The Crime Writers’ Association

CWA Dagger Shortlists Announced

The 2022 shortlists for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Dagger awards, which honour the very best in the crime-writing genre, have been announced. Created in 1955, the world-famous CWA Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre ...


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...


New Writing North and Northumbria University present Crime Story 2018

Saturday 19 May 2018, 10am-6pm, Newcastle upon Tyne Crime Story is a unique biennial event that brings together crime experts with crime writers and readers for a fascinating and inspiring one-day writing festival. Crime Story 2018 will be headline...


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...


AGM 2024 Voting Form

AGM 2024 Voting Form Voting has now closed....


CWA New Anthology released

“The short story is alive and well in England, judging by this Crime Writers’ Association anthology assembled by Martin Edwards” – Publishers Weekly, 2nd June 2014 The latest CWA fiction anthology, Guilty Parties, published by...


The CWA Presents Crime Writers’ Clinics

  The Crime Writers Association is proud to present Crime Writers' Clinics, a programme of online conversations with industry experts specially designed with CWA members in mind. These events are free for CWA members, and £10 per event fo...


CWA Dagger Awards Longlists Announced

The 2021 longlists for the prestigious CWA Dagger awards, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced. The world-famous Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre, and have been synony...


Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin Named New SOA Chair

Congratulations to Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, who has been elected new Chair of the Society of Authors. The novelist and founder of writing.ie takes over from Joanne Harris to begin two-year term as Chair of the SoA’s board of directors Vanessa Fo...


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