The Spae-Wife
Anna Caig
Debut Dagger
Winner 2020
Revolution Never Lies
Josephine Moulds
Revolution Never Lies
It’s 2011 and surviving in Cuba is a challenge even without murder.
Josephine Moulds lived in Cuba in 2010, where she studied politics and wrote for The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph, among others. She first visited the island in 1998 and wrote her dissertation on politics and literature in Cuba, as part of her degree at the University of Manchester. She lives in Brighton and continues to work as a freelance journalist, writing about a broad range of topics, from domestic violence, to poverty, and business. She completed Revolution Never Lies during a period of huge upheaval in Cuba and the novel is a snapshot of a country in flux. She has also written a picture book manuscript – When Grandma Turned Into a Parrot – a story for early years children about dementia.
A competition for the opening of a crime novel by an uncontracted writer.
Entries from shortlisted writers are sent to UK literary agents and publishers. Every year, authors find representation this way.
Highly commended
Shortlist
The Spae-Wife
Anna Caig
Whipstick
Leanne Fry
Pesticide
Kim Hays
Emergency Drill
Nicholas Morrish
Revolution Never Lies
Josephine Moulds
Bitter Lake
Michael Munro
The Judges 2021
Leigh Russell
Leigh Russell has sold over a million books in her Geraldine Steel crime series which has been translated into several languages, including Chinese. Leigh has been shortlisted for two CWA Dagger awards, and has twice been a finalist for the People’s Book Prize. She formerly served on the board of the Crime Writers’ Association, currently co-ordinates their Criminal Critiques service and chairs the Debut Dagger judges. She is a Royal Literary Fellow.
Stephanie Glencross
Stephanie is an editor at Gregory and Company Authors’ Agents, which is now part of David Higham Associates. Stephanie works with clients on their manuscripts before they are submitted to publishers and also looks for new talent. Clients include Val McDermid and Belinda Bauer.
Katherine Armstrong
Katherine Armstrong is Editorial Director for crime & thrillers at Bonnier Zaffre, part of Bonnier Books UK. She has worked in publishing since 2005, first at Faber and Faber and then at Sphere (Little, Brown), before joining Bonnier Zaffre in 2016. She is one of the co-founders of the First Monday crime nights in London.
Oli Munson
Oli Munson is a director at literary agency A.M. Heath & Co. His list includes award-winning writers of crime, thrillers and suspense.
2020 Shortlist
- The Spae-Wife – Anna Caig
- Whipstick – Leanne Fry
- Pesticide – Kim Hays
- Emergency Drill – Nicholas Morrish
- Revolution Never Lies – Josephine Moulds
- Bitter Lake – Michael Munro
2020 Longlist
- Lowlands – Barbara Austin
- The Spae-Wife – Anna Caig
- Undercut – Loraine Fowlow
- Whipstick – Leanne Fry
- Pesticide – Kim Hays
- Blogger’s End – Jack Kapica
- Emergency Drill – Nicholas Morrish
- Revolution Never Lies – Josephine Moulds
- Bitter Lake – Michael Munro
- Grim Fairy Tale – Karen Taylor
- Dark Pastimes – Jane Wing
- A Generation of Vipers – Sarah Yarwood-Lovett