CJ Sansom Awarded CWA Diamond Dagger

 

CJ Sansom has been announced as the recipient of the highest honour in British crime writing, the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Diamond Dagger.

One of Britain’s bestselling historical novelists, Christopher John Sansom was born in 1952 in Edinburgh. He was educated at Birmingham University with a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer.

He combined both history and law in his debut novel Dissolution – a darkly fascinating novel of monastic murder and politics.

CJ Sansom said: “I feel so honoured to be awarded this year’s Diamond Dagger, and my heartfelt thanks to the CWA members and committee. Wonderful to think I now join such a distinguished group of authors. To think it all started with the idea that a novel set around Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries might make a good story. Thank you.”

Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the CWA, said: “C J Sansom has proven himself to be the modern master of the historical thriller, regardless of periods. Equally at ease evoking sixteenth century England, Spain in the aftermath of its Civil War or even an alternate post-WW2 Britain, he weaves a web of compelling reality around his characters and brings the past to life like no other, making him a splendid and deserved addition to the prestigious ranks of Diamond Dagger winners.”

Published in 2003, Dissolution was an immediate bestseller, and critical success. Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter called it ‘extraordinarily impressive’, while PD James described it as ‘remarkable’.

This success sparked the bestselling Shardlake series, set in the reign of Henry VIII and following the sixteenth-century lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak.

Now running to well over four million copies in print, it is one of the most successful crime series of all time.

After Dissolution came Dark Fire, which won the 2005 Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger.

He has also written a thriller, Winter in Madrid, set in Spain in 1940 in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War.

The CWA Diamond Dagger is selected from nominations provided by CWA members. The award recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.

CJ Sansom joins icons of the genre who have been recognised with the accolade, including Ruth Rendell, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Ian Rankin, PD James, Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill, Lindsey Davis, Peter Lovesey, John Le Carré and Martina Cole.

One of the UK’s most prominent societies, the CWA was founded in 1953 by John Creasey; the awards started in 1955 with its first award going to Winston Graham, best known for Poldark. The CWA Daggers are now regarded by the publishing world as the foremost British awards for crime-writing. As the oldest awards in the genre, they have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

The Diamond Dagger is announced before the annual CWA Dagger Awards, dubbed the ‘Oscars of the crime genre’, due to be awarded this June.

 

2017 Dagger in the Library Shortlist

The British Crime Writers’ Association has announced its shortlist for the 2017 Dagger in the Library Award. This Award celebrates “a body of work by a crime writer that users of libraries particularly admire.” 

CWA Dagger in the Library Shortlist

Andrew Taylor

C.J. Sansom

James Oswald

Kate Ellis

Mari Hannah

Tana French

The winner of this year’s Dagger in the Library award will be announced as part of the Bodies from the Library event at London’s British Library on Saturday, June 17.

Previous recipients of the Dagger in the Library include Christopher Fowler, Sharon Bolton, Stephen Booth, Belinda Bauer, Mo Hayder, Peter Robinson, Stuart MacBride, Craig Russell, Alexander McCall Smith, and of course last year’s winner, Elly Griffiths.

Newsy Stuff!

CWA Gold Dagger winning author Robert Wilson is set to publish his next novel Capital Punishment with Orion Publishers according to his agents Aitken Alexander

In a locked room, a kidnapped girl shivers: meet London’s dark side. Alyshia D’Cruz, daughter of Indian tycoon Francisco ‘Frank’ D’Cruz, has grown up in London and Mumbai wanting for nothing. But one night, after a boozy evening out, she gets in the wrong cab home…
Charles Boxer, ex-army, ex-police, has found his niche in private security. His speciality: kidnap and recovery. But it’s a rootless life that doesn’t impress his teenage daughter, Amy, or her mother, DS Mercy Danqah.

When D’Cruz hires Boxer to find Alyshia, Boxer knows Frank’s crooked business empire has made him plenty of enemies. Despite the vast D’Cruz fortune, the kidnappers don’t want cash – instead favouring a cruel and lethal game. But the UK government don’t want their big new investor to lose his daughter in the heart of the capital. MI6 officers in India follow Boxer’s leads and soon it seems more lives than Alyshia’s are at stake, as the trail crosses paths with a terrorist plot on British soil.

