Thursday July 5: The CWA this evening awarded its prestigious Diamond Dagger to thriller writer Frederick Forsyth at the CWA awards ceremony held at One Birdcage Walk in London. The Dagger was presented by its previous holder, Lindsey Davis.

Chair of the CWA Peter James said, “Frederick Forsyth is a hugely deserving recipient and The Day of the Jackal remains one of the greatest thrillers of our times. He has set a new standard of research-based authenticity with his writing, which has had a major influence both on my work and on many of my contemporaries in the crime and thriller field. We are very thrilled that he has accepted this award.”

In accepting the Dagger, Frederick Forsyth made a gracious speech describing the award as “pleasing beyond words (almost)” and noted how “humane” the business of writing was with room for new authors coming up.

Frederick Forsyth, former RAF pilot and investigative journalist, defined the modern thriller when he wrote The Day of The Jackal, with its lightning-paced storytelling, effortlessly cool reality and unique insider information. Since then he has written ten further bestselling novels, most recently, The Afghan. He lives in Hertfordshire, England.

The Diamond Dagger recipient is chosen each year by the CWA committee, from a shortlist nominated by the membership. It is very much an honour awarded by the author’s peers and this makes it special. Shortlisted authors must meet two essential criteria: first, their careers must be marked by sustained excellence, and second, they must have made a significant contribution to crime fiction published in the English language, whether originally or in translation. The award is made purely on merit without reference to age, gender or nationality.

Frederick Forsyth’s books are published by Transworld, who maintain his official UK books website.