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 Emerging Author Dagger (formerly called the Debut Dagger) we are super-strict. We ask for entries not to exceed 3,000 words (1,500 w...
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate 19-22 July 2018
The world-class, award-winning Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, now in its 15th year, returns to the magnificent Old Swan Hotel this summer from the 19-22 July. Celebrating the very best in crime fiction, the Festival is a firm date in ...
Private: CWA Dagger Shortlists 2018
The Crime Writers’ Association announced the shortlists for the prestigious annual Dagger awards for crime writing at an evening reception at Daunt Books, Cheapside, London, on Wednesday 25 May. The shortlists provide some interesting duplications....
Agatha Christie Centenary Celebration
BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL CELEBRATE A CENTURY OF CHRISTIE CREATIVITY Diary date: Thursday 15 September 2016 Dame Agatha Christie’s home town marks her birthday and the 100th anniversary of the completion of her first crime no...
How to fix an author blog with no traffic by C T Mitchell
How To Fix An Author Blog With No Traffic Greg Reed aka C T Mitchell So you’ve started your new author blog (well done!) but there’s deadly silence. No interaction, no post likes and you’re wondering if anybody else is reading your master...
Private: CWA Daggers Announced
Chris Whitaker, Clare Mackintosh, Michael Robotham, Vaseem Khan and Peter May win 2021 CWA Daggers. The winners of the 2021 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced. The prestigious Crime Write...
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 ...
Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition – Rules
Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition - The Rules Please read all terms carefully before submitting your entry. Please pay attention to the Margery Allingham’s definition of a mystery and the chronology it outlines. Submission of an entry...
Ten Ways to Make Your Criminal Protagonist Fascinating by Dagger Longlister Judy Hock
By Judy Hock There’s always a crook in crime fiction, but what if that character is your protagonist? Readers need to care about the main character. Here are some tips for adding complexity and keeping your reader intrigued. 1. Make Them a...

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