The Crime Writers’ Association

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...


SGM December 2023

We’re holding a brief Special General Meeting on Saturday 2 December at 10am to present the new Articles of Association to the membership and ask for you to approve them in this special resolution. Our Articles form our constitution and direct how ...


Birmingham Author Meetup

Authors! Join us for an authors' meetup at the Bacchus Bar in Birmingham. This event is free, but you'll need to book, and you can do so here....


Countdown to the Daggers on 22 October

Free tickets are available from Thursday 15 Oct for the virtual awards ceremony of the 2020 Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers, which honour the very best in crime writing. The oldest awards in the genre, the CWA Daggers have been synonymous ...


Marketing your books

Marketing your Books The CWA’s mission is to promote the crime-writing genre, both fiction and non-fiction, and support our membership of professional authors. We offer our members a wide range of promotional outlets, and the help of our Bookselle...


Writing in the Time of Covid: Panel with Jan Carson, Jarred McGinnis and Saeida Rouass

Writing in the Time of Covid: Panel with Jan Carson, Jarred McGinnis and Saeida Rouass Writers Jan Carson, Jarred McGinnis and Saeida Rouass discuss how they've found writing during the current pandemic. Has the Covid era changed how they write, and...


Crime Cymru online festival is back!

Gŵyl CRIME CYMRU Festival 2022 will be online, free to viewers, and include well-known national and international crime writers as well as featuring Welsh authors to cater to a range of tastes. At the festival, we will be showcasing stars of the ...


June is National Crime Reading Month

Libraries, booksellers, publishers and festivals are taking part in National Crime Reading Month this month, while crime writers are contributing videos and blogs to the dedicated site with more posted almost every day of June. National Crime Read...


“Proof Behind the Plot” – a forensic workshop for crime writers

In celebration of National Crime Reading Month, Think Forensic are hosting an interactive workshop led by their forensic and crime investigation experts, in Huddersfield. The workshop has been designed specifically to give all writers, whether new...


Murder One, Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival

Brought to you online for the past two years, Murder One, Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival is back with a bang from 4-9 October with a host of in person and online events at a new venue, Dun Laoghaire’s stunning dlr LexIcon Library ...


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