The Crime Writers’ Association

Private: CWA’s Margery Allingham Short Story Competition to Continue

The Margery Allingham Society has agreed with the Crime Writers’ Association that the popular short mystery competition will run for at least another five years, until 2024. The Society, set up to honour and promote the writings of the great Golden...


The Entry Process

The Entry Process There are four kinds of Dagger, differentiated by how they are nominated. See below for an explanation of the different entry processes, and who may nominate for each Dagger. Please do not hesitate to contact the Dagger Liaison Or...


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About the CWA The CWA promotes, supports and celebrates crime writing, and writers of all crime fiction and non-fiction from across the globe. We’re proud to be a growing, thriving community with membership encompassing authors of all ages and at ...


Slaughter in Southwold Crime Writers Festival Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th June

2017 marks the fifth annual ‘Slaughter in Southwold’ festival featuring talks by a number of top crime writers as well as other crime themed activities. This year’s packed programme features Elly Griffiths, M.J. Arlidge, Isabelle Grey, Harry B...


Alderney Literary Festival

Featuring a line-up of best-selling and award-winning authors, the festival focuses on historical writing and runs from Friday March 17th to Sunday March 19th with talks, panel discussions and fringe events. It opens with a fascinating panel discu...


Private: Staying Accountable

Even writers don’t feel like writing all of the time. When you’re part-way through your book and the rest of it stretches out ahead of you like an insurmountable task, the temptation to do something else instead can become strong, and if you’ve...


Short Story Dagger 2021

Shortlisted


James Delargy

Planting Nan

Criminal Minds Group


‘Death in the East’: An evening with Abir Mukherjee

Heffers is pleased to welcome back award-winning crime author Abir Mukherjee, who will be talking about his latest Sam Wyndham novel, ‘Death in the East’ - another rip-roaring adventure set in 1920s India. The previous novel in the series, ‘Smo...


Private: Martin Edwards wins an Edgar

Martin Edwards, the CWA’s vice chair, has won the Best Biographical/Critical Edgar award for The Golden Age of Murder. The awards for mystery fiction, non-fiction and TV are made every spring by Mystery Writers of America. The term ‘Edgar...


Debut Dagger Success Story by Fiona McPhillips

I had never written a novel before I entered the 2021 Debut Dagger. I was halfway through an MA in Creative Writing and too focused on the rhythm of my prose, the structure and shape of my short stories. A novel felt like a marathon when I’d only e...


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