Colin Cotterill with Margaret Murphy
Photo: Fiona Davies
Colin Cotterill has won the 2009 CWA Dagger in the Library, which carries a prize of £1500 to the author, plus £300 to a participating library’s readers’ group.
This annual award is given to "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users"; authors are nominated by UK libraries and Readers’ Groups and judged by a panel of librarians. In making the award to Colin, the judges said An unusual hero in an unusual setting. Quirky, funny and very appealing. His books are a truly beautiful read.
The award is given for the body of an author's work, not for an individual title, and those nominated must be alive at the time of the nomination and should preferably be working in Britain. The broadest definition of the crime novelist is used; it can include authors of thrillers, suspense novels, spy fiction and period fiction as well as more traditional forms like "cosies", "hard-boiled" and police procedurals.
The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement. The winner was announced at a drinks reception held at the Tiger Tiger nightspot in London on the evening of July 15.
Nominations are now open for the 2010 Dagger in the Library. Follow that link for more information about the competition. The closing date for entries is 9th April 2010 so let the arguments begin – just try to keep the murders to the printed page!
Colin Cotterill lives in Chumphone in the south of Thailand with his wife and several dogs. He has taught, trained teachers and worked for UNESCO in the region. For several years he was involved in the rehabilitation of abused and trafficked children. He now writes full time.
Bibliography:
The Coroner's Lunch - Quercus (2007)
Thirty-Three Teeth - Quercus (2007)
Disco for the Departed - Quercus (2008)
Anarchy and Old Dogs - Quercus (2008)
Curse of the Pogo Stick - Quercus (2008)
The Merry Misogynist - Quercus (2009)
His publisher is Quercus and his web site is www.colincotterill.com
In all six writers were shortlisted, about whom the judges said: ‘A very strong and varied list from which it was difficult to select the short list — reflecting the vigour and range of contemporary crime writing.’ The other five, listed below, are described in more detail on the shortlists page.
Simon Beckett
R J Ellory
Ariana Franklin
Peter James
Michael Robotham
Chair: Mark Benjamin, formerly Team Librarian with Northumberland County Council
Vice-Chair: Cheney Gardner, Reading Development Manager, London Borough of Richmond on Thames
Wendy Molyneux, Community Access Librarian, Warrington Borough Council
Jonathan Gibbs, I.T. and Operations Librarian, Barbican Library, City of London
Karen Fraser, Customer Services Librarian, Shetland Library
Helen McNabb, Bibliographic Services Officer, Vale of Glamorgan Council
Deb Ryan, Senior Librarian Reader Services, RNIB National Library Services