The
Crime Writers' Association is awarding its highest honour, the CWA Diamond
Dagger, to acclaimed author Peter James.
During
an illustrious career in writing, Peter James has proved he is a master
storyteller penning 28 novels and selling 16 million books worldwide. It is
with his series of crime books featuring the adventures of Detective
Superintendent Roy Grace that Peter has most deeply impressed. Committed to
telling the truth about life inside the British police force, Peter has forged
strong links to the Sussex police, often going out alongside working police
officers and detectives to observe the reality of their jobs. This research
gives his work an authenticity respected by working detectives and
that thrills his readers.
"Peter James is King of the Police Procedural,"
says the CWA chair Len Tyler. "His
books combine up-to-the-minute accuracy with tight plotting and a fast pace.
Over the past thirty years or so, Peter has established himself as one of the
best-known and best-loved thriller writers in the country. He is immensely
supportive of other authors and his wide-ranging work inside and outside the
genre has been recognised both by Brighton University and Sussex Police. I know
this will be a popular choice both amongst readers and other crime writers."
The
CWA Diamond Dagger is awarded each year to a writer who has a career marked by
sustained excellence. Past winners have included literary giants such as Lee
Child, Frederick Forsyth, Val McDermid and Elmore Leonard. Part of the CWA
Dagger Awards, the CWA Diamond Dagger is the most prestigious prize the
Association can bestow.
"I've always felt that the CWA Diamond Dagger
stands head and shoulders above all the myriad awards in the world for crime
and thriller writing," says Peter James. "It is, without doubt, the most coveted of all, partly because of its
history, partly because of who actually decides it, but more important than
either of these, is the list of past winners - a veritable roll call of the
giants of our genre. I remember attending the ceremonies in my earliest days as
young, struggling writer, watching the annual presentations, listening to the
acceptance speeches, and dreaming that one that this could be me - which I
always dismissed as no more than fantasy. Now to find that I am actually to be
this year's recipient is, without doubt, one of the greatest moments of my
career. And it is proof that sometimes, our dreams really can come true."
Notes for Editors:
The
Crime Writers' Association (CWA) was founded by John Creasey in 1953 and has
almost 700 members. The CWA chair is author Len Tyler, the vice-chair is author
Martin Edwards, and the director is Lucy Santos.
Membership
is open to any author who has had one crime novel produced by a bona fide
publisher (or at the discretion of the committee) with associate membership
also offered to those in the publishing industry and provisional membership to
writers who have a contract with a publisher but whose book is not out yet. It
enables writers to contact each other, promotes crime writing with annual
awards, and organises social events. It also supports writing groups, festivals
and literary events with authors. The main aims of the CWA are to promote the
crime genre and to support professional writers. The CWA has been providing
social and professional support for its members for more than half a century,
as well as running the prestigious Dagger Awards.
The
CWA Diamond Dagger recipient is decided each year by a democratic process
within the association. Nominations for the award are made by the membership
and then the CWA committee vote to decide the winner from the shortlist.
Nominees have to meet two essential criteria: first, their careers must be
marked by sustained excellence, and second, they must have made a significant
contribution to crime writing published in the English language, whether
originally or in translation. The award is made purely on merit without
reference to age, gender or nationality.
The
CWA Diamond Dagger was first awarded in 1986, and the recipient was celebrated
thriller author Eric Ambler.
The
recipients of the CWA Diamond Dagger over the past ten years are:
2015
- Catherine Aird
2014
- Simon Brett
2013
- Lee Child
2012
- Frederick Forsyth
2011
- Lindsey Davis
2010
- Val McDermid
2009
- Andrew Taylor
2008
- Sue Grafton
2007
- John Harvey
2006
- Elmore Leonard
The
CWA can be found online at:
www.thecwa.co.uk
Twitter:
@the_cwa
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/CrimeWritersAssociation
