The Crime Writers’ Association

Dagger Shortlists Announced

A debut novel is up against one of Britain’s biggest and most celebrated authors for the crime novel of the year. The 2021 shortlists for the prestigious CWA Dagger awards, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced....


An Introduction to Crime Fiction – Writing workshop

Best-selling crime novelist John Dean is to run an Introduction to Crime Fiction creative writing workshop. John, author of 17 novels, including the recently-published Death List, is published by London-based The Book Folks and is the creator of DCI ...


Emerging Author Dagger

Emerging Author Dagger The Emerging Author Dagger (formerly the Debut Dagger) is an international competition, open to anyone in the world writing in English, for a crime novel opening (max. 3,000 words) and synopsis (max. 1,500 words). The crime no...


Author account application form

Author account application form If you are an author who has been traditionally published in the UK by one of our approved publishers but would like to nominate your own title into the CWA Daggers, please submit the form below and we will be in touc...


The Meek Shall Inherit the Storyline – Talk

Best-selling crime novelist John Dean will give a talk looking at how conflict in the modern age drives crime fiction. John, whose books regularly feature in the best-selling charts on Amazon, is the creator of the DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harr...


Emerging Author Dagger

Emerging Author Dagger The Emerging Author Dagger (formerly the Debut Dagger) is an international competition, open to anyone in the world writing in English, for a crime novel opening (max. 3,000 words) and synopsis (max. 1,500 words). The crime no...


Kate Ellis headlines at Crediton Literary Festival with a crime focus

A one-day Literary Festival on Saturday 5 June presented online via Zoom. Sixteen authors are speaking on a range of genres throughout the day, with a 10pm crime panel, Victoria Dowd at 1.30pm and Kate Ellis headlining in the afternoon. Tickets are f...


St. Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend 2024

A Dance to the Music of Crime: the artful path to murder A crime fiction weekend like no other – from its beginnings, St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend has drawn readers from all over the world to Oxford to hear their favourite authors explore ...


Shetland Noir 2023

Shetland Arts is delighted to announce the return of Shetland Noir from 15-18th June 2023. The festival will run from the evening of Thursday to Sunday evening, at Shetland’s arts venue in Lerwick, Mareel, and will include a variety of fun ...


Debut Dagger

Emerging Author Dagger (Debut Dagger) Announcements Congratulations to our 2024 Shortlist Authors! See below for details. Winner: Dagger Awards Dinner, evening of Thursday 4 July, Leonardo City Hotel, London. All announcements will also appe...


Join the CWA

Become part of a thriving community of successful crime writers with invaluable support, expertise and marketing opportunities for all our members.


Advertise with us