To save Alyshia, Boxer must dodge religious fanatics, Indian mobsters and London’s homegrown crime lords. Capital Punishment is a thrilling journey to the dark side of people and places that lie just out of view, waiting for the moment to tear a life apart. Capital Punishment is due to be published in January 2013.

Robert Wilson won the Gold Dagger with his novel A Small Death in Lisbon.

A number of crime novels are among the 147 titles that have been nominated by libraries worldwide for the €100,000 international IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
The books are – Bandit Love by Massimo Carlotto, The Reversal by Michael Connelly, Faithful Place by Tana French, Harbour by John Ajvide Lindqvist, The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, Heartstone by C J Sansom, and The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva.


Spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has been nominated for seven awards at the British Independent Film Awards. Gary Oldman has been nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of George Smiley. More information can be found here. The awards will be handed out at a ceremony in London on 4 December.


According to the Bookseller, crime writer Neil White has moved from Avon to Sphere. The author is set to write a new series, which will make use of his expertise as a criminal prosecutor. The first book in the series will be published in the summer of 2013. The bookseller also report that William Heinemann have acquired a debut crime novel, the first in a series to feature civilian investigator Catherine Berlin, written by Annie Hauxwell. The debut novel entitled In Her Blood will be published in trade paperback and eBook in May 2012.

Hot on the announcement of the title of the new James Bond film there is an excellent article in the Daily Telegraph about the longevity of James Bond and why the brand remains popular by Allan Massie.

Author Lynda La Plante is known for being forthright and she again does not mince her words when she talks in the Daily Telegraph about the BBC and them declaring not to want anymore crime drama’s.

P D James is interviewed in the Guardian by Sarah Crown where she talks about revisiting the characters in Pride and Prejudice and creating a credible crime novel at the same time.

Not one to play against type, actor Jason Statham has landed the lead role in the gangland thriller Hummingbird. According to the Guardian, Hummingbird, will mark the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated British screenwriter Steven Knight.

And if you haven’t heard already, firstly Patricia Cornwell has been confirmed for a one-off special event at next year’s Harrogate Crime Festival. Tickets can be obtained on 01423 562303 and secondly there has been confirmation that Åsa Larsson will be attending Crimefest Bristol that is due to take place between 24 to 27 May 2012.

Newsy Stuff

If you have not yet registered for Crime in the Court then please do so. More authors have been added to this fantastic line-up. Crime in the Court is due to take place on 21 June 2011 and is being hosted by Goldsboro Books. For more information as to how to obtain tickets please go here.

The Walter Scott Historical Fiction Shortlist has been announced and congratulations to all those nominated. The six novels cover imperial Japan, Tudor England, Tsarist Russia, and 19th Century Jamaica as well as turn-of-the-century Ireland and inter-war London.

The shortlist for the 2011 award is:

The Long Song by Andrea Levy

C by Tom McCarthy

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor

Heartstone by C J Sansom

To Kill A Tsar by Andrew Williams

Congratulations also go to David Shelley at Little Brown who has been promoted from Deputy Publisher to Publisher of the group.

2011 is certainly the year of Michael Connelly and Orion aim to ensure that his presence is strongly promoted here in the UK. According to the Bookseller , Orion are planning a number of events for the author whilst he is in the UK in October.

Little Brown imprint Atom have according to the Bookseller acquired a mystery series by debut author Christi Daugherty described as "The Secret History for the YA audience” in a major two-book deal. The first book in the series Night School will be published in 2012.

According to Hollywood.com John Travolta is due to play John Gotti Sr in the biopic of his life which will focus on Gotti senior’s relationship with his son.

Newsy Stuff

According to Nordic Bookblog The Best Swedish Crime Novel for 2010 has been won by Leif G.W. Persson with his novel Den döende detektiven (The Dying Detective).

