI Crime Writers team up with Libraries NI and local bookstores to celebrate National Crime Reading Month with a host of events across the province throughout June. Fo...


CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition – Winner Announced

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced the winner of its Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize. Camilla Macpherson beat strong competition with her short story, ‘Heartbridge Homicides’. Camilla lives in The Hague in the Nether...


Join the CWA

Join the CWA Who can join? We offer full membership for those in the UK and overseas who have had published a full length work of crime fiction or non-fiction, and provisional membership for those who have a contract from a recognised publishing ho...


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...


Daggers Announced Online in Daggers Live!

CWA Dagger Awards 2020 Winners Announced Michael Robotham, Lou Berney, Trevor Wood, Casey Cep, and Abir Mukherjee win 2020 CWA Dagger awards. The winners of the 2020 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, were announced ...


Michael Connelly to receive CWA Diamond Dagger 2018

The Crime Writers’ Association is delighted to announce that Michael Connelly is to receive the 2018 CWA Diamond Dagger, the highest honour in British crime writing. The Dagger award recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked b...


Debut Dagger 2021

Shortlisted


Edward Regenye

Lightfoot


CWA Dagger Winners to be Announced at Awards on Oct 25

For readers of crime – now officially the UK’s most popular genre of fiction – the CWA Daggers are the book awards to really sharpen your appetite. Ten Daggers are given away at a glittering black-tie dinner and the cream of the publishing indu...


Gold Dagger 2021

Winner


Chris Whitaker

We Begin at the End

Zaffre, Bonnier


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