Daggers 2008
Diamond
Duncan Lawrie
International
Steel
Non-Fiction
New Blood
Historical
Library
Short Story
Debut
Daggers Forum
Our sponsor
Diamond
Duncan Lawrie
International
Steel
Non-Fiction
New Blood
Historical
Library
Short Story
Debut
Daggers Forum
Our sponsor
Laura Wilson has won the 2008 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award with Stratton’s War, published by Orion. She was presented with the award and a cheque for £3000 at a ceremony held on the evening of October 27th 2008. The location was an elegant Georgian townhouse, the swanky, intimate, and lively headquarters of The Georgian Group at 6 Fitzroy Square, London.
The judges commented: ‘Gradually Laura Wilson’s atmospheric book unites the two main strands of her subtle plot. Her characters are complex and totally believable, as is their struggle to cope with wartime London, with its constant bombing, increasing bureaucracy, and the breakdown of family life. The plot builds into a complex picture of a time in which no one is immune from the insidious effects of war.’
More information on the Historical Award page, which includes information about the other five shortlisted books and four further books on the long list
Frances Fyfield (left) with CWA Chair Lesley Horton
JULY 10 2008:
The Crime Writers’ Association is delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Daggers - the prestigious awards that celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing in 2008.
This is the third year of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger, with a prize of £20,000. This is now one of the largest awards for crime fiction in the world. Duncan Lawrie Private Bank also sponsor the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger for the best crime novel translated into English, with £5000 going to the author and £1000 to the translator.
This year, the CWA Duncan Lawrie Dagger Awards were once again presented at a black tie dinner at the elegant Four Seasons Hotel on Park Lane in London, on Thursday, July 10th 2008. A drinks reception at 6:30pm was followed by dinner in the ballroom at 7:45pm. Guest of honour was the author, broadcaster, actor, entertainer and former MP, Gyles Brandreth.
For the fifth year, the CWA continued its partnership with the National Library for the Blind to promote their activities and help to raise funds. Once again, the Foyle Foundation provided finance which has enabled all the winning books in the Dagger Awards to be converted into Braille. As was proved by the last few years’ Public Lending Right figures, crime writing is the most popular fiction genre in the UK. The CWA is particularly pleased to be a part of bringing it to a wider audience in this manner.
The winner of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger is Frances Fyfield for her novel Blood From Stone, published by Sphere (Little, Brown). She was presented with her dagger and cheque by Peter Ostacchini, Deputy Managing Director of sponsor Duncan Lawrie Private Bank. Asked for her reaction, she said: “My reaction? There was nothing cool, calm or collected about it. It made me insanely happy, banished the blues, and I'd just like to say thank you from the bottom of my little black heart.”
The Duncan Lawrie Private Bank also sponsor the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger for the best crime novel translated into English, with £5000 going to the author and £1000 to the translator. This year's winner is Dominique Manotti with Lorraine Connection, translated from the French by Amanda Hopkinson and Ros Schwartz and published by EuroCrime (Arcadia Books).
An innovation this year is the Daggers forum where, in the run-up to the Awards Dinner, you could discuss the books shortlisted for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger and the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger. The forum remains open for you to discuss the result.
In all, eight daggers were awarded on the night. Here's a full list, with the judges' comments about each. The name of each dagger is linked to a page with more details about that award.
For the best crime novel of the year, carrying a prize of £20,000 sponsored by Duncan Lawrie Private Bank.
Frances Fyfield - Blood From Stone - Sphere (Little, Brown)
“A subtle and elegantly written exploration of contemporary themes. The mystery behind the death of a troublesome female barrister is explored in ways that illuminate the dark corners of life in Britain today, while detailed attention to costume and dress as aspects of identity resonates with insights into the fabric of society.”
For the best crime novel translated into English, with £5000 going to the author and £1000 being split between the translators.
Dominique Manotti - Lorraine Connection - EuroCrime (Arcadia Books), translated by Amanda Hopkinson and Ros Schwartz
‘Manotti seamlessly integrates a fine crime story with French provincial and national politics within the EU then matches it with an equally convincing grip on the characters of her northern landscape.’
The dagger and £2000 prize money are awarded for the best adventure/thriller novel in the vein of James Bond. Sponsored by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.
Tom Rob Smith - Child 44 - Simon & Schuster
“This powerful debut evokes the double unthink disorientation and paranoia of the Stalinist era, while never losing sight of the more intimate story. Location and period take it a notch above the usual serial killer narrative.
