The Crime Writers’ Association

Private: Into the River: how a last-minute decision led to an award-winning bestseller, by Mark Brandi

In a river, on the outskirts of an isolated country town, two young brothers discover a wheelie bin, partly submerged beneath a fallen tree. Curious, the older brother goes closer to investigate. He steps carefully across the tree’s smooth trunk, ...


New Chair for the CWA

At the CWA AGM on the 28th March 2015 L C Tyler was voted in as new Chair of the CWA. L C (Len) Tyler is a British writer of comic crime fiction. His Elsie and Ethelred mysteries feature Ethelred Tressider, a crime writer, and Elsie Thirkettle, his l...


Helplines and Discounts

Helplines and Discounts CWA members enjoy a number of perks to help their day-to-day work and career, from a tax advice helpline to discounts on membership with sister organisations.Helplines The CWA has a close working relationship with accountant...


Private: What a Difference a Dagger Makes: Debut Dagger winner Bill Crotty tells of doors that have opened since the award

I had never won anything in my life.  Absolutely nothing.  Lucky dips were never lucky; not a single raffle ever ended with my ticket being called.  School sports day was a wasteland.  No kind of race did I ever win: sack, three-l...


Ray Clark’s new novel, Implant

Ray Clark’s new novel, Implant, published August 9 by Urbane Books, is designed to make you think about where the world is heading, and how much we all rely on technology. And what a technically clever and ruthless killer might be able to do with i...


ILP John Creasey First Novel Dagger

ILP John Creasey First Novel Dagger The ILP John Creasey First Novel Dagger (formerly the ILP John Creasey New Blood Dagger) is for the best crime novel by a first-time author of any nationality with their first novel of any kind published in the UK...


Murder By the Book

Crime fiction is the UK's most read, bought and borrowed genre. Cambridge University Library draws on its world-leading collections of British crime fiction to stage a murderously good exhibition! Bringing together literature, culture and heritag...


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...


Associate membership

Join the CWA - Associate membership Thank you for your interest in joining the CWA. Membership is subject to meeting the membership criteria and completing the application form does not guarantee membership. Please fill in your details below and a m...


Corporate membership

Join the CWA - Corporate membership Thank you for your interest in joining the CWA. Membership is subject to meeting the membership criteria and completing the application form does not guarantee membership. Please fill in your details below and a m...


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