The Crime Writers’ Association

Dagger for the Best Crime & Mystery Publisher

This prestigious Dagger (often referred to as simply the “Publisher’s Dagger”) is awarded annually to the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year.

Publishers and specific imprints are nominated by a representative group of leading book reviewers, booksellers, festival organisers, bloggers, literary agents and journalists, with the eventual winner designated from the shortlist by the CWA Board.



2023 shortlist


2023 longlist

Publisher
Bitter Lemon Press
Bookouture (Hachette)
Canelo
Harper Fiction (HarperCollins)
Hodder & Stoughton (Hachette)
Mantle (PanMacmillan)
Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House)
Raven (Bloomsbury)
Pushkin Vertigo (Pushkin Press)
Quercus (Hachette)
Simon & Schuster
Viper (Profile Books)

How it’s decided.

The Dagger is awarded annually to the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year. Publishers and specific imprints are nominated by a representative group of leading book reviewers, booksellers, festival organisers, bloggers, literary agents and journalists, with the eventual winner selected from the shortlist by the CWA Board. This prestigious Dagger was inaugurated in 2019, the first new Dagger for a decade.

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