Join the CWA
Join the CWA Who can join? We offer full membership for those in the UK and overseas who have had published a full length work of crime fiction or non-fiction, and provisional membership for those who have a contract from a recognised publishing ho...
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...
Crime Writers Emerging from Lockdown with JG Harlond
Escaping through a picture window... My study has a sliding picture window opening onto a balcony. From my desk I can see the Sierra de Las Nieves in the Province of Málaga, Spain. This was where the Moors of al-Ándalus harvested snow for sherbet ...
Bookshop of the Month – July 2021: The Steyning Bookshop
Every month, as part of the new CWA Booksellers Champion initiative with bestselling author Elly Griffiths, we want to celebrate a bookshop because we believe bookshops don’t just sell our books – they bring our streets alive. Kicking this off is...
CWA Daggers – Shortlists Announced
The Crime Writers’ Association announced the shortlists for this year’s Dagger awards for crime writing at an at an evening drinks reception held at Waterstones Piccadilly on Wednesday 26 July. The CWA Daggers, which are the probably the awards c...
NOIRELAND – A new crime fiction festival with a distinctly Irish accent
NOIRELAND is a celebration of Ireland’s love of crime fiction. We have the best in local talent, guest appearances by international crime-writing stars, and in-depth conversations with some of the greatest screenwriters to put crime dramas on the s...
Private: Latest Tips for Winning the Debut Dagger
CWA Coordinator and Debuts maestro Dea Parkin has some top tips for Debut Dagger entrants: You’re going over your Debut Dagger entry in the final days before the deadline. What might you consider revising to make it stand out and shine? Ens...
Skullduggery in Stowmarket
Join bestselling authors Vaseem Khan, SJI Holliday, Olivia Kiernan, Victoria Selman, Tim Sullivan, and Lauren North for a day of author events at the Stowmarket Library. Individual events are £5, and an all-day ticket is £15. You can book your tick...
Slaughter in Southwold
Meet and dine with top crime authors and enjoy a musical written by Sophie Hannah, murder mystery dinner written by Ann Cleeves, and crime-themed quiz night. Tickets available from TicketSource and Southwold Library. Individual author talks £6; fu...
Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Ian Fleming said there was one essential criterion for a good thriller, ‘one simply has to turn the pages’. Eligible books in this category are thrillers set in any period and include, but are not limited to, spy fiction...
Join the CWA
Become part of a thriving community of successful crime writers with invaluable support, expertise and marketing opportunities for all our members.
