The Crime Writers’ Association

2016 winning story

A Box-Shaped Mystery - Peter Guttridge ‘The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it.’ Margery Allingham P...


2016 shortlisted story

The Blockage - Ian Cowmeadow Fine drops of rain bloomed on the van’s windscreen. The engine clicked as the heat drifted from it and Shelly Wrench was beginning to feel the cold. Across the street, a strip light flickered behind a frosted window ...


Escaping from Greece with Jason Monaghan

In an ideal world that should be ‘Escaping to Greece’, as like so many other Brits I’m just longing for some sunshine and warm sea. The closest I’ve come so far this pandemic is organising ‘Greek Nite’ for my family bubble, with kebabs, d...


2015 winning story

Game Over - Lesley Mace The feel of the skateboard rumbles up through the bones of his feet. He is enclosed within the sound of wheels. He concentrates on contracting muscles, on making his body into the correct shape to fly over the top of the co...


CWA 2024 Conference, Brighton

CWA CONFERENCE 2024, BRIGHTON 19-21 APRIL This year’s conference takes place in beautiful Brighton and brings together our CWA community for a weekend of learning-centred activity in one of the UK’s most visited tourist hotspots. The 2024 con...


WRITERS’ BLOCK by Sarah Rayne

We’ve all been there. It doesn’t matter if we’re in the best-selling lists, or just starting out with a hopeful eye on the CWA Debut Dagger as a stepping-stone to great things (which, of course, it can often be) – we’ve all sat dismally in...


Downloads

Downloads Whether you're a bookstore, library, author or reader, here you'll find a selection of posters and other handy resources to download, display, and use to promote crime writing. Promotional postersCWA Daggers resources...


London Women’s Gliterary Lunch

Thursday 12 May, The Kingsway Hall Hotel, Covent Garden with authors Louise Doughty and Clare North A 'perfect balance of schmooze, booze and books', to quote Lionel Shriver. For those of you who still haven't experienced a Gliterary Lunch, thes...


It’s All In the Point of View by Jared Cade

If you ask most people what point of view is, they will probably answer along the lines: ‘It’s whether you write in the first person (I thought he looked ill) or third person (She thought he looked ill). It’s a little more complicated than that...


Minor Characters by J G Harlond

Most characters in a crime novels are potential suspects, so even if they are minor or secondary characters, make their presence and dialogue meaningful. In historical crime fiction these people should of course also reflect or exemplify the lifestyl...


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