Month-Long Crime Wave Predicted To Hit UK in June
National Crime Writing Month is Back!
The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Director, Lucy Santos, explains why it would be criminal to miss the UK’s fourth annual celebration of crime writing old and new:
‘ From Bristol CrimeFest at the end of May to the annual CWA Dagger Awards Dinner and the presentation of the Diamond Dagger to Lee Child, we will be working in partnership with many organisations, volunteers and our own Crime Readers’ Association to bring a wide range of killer events to crime fiction fans.
‘From Aberdeen to the Isle of Wight (plus Le Havre’s 11th Ancres Noir Festival) libraries, bookstores and literary venues will be putting on talks, signings, displays and events exploring the latest and best crime-writing, as well as giving readers the chance to discover (or rediscover) many classic writers.’
You can find details of all the events around the country on the CWA National Crime Writing Month microsite.
But that isn’t all. The CWA is proud to announce that the National Crime Writing Month has a major virtual presence thanks to the Crime Readers’ Association. CWA members and readers will be blogging three times a week and there will be six giveaways. Also, on our Facebook page each week, we’ll be asking for your views on the crimewriting genre.
‘2013 is also the CWA’s 60th anniversary so during National Crime Writing Month we will be launching other events and initiatives to celebrate this Jubilee and look back over the history of the CWA.
‘And, finally, crime writers from around the country will gather for the CWA Dagger Awards dinner to see the presentation of dagger awards including the Debut, Non-Fiction, Dagger in the Library, International, Short Story, Ellis Peters Historical Dagger and the Diamond Dagger, which this year will be awarded to Lee Child. On that occasion we will also be announcing the longlists for the Gold, Steel and John Creasey Daggers.’
Alison Joseph takes over as CWA chair
Peter James has stood down after two years chairing the Crime Writers’ Association, to be replaced by Alison Joseph.
Alison was handed the traditional Creasey Bell, named for the CWA’s founder, during its Diamond Jubilee conference held over the last weekend in April. Alison said, “Peter James has been a wonderful Chair. He has been extremely hard-working and committed. In his time as Chair he has succeeded in raising the CWA's profile, not only in this country but internationally too. He’ll be a hard act to follow.”
Writing in Red Herrings, the CWA’s in-house magazine, Peter James said “It has taken very much more of my time than I had envisaged, but I don’t begrudge a second of it. The CWA is a wonderful organisation, and I’ve been proud to help navigate it, along with the wisdom and energy of our outgoing Director, Claire McGowan and the fantastic group of people who make up our Committee, through the turbulent waters of the book world during these two years.”
As well as being a crime writer, Alison Joseph is a radio dramatist. Her Sister Agnes novels are available as e-books and have also been featured on BBC Radio 4.
The photograph of Alison Joseph is © Hugo Glendinning
The CWA introduces Corporate Membership
Are you a publisher, literary agent, bookseller or otherwise connected with the production of CWA members’ work, whether in print, on stage, in film, radio or television? The CWA now offers Corporate Membership so that you can extend many of the benefits of membership to your staff, and show your support for the CWA.
There’s more information on the benefits and costs, and an application form, over on the Corporate Membership page.
Daggers update
The closing date has now passed for all CWA Daggers, though the books entered this year may have a publication date up to 31 May. Judging panels are now sifting through the hundreds of entries to draw up the shortlists, most of which will be revealed at Crimefest on 31st May, with the eventual winners being announced at the Daggers Gala Dinner on 15th July. The dinner will also see the award of the CWA Diamond Dagger to Lee Child.
Three CWA Daggers – the Gold, Ian Fleming Steel, and John Creasey – follow a later timetable. The longlists are announced at the Gala Dinner, shortlists follow a month later, and the winners are revealed at the televised Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards in the autumn.
CWA Manuscript Assessment Service
The Crime Writers’ Association has been receiving very positive feedback from the first clients of its Manuscript Assessment Service for aspiring crime fiction writers. This service helps you to polish your writing, and prepare your manuscript for submission to agents and publishers. You can choose to submit either the opening chapters or a completed novel. You will then receive a detailed critique from a member of the CWA, all of whom are published crime writers.
Manuscripts can be uploaded via this section of our website, which has full submission guidelines.
CWA chair Alison Joseph welcomes you to our web site
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