The Crime Writers’ Association

Shaking Hands with the Devil author Bryan J Mason at Clifton, Bristol

Debut author Bryan J Mason is holding a presentation and signing event for his darkly comic novel, Shaking Hands with the Devil. The story follows serial killer Clifton and Detective Hicks through 1990 London. Details are on the attached link for t...


Friends, Romans, Murderers with Jane Finnis

“Friends, Romans, Murderers…” Jane Finnis, who writes the Aurelia Marcella mysteries, talks about life (and death) in Roman Britain, and explores the pleasures and pitfalls of writing historical mysteries. Admission free: all welcome. Jane’...


Friends, Romans, Murderers with Jane Finnis

“Friends, Romans, Murderers…” Jane Finnis, who writes the Aurelia Marcella mysteries, talks about life (and death) in Roman Britain, and explores the pleasures and pitfalls of writing historical mysteries. Admission free: all welcome. Jane’...


2023 winning story

How to Catch a Bullet in a Plate and Other Tricks to Astound - Judith O’Reilly He never performed the trick at a matinee show as he didn’t like to worry the children in the audience. At least there was that, Mrs Conway thought, as the red bloo...


Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival

Lin Anderson and Alex Gray started the festival in 2012 and now it’s huge. This year’s featured authors include Chris Curran, Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh, Louise Penny, Ann Cleeves, Peter James, Stuart Macbride, Chris Brookmyre, Ragnar Jonasson, M...


Debut Dagger Writing Tips

Here are tips from recent newsletters compiled for you by Dea Parkin, the CWA’s Competitions Coordinator (and professional editor). If you’re at the stage where your entry is finished and you’re into the all-important revision and editing pr...


Submitting for CWA Competitions: In at the Kill

The deadline’s getting close! So here’s some last-minute advice for you on the practicalities of submitting. Please remember the rule: if you have any problems with your Debut Dagger submission, you must let us know on comps@thecwa.co.uk befor...


ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction This Dagger is for any non-fiction work on a crime-related theme by an author of any nationality as long as the book was first published in the UK in English during the judging period. The Dagger encompasses, tho...


CWA Announces new Debut Dagger Sponsor

The Crime Writers’ Association has announced a new sponsor for its annual international writing competition for unpublished writers. The CWA Debut Dagger is to be sponsored by ProWritingAid, a platform that operates as a grammar checker, style edi...


Private: Into the River: how a last-minute decision led to an award-winning bestseller, by Mark Brandi

In a river, on the outskirts of an isolated country town, two young brothers discover a wheelie bin, partly submerged beneath a fallen tree. Curious, the older brother goes closer to investigate. He steps carefully across the tree’s smooth trunk, ...


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