The Crime Writers’ Association

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....


Daggers Shortlist has been announced

The 2023 shortlists for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Dagger awards, which honour the very best in the crime-writing genre, have been announced at Crime Fest in Bristol. 2023 marks the CWA’s 70th Platinum Jubilee Year; the Dagg...


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...


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 ...


A Detective’s Take on Crime Fiction

CWA Scotland — A Detective's Take on Crime Writing 27 June 2024 at 7 pm with Iain Souter. Iain is a second-generation copper from a crop of three who followed their father into the service in Northern Constabulary… pre-Police Scotland. He...


Crafting Compelling Coppers – celebrate National Crime Reading Month with the CWA

Join the Crime Writers' Association as we celebrate National Crime Reading Month on Tuesday 15 June at 7.30pm. Authors Jane Bettany (creator of DI Isabel Blood), Liz Mistry (writer of the DI Gus McGuire and Nikki Parekh series), Roz Watkins (DI Meg ...


A Detective’s Take on Crime Fiction

Join former copper, former detective, and present-day librarian Iain Souter for a fun and informative cop's eye view of crime fiction! Iain Souter is a second-generation police officer from a crop of three, who followed their father into the servi...


Emerging Author Dagger Rules

Rules and Submission Guidelines Emerging Author Dagger The Emerging Author Dagger (formerly the Debut Dagger), an international competition for the opening of an adult/YA crime novel and synopsis, is aimed at debut writers. The CWA defines a de...


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