As can be expected with the run up to the end of the year, “the best books of the year” are still being revealed. Margaret Cannon has revealed in the Globe and Mail what is called the deathly dozen for 2010. The full list can be found here and it includes such luminaries as Carl Hiaasen , Louise Penny, Philip Kerr, Michael Connelly and Giles Blunt to name some of them.

The Guardian has also selected its best books of the year and I have to admit to being profoundly disappointed with the number of crime novels that made the list. The only two novels to make the list were C J Sansom’s Heartstone and the excellent The Ghost of Belfast (aka The Twelve) by Stuart Neville. It makes me sometimes wonder whether or not people actually read crime novels. I know that they do. The full list can be found here.

Laura Wilson’s crime fiction review round-up can also be found in The Guardian. She reviews the new Anne Holt novel, Edward Wright’s From Blood, Aline Templeton’s Cradle to Grave and Horace McCoy’s 1935 novel They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (reissued by Serpent’s Tail).

The Daily Telegraph have published Part 1 of their fiction books of the year. Sadly, like The Guardian so far only two crime novels have been suggested. Sadie Jones nominates The Existential Detective by Alice Thompson (Two Ravens Press), whilst Mark Billingham puts forward Truth by Peter Temple (Quercus).

The Independent have also released a list of their books for Christmas. The full list can be found here. In the list crime fiction critic Barry Forshaw nominates (under crime and thriller) his selection which includes Heartstone by C J Sansom, Jo NesbØ’s The Snowman and The Holy Thief by William Ryan amongst others.

In the New York Times Jane Maslin has listed her fiction books of 2010. The full list can be found here and includes Don Winslow’s Savages and Lee Child’s 61 Hours.

Excellent article on the Scandinavian invasion by Jordan Foster can be found in Publishers Weekly.

Don’t know how this was missed by Jordan Foster has also interviewed Denise Mina for Publishers Weekly.

The BBC’s version of Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently is due to be shown on BBC4 on Thursday 16 December 2010 at 9:00pm. Hopefully it will be received a lot better than 2005's Hitchhiker's Guide movie.

Faster the latest film featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton has just been released. The trailer can be seen below.

After being seen in a number of family (and sometimes annoying) films. Johnson is making his way back into action films where he initially made his name.

In Faster After 10 years in prison, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he's finally on his mission...but with two men on his trail - a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman (Oliver Jackson-­Cohen) with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent. Whilst already released in the United States, it is not due for release in the UK until February 2011.

2010 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award

During an event held at Little Brown Publishers in their Library on Thursday 4 November 2010, the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger was awarded. The full list can be found here. The winner of the 2010 award was Rory Clements with his 16th C Thriller Revenger (John Murray).

Revenger is the second book in the series to feature his historical Elizabethan character John Shakespeare who is the older brother to play-writer Will Shakespeare. The first book in the series is Martyr and it was short-listed for the New Blood Dagger Award. The crime fiction critic Barry Forshaw who was also one of the judges made the announcement.

Rory Clements giving his acceptance speech can be seen in the video below.

(photographs and video Ayo Onatade)

Sponsors of the Ellis Peters Historical Award were the British Crime Writers’ Association, the Estate of Ellis Peters, Headline Book Publishing Company, and the Little, Brown Book Group. Rory Clements will receive £3,000 as part of his prize for the award.

CJ Sansom’s novel Heartstone came a close second.

Amongst those in attendance included Teresa Chris (his agent) Sam Eades from Headline Publishers who organised the event along with Little Brown Publishers (who were the hosts), Jane Wood from Quercus Publishers. Sue Lord From Mystery Women, critic Michael Carlson, Andrew Clarke and Chris Simmons from Crimesquad, critic and reviewer Jessica Mann, Myles Allfrey co-organiser of Crimefest Bristol, author NJ Cooper, Thalia Proctor, Selina Walker from Transworld, David Shelley, Julia Wisdom and of course my fellow SHOTS colleagues Mike Stotter and Ali Karim to name a few.

From Left to Right - Aly Monroe, Andrew Williams, Rory Clements, S J Parris and Andrew Taylor