2018 winning story
The Value of Vermin Control - Russell Day I took my hat off and cleared my throat. The young man behind the armour glass and the steel bars didn’t look up, even though I was his only customer. I wasn’t especially surprised. In my experience, p...
2017 winning story
Box Clever - Sam Hepburn I’ve always been a dreamer – the nerdy kid hunched over his Playstation dreaming of being popular, the geeky teenager in sweaty boxers dreaming of hitting the big time with his latest bit of software, the broke student...
2016 winning story
A Box-Shaped Mystery - Peter Guttridge ‘The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it.’ Margery Allingham P...
2016 shortlisted story
The Blockage - Ian Cowmeadow Fine drops of rain bloomed on the van’s windscreen. The engine clicked as the heat drifted from it and Shelly Wrench was beginning to feel the cold. Across the street, a strip light flickered behind a frosted window ...
2015 winning story
Game Over - Lesley Mace The feel of the skateboard rumbles up through the bones of his feet. He is enclosed within the sound of wheels. He concentrates on contracting muscles, on making his body into the correct shape to fly over the top of the co...
Video submission guide
Video submission guide We are not currently running a video series. But following the success of our YouTube member videos in 2020-21, we’ll be inviting you to send in themed videos again soon. Keep an eye on Red Herrings and members' email upd...
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...
Crime Writers in Residence – at home with John Dean
The CRA: Please tell us a little about yourself and the books you write. A journalist by trade, I worked as a crime reporter on newspapers for part of my career, which gave me ample material for my crime novels. I ran my own business for 21 years, s...
Bookshop of the Month – September 2021: Cogito Books
This month, author and co-Booksellers Champion, Vaseem Khan, writes about Cogito Books in Hexham, run by Claire Grint. Cogito Books is based in the rural market town of Hexham, in the beautiful county of Northumberland, home to castles and a nearb...
Byte The Book – Valued Voices: How Much is Your Writing Worth?
What's it all about?: Join us for the first of our events at the beautiful Home House (the site of the original Courtauld Institute). Our panel will be discussing the findings of ALCS’ Author Earnings Survey and asking such questions as, how much ...
Join the CWA
Become part of a thriving community of successful crime writers with invaluable support, expertise and marketing opportunities for all our members.