Uniquely for this award, the judges have Highly Commended David Stone for The Echelon Vendetta (Penguin).
This award, for the best non-fiction book, is made biannually in even-numbered years. It is sponsored by Owatonna Media and carries a prize of £2000.
Kester Aspden - Nationality: Wog - The Hounding of David Oluwale - Jonathan Cape (Random House)
‘... an excellently well-written and engaging account of the brutal treatment of a Nigerian by two Leeds police officers. The book gives a new and important insight into the recent history of British policing, with many powerful and disturbing implications for our society.’
Awarded in memory of CWA founder John Creasey, this dagger for first books by previously unpublished writers is sponsored by BBC Audiobooks and carries a prize of £1000.
Matt Rees - The Bethlehem Murders - Atlantic Books
‘The intensity and integrity of the novel gave it credibility and placed the crime into its social and political context. The scenes of destruction and terror in Bethlehem are well explored and the characterisation excellent.
An excellent debut novel.’
The £1500 prize goes to the best crime short story first published in the UK in English in a publication that pays for contributions, or broadcast in the UK in return for payment.
Martin Edwards - THE BOOKBINDER’S APPRENTICE, first published in The Mammoth Book of Best British Mysteries edited by Maxim Jakubowski, and published by Constable Robinson Publishing.
‘A subtle, insidious, and disturbingly creepy tale of how an Englishman in Venice finds himself offered the job of apprentice to a bookbinder with unusual methods.’
Danuta Reah was Highly Commended for GLAZED, from Getting Even: Revenge Stories edited by Mitzi Szereto, Serpent's Tail.
All the above awards are open to submissions from any UK publisher; the book or story must be relevant to the appropriate award and have been published between June 1 2007 (2006 for the non-fiction dagger) and May 31 2008.
This Dagger, sponsored by Random House and worth £1500, is awarded to "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to readers"; authors are nominated by UK libraries and Readers' Groups and judged by a panel of librarians.
Craig Russell
“This author, highly rated by readers’ groups, deals well with German society and issues which remain sensitive even today. His works provide a persuasive portrayal of German mores, while providing lots of tension and good pace. Fabel’s character is memorable and the style of writing gripping. Russell’s research, plotting, engaging characters and use of setting combine to make the reader want to go back for more.”
C.J. Sansom was Highly Recommended in this category for the second year in succession.
The Debut Dagger, sponsored by Orion, is open to anyone who has not yet had a novel published commercially. The winner receives a £500 cash prize. Winning the Debut Dagger doesn’t guarantee you’ll get published. But it does mean your work will be seen by leading agents and top editors, who have signed up over a dozen winners as well as shortlisted Debut Dagger competitors.
Amer Anwar – from West London – is this year's winner with Western Fringes.
“Set in London's Asian community, with a story that explores family ties as much as criminal behaviour, Western Fringes shows good narrative control and a talent for creating suspense and a atmosphere of menace. The central character is well-drawn, sympathetic and appealing.”
Belinda Bauer was Highly Commended with Blacklands: a “UK-based psychological suspense story of deceptive simplicity, with good dramatic potential. The writing is atmospheric, visual and insightful, and the family dynamics well-drawn.”
Publishers had until 17 April to nominate books for the Duncan Lawrie, International, Steel, Non-Fiction and New Blood Daggers. Any UK publisher could enter books provided that the book is relevant to the appropriate award and was published between June 1 2007 and May 31 2008. (For the biennial Non-Fiction Dagger the earlier date is June 1 2006.) For reference, this link takes you to the competition rules.
Further information may be obtained from the CWA Dagger Liaison Officer, Mike Stotter, by emailing .
Sue Grafton
photo: Steven Hum
The twenty-third Cartier Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence in the genre of crime writing, has been awarded to the best-selling American novelist, Sue Grafton. Her Kinsey Millhone alphabet series of PI mystery novels have won numerous awards in her native America. The latest number one best-seller, T is for Trespass, was published in the US in December 2007 and will be out in Macmillan hardback in the UK in April 2008.
On hearing of the award, Ms Grafton said: “News of my being named the 2008 recipient of the CWA's Cartier Diamond Dagger so astonished me that I thought at first it was a practical joke. I'm thrilled with the news and honored at the prospect.”
Ms Grafton was presented with her dagger at a champagne reception at the Gore Hotel, Kensington, London on May 7th. You can find a report o that event on the Cartier Diamond Dagger page.