The Crime Writers’ Association

The CWA Announces a New Annual Dagger Award for Publishers

The world-famous Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers, which honours the very best in crime writing, has created a new Dagger category for the first time in over a decade. The new prestigious Dagger will be awarded annually to the Best Crime an...


Shortlist Announced for New CWA Dagger Best Crime & Mystery Publisher

The shortlist has been announced for the inaugural CWA Dagger for the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year. The award is the first new Dagger category created in over a decade. The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers are regarded by th...


Short Story Dagger

Short Story Dagger This award is for any crime short story first published in the UK in English during the Judging Period, whether on its own or within an anthology or collection. Upon publication it must have been for sale to the public, either in ...


CWA Announce New Chair

Maxim Jakubowski, a long-standing and influential figure in the publishing world, is announced as the new Chair of the world-famous Crime Writers’ Association (CWA). Maxim’s career has encompassed every aspect of publishing as an editor, translat...


Criminal Critiques

What are Criminal Critiques? Criminal Critiques is the CWA’s critique service for aspiring crime fiction writers, to help you polish your writing and prepare your manuscript for submission to agents and publishers, or for competitions such as the ...


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...


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...


After 20 years, would-be crime novelists find it more rewarding than ever to enter the CWA Debut Dagger Competition

Amended 8.12.17 The CWA Debut Dagger for the opening of a crime novel, established in 1998, is renowned within the crime writing world as a way for unpublished authors to get known, with former winners and shortlisted entrants going on to win publish...


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, ...


Time to Get Crime Writing for Prestigious CWA Competitions

Two crime writing competitions are open now. 1)The CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition Not to be missed for lovers of short-story writing – and being shortlisted for this renowned competition brings attention and prestige to the writing C...


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