Shelley Burr
Wake
Debut Dagger
A competition for the opening of a crime novel by an uncontracted writer.
Shortlist
Jerry Krause
The Mourning Light
Catherine Hendricks
Hardways
David Smith
The Firefly
Fran Smith
A Thin Sharp Blade
The judges
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 serves on the board of the Crime Writers’ Association, 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 also 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.
2019 Longlist
| Title | Author |
| Wake | Shelley Burr |
| Self-Help for Serial Killers: Let Your Creativity Bloom | Mairi Campbell-Jack |
| The Mourning Light | Jerry Krause |
| The Fruits of Rashness | Michael Fleming |
| Down the Well | Carol Glaser |
| Hardways | Catherine Hendricks |
| The Right Man | Anna Maloney |
| The Firefly | David Smith |
| A Thin Sharp Blade | Fran Smith |
| In Wolf’s Clothing | Matthew Smith |
Current holder
The Eternal Life of Ezra Ben Simeon
Bill Crotty
Georgia Malone is a brilliant young American expert in ancient documents. Lecturing in Rome she is confronted with the devastating news of her father’s suicide. As she tries to make sense of his legacy she is drawn into a centuries-old intrigue which puts her in grave danger even as it forces her to re-evaluate her life and beliefs.
