2023 CWA Debut Dagger Competition Opens for Entries

 

The most hotly contended competition for would-be crime novelists is now open for entries.

Aspiring crime novelists have until the end of February 2023 to enter the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Debut Dagger, renowned for opening doors for new writers.

Shortlisted authors often get representation by literary agents, with some going on to achieve publication deals.

The competition for the best new voices in the genre has been going for over 20 years and helped launch the careers of established crime writers, including M W Craven, who entered in 2013.

Craven went on to win the CWA 2019 Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year for The Puppet Show, and more recently the 2022 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Dead Ground.

M W Craven said that, “The CWA Debut Dagger competition gave me a career. I can draw a direct evolutionary line from being shortlisted to the two-book deal I signed.” The decision to take a week off work and write 3000 words for the competition he said, “would go on to change my life.”

Created in 1955, the CWA Daggers are the oldest and most regarded awards in the genre, and for over two decades the CWA has been encouraging new writing with its Debut Dagger competition for unpublished writers.

The Debut Dagger is awarded every year by the CWA for the opening of a crime novel and a synopsis. Budding authors are invited to submit the opening 3,000 words and a synopsis of the full novel of up to 1,500 words before the competition deadline of Tuesday 28 February, 2023.

Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the CWA, said: “The winner of the Debut Dagger receives £500, but the main motivation to enter is that shortlisting ensures that your work will be brought to the attention of leading agents and top editors, who have to date signed up over two dozen winners and shortlisted Debut Dagger competitors.”

Submissions are judged using a range of criteria including quality of prose, originality of plot, execution of plot, narrative voice, plausibility, characterisation, setting evocation, and good read factor.

From the hundreds of entries from around the world, around a dozen will be longlisted in April 2023. Longlisted authors are asked to submit a further 3,000 words from their novel. The shortlist is announced at CrimeFest in May 2023, and the winner at the Daggers event held in early July.

Judges comprise top crime fiction editors and literary agents, as well as bestselling author, Leigh Russell, who chairs the Debut Dagger competition.

The competition is only open to writers who have never had a publishing contract for fiction over 20,000 words, or self-published fiction more recently than February 2018. Authors of published short stories are eligible, as are authors of published non-fiction.

Also now open for entries is the annual CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition. Entrants have until Tuesday 28 February 2023 to enter.

The Margery Allingham Society, set up to honour and promote the writings of the great Golden Age author, works with the CWA to run the writing competition. Submissions have a limit of 3,500 words and stories must pay homage to the author’s definition of a mystery. The winner is awarded £500 and two passes to CrimeFest the following year.

Dea Parkin, Secretary of the CWA and competitions co-ordinator, said: “Crime continues to dominate as a fiction genre, and whether it’s celebrity authors such as Richard Osman or established, much-loved writers such as Elly Griffiths who make the headlines, crime and mystery stories are a key touchstone now for publishers. This short story competition is a fantastic way of developing your crime-writing craft and raising your profile.”

Whether you’re writing suspenseful psychological noir, historical crime or traditional whodunnits, the trend has resulted in hit books in the genre from authors such as Nicola Upson, Martin Edwards and Vaseem Khan.

Dea added: “These stories provide familiarity and comfort in an uncertain world as they offer clues, great characters and locations, with the mystery solved in the end and justice served.”

For writing tips, case studies of shortlisted and winning Debut Dagger entrants, and full details on how to enter both writing competitions, go to https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions. To receive a regular enewsletter in the run-up to the deadline, join the Debuts https://thecwa.co.uk/supporting-crime-writing/join-the-debuts

Dagger Awards update!

Press Release

Dagger Awards to Carry Cash Prizes and 

Open to Authors to Self-Nominate 

The CWA Daggers – synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century – is set to again award cash prizes beginning in 2023, for titles published and nominated in 2022. Detail of the amounts will be announced next year. The CWA is delighted to reinstate this tradition, thanks to renewed support and sponsorship.

In the same year the CWA will accept Dagger nominations from authors themselves. Traditionally published authors who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to nominate their own titles for a Dagger, as will self-published authors who are members of the CWA.

The new eligibility criteria follow the change of rules earlier this year to allow self-published authors who successfully demonstrate professionalism to become CWA members for the first time in its 68-year history.

The move came after the CWA consulted its members, who voted with an 84% majority in favour to accept self-published authors.

Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “The Daggers are assuredly the best and most accurate reflection of what's happening on the crime and mystery writing front. The time is right to reflect that prestige by again awarding a cash prize along with certain Daggers. It’s also true that the publishing landscape has changed in recent years. Self-publishing has become a route for professional writers, and indeed there are many trailblazers in this field. It’s important our awards recognise this, and of course if self-published authors can nominate their titles, then it’s important we extend that right to eligible authors who are traditionally published, too.”

The awards remain open as normal to traditional publishers of the genre who are invited to nominate their authors’ titles. A fifty per cent discount on the nomination fee applies to titles by CWA members, whether submitted by a publisher or author.

Maxim added: “We continue to be committed to quality. Successful self-publishing requires the same professional approach that publishers take. Our aim is to ensure the Daggers stay relevant, accessible and open to all talent.”

A thriving, growing community with a membership encompassing authors of all ages and at all stages of their careers, the CWA is UK-based, yet attracts many members from overseas.

It supports author members, as well as literary agents, publishers, bloggers and editors, through its own activities and through the Crime Readers’ Association (CRA). The CRA distributes a free digital monthly newsletter showcasing CWA authors and related news to around 12,000 subscribers, while the CRA website provides readers with news and features by CWA members, as does the bimonthly ezine, Case Files.

The CWA also supports unpublished writers, many of whom enter the Debut Dagger competition and the Margery Allingham Short Mystery competition.

For authors wishing to enter the Debut Dagger competition, sponsored by ProWritingAid, they mustn’t have had any fiction over 20,000 words of any genre traditionally published, or self-published in the last five years.

The CWA’s Dagger judging panels remain strictly independent and are refreshed every year.

The organisation also supports libraries and booksellers, with two Library Champions and a Booksellers Champion, Elly Griffiths, as well as promoting its annual National Crime Reading Month in June.

Eligibility restrictions apply on particular Dagger categories; entrants can check out the full guidelines on the CWA website.

Ian Fleming Publishing, ALCS and ProWritingAid are regular sponsors of the Daggers; the CWA is very grateful for their support.