2018 winning story
The Value of Vermin Control - Russell Day I took my hat off and cleared my throat. The young man behind the armour glass and the steel bars didn’t look up, even though I was his only customer. I wasn’t especially surprised. In my experience, p...
2017 winning story
Box Clever - Sam Hepburn I’ve always been a dreamer – the nerdy kid hunched over his Playstation dreaming of being popular, the geeky teenager in sweaty boxers dreaming of hitting the big time with his latest bit of software, the broke student...
2016 winning story
A Box-Shaped Mystery - Peter Guttridge ‘The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it.’ Margery Allingham P...
2016 shortlisted story
The Blockage - Ian Cowmeadow Fine drops of rain bloomed on the van’s windscreen. The engine clicked as the heat drifted from it and Shelly Wrench was beginning to feel the cold. Across the street, a strip light flickered behind a frosted window ...
2015 winning story
Game Over - Lesley Mace The feel of the skateboard rumbles up through the bones of his feet. He is enclosed within the sound of wheels. He concentrates on contracting muscles, on making his body into the correct shape to fly over the top of the co...
CWA Dagger Awards Terms and Conditions of Entry
CWA Daggers Terms and Conditions of Entry Three categories of people can nominate a title for the CWA Daggers. Approved publishers Traditionally published authors whose book or title is published (not merely distributed) in the UK Self-pu...
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...
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...
“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...
2022 winning story
Locked In - Scott Hunter There’s something singularly evil about a crime carried out in secret, don’t you think? Especially if it is repeated on a regular basis. And especially if the victim is powerless to prevent it. Let me explain my cir...
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