CWA Dagger Forum

sunny, temp 23

This is my second post today -

I feel like a numbskull. There's something I've been meaning to let you know about and keep forgetting. The wonderful Margaret Murphy, of the Crime Writer's Association in the UK, wrote me about 10 days ago telling me about a new programme they have at the CWA. It's a forum on the novels shortlisted for the DUNCAN LAWRIE DAGGER and the DUNCAN LAWRIE INTERNATIONAL DAGGER.

If you follow the link www.thecwa.co.uk/forum/ it will take you there. You can make your voice heard on the nominees. It promises to be not only interesting, but intelligent and thought-provoking.

Along the same lines, TWO Canadians have been shortlisted for the Debut Dagger this year! That's the award given for Best Unpublished First Novel - the one I was shortlisted for a few years ago that led directly to my publishing career...and unpon which Michael and I based the Unhanged Arthur Ellis award in Canada.

The Debut Dagger Nominees are:

Amer Anwar (UK) - Western Fringes
Belinda Bauer (UK) - Blacklands
Russell Colman (Canada) - Desert Storm
Peter Dewar (UK) - The Eclipse of Lilith
Bill Harrison (Canada) - Nite Lite
Alison Marlow (UK) - The Stench of Lilies
James Oswald (UK) - The Book of Souls
Susan Schaab (USA) - Wearing the Spider
Ian Simpson (UK) - Devils and Disciples
PJ Watson (USA) - All the Wrong People

It's very exciting for all of them - and the best part of the Debut awards, be it the CWA Daggers, the Arthur Ellis, the Malice Domestic Unpublished Award (with St. Martin's Minotaur) is that being shortlisted can be enough to get you noticed and published. I didn't win in my year, but being on the list brought me just enough attention to get agents to finally read the book. That's the hardest part.

So, again, if you're a crime writer struggling to get anyone to read your manuscript, submit it to one or all of these competitions.

And don't forget about the CWA Dagger Forum - a terrific idea.

Speak soon.