The Crime Writers’ Association

Alibis in the Archive 2018

Friday 8 - Sunday 10 June 2018 Back by popular demand, Alibis in the Archive (in association with the Crime Writers’ Association and The Detection Club) returns for a second year to bring some of the UK’s best-loved crime writers to Gladstone's ...


CWA Presents: Walking Through a Crime Scene

Part 1 – 'Securing the Scene' with Graham Bartlett and Kate Bendelow Learn with the Crime Experts 22 April 7.30pm Tickets: http://bit.ly/SecureTheScene The CWA minds behind February's Blending Fact and Fiction have put together a thrilling three-...


CWA Opens Membership to Self-Published Authors

For the first time in its 68-year history, the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association will allow self-published authors to join its ranks. The move comes after the CWA consulted its members, who voted with an 84% majority in favour to accept self-p...


Hunt for the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize Winner 2022

The hunt for the best unpublished short mystery story is on. Entrants have until 6pm GMT on Monday 28 February to enter the international Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Margery Allingham Short Mystery competition, 2022. The Margery Allingha...


Private: Dagger Awards to Carry Cash Prizes and Open to Authors to Self-Nominate from 2023

The CWA Daggers – synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century – is set to again award cash prizes beginning in 2023, for titles published and nominated in 2022. Detail of the amounts will be announced next year. The CWA is delig...


The CWA Presents: Criminal Minds #2

Minds for Murder: Psychology of Killing – Dr Emma Donnelly At this online event, consultant clinical forensic psychologist and adviser to best-selling authors and screenwriter, Dr Emma Donnelly, will walk us through the psychology of a criminal...


Anatomy of a Crime Thriller

Hard on the heels of its most successful Literary Festival ever, in June 2023 the tiny island of Alderney is hosting a unique one-day festival exploring the ‘Anatomy of a Crime Thriller’. Organised by The Alderney Literary Trust and sponsored ...


Newcastle Noir – Step Back in Time

Talking about the mix of crime and history with Nicola Ford, Lesley Thomson, Oscar de Muriel and Fiona Veitch Smith.   There is no mystery about where the North’s crime fiction fans will soon be heading – Newcastle Noir is back. The hugel...


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...


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...


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