The Crime Writers’ Association

CWA Launch High Profile National Crime Reading Month

Ian Rankin, Anthony Horowitz, Elly Griffiths and Vaseem Khan announced as new ambassadors for NCRM The Crime Writers’ Association launches National Crime Reading Month (NCRM) this June – a major initiative designed to celebrate the genre and g...


2022 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

Ray Celestin, MW Craven, Janice Hallett and Mark Billingham awarded 2022 CWA Daggers. The winners of the 2022 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced. [For photos of the event, see: https://thecw...


New Blood for CWA Daggers with Awards’ Sponsorship

The CWA Daggers – the genre’s oldest and most famous awards - has announced two new sponsors. The 2025 Dagger Awards sees the editorial consultancy Fiction Feedback sponsor the Emerging Author Dagger, and Morgen Witzel sponsor the Historical D...


The Board

The Board The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales (no. 3495776). It’s a non-campaigning, non-sectarian body. Our primary objective is to promote the prestige and appreciation ...


CWA Announce Longlists for Prestigious Crime Writing Daggers

The Crime Writers’ Association announced the much anticipated longlists for the annual CWA Dagger awards for the best of the year’s crime writing at a reception during international convention CrimeFest in Bristol on the evening of Friday 10 May....


CWA Unveils 2019 Dagger Shortlists

The author behind one of the biggest shows on TV, a world renowned forensic anthropologist and the son of ‘the godfather of tartan noir’ have been shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Dagger awards. The ten Daggers awarded annually by the CWA are ...


Countdown to the Daggers

The countdown is on for the world-famous Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers, which honour the very best in crime writing. Tickets are now available for the Dagger Awards gala dinner, which takes place from 6.30pm at the Leonardo Royal Hotel L...


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...


Emerging Author Dagger Rules

Rules and Submission Guidelines Emerging Author Dagger The Emerging Author Dagger (formerly the Debut Dagger), an international competition for the opening of an adult/YA crime novel and synopsis, is aimed at debut writers. The CWA defines a de...


Northern Ireland is Set for NCRM 2024

PRESS RELEASE The Crime Writers Association, National Crime Reading Month NI Crime Writers team up with Libraries NI and local bookstores to celebrate National Crime Reading Month with a host of events across the province throughout June. Fo...


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