Category: Competition Alert

Competition Alert: CWA Debut Dagger & CRIMEFEST FLASHBANG

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CRIME WRITERS ASSOCIATION DEBUT DAGGER

Entries are now open for the 2014 CWA Debut Dagger competition. The competition is open to unpublished writers with entries judged by a panel of top crime editors and agents, and the shortlist sent to publishers and agents. First prize is £700, sponsored by Orion, and all shortlisted entries receive a professional assessment of their work. The entry fee is £25 and you’ll need to sent the first 3000 words (or fewer) of your novel along with a 500-1000 word synopsis of the rest of the novel.

The Debut Dagger closes on Friday 31st January 2014. The shortlist is announced at CrimeFest in May 2014 and the winner at the CWA Dagger Awards Dinner later in the year.

To find out more, hop on over to http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/debut/

 

CRIMEFEST FLASHBANG COMPETITION


CRIMEFEST’s FLASHBANG writing competition challenges you to write a flash-fiction crime story in no more than 150 words.

Prizes include a pair of weekend passes to CRIMEFEST 2015 and other crime-related goodies. Shortlisted entries will be compiled by a judging panel of leading crime reviewers, and Zoë Sharp, author of the Charlie Fox series, will be the final arbiter. The judges are on the lookout for flashes of crime storytelling brilliance in 150 words or less. The entry fee is £2 (only one entry allowed per person).

Entries close at midnight on 3rd March 2014. The longlist will be announced on 7th April, the shortlist announced on 21st April and the winners announced at CRIMEFEST in May 2014.

To find out more, pop over to www.flashbangcontest.wordpress.com

Not long to go: Vote for the CWA’s Dagger in the Library award

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Library

Library (Photo credit: thejester100)

 

The Dagger in the Library award is one of the Crime Writers’ Association highly prized dagger awards. It’s a unique prize that allows readers, reading groups, and libraries to nominate their favourite crime authors to go forward to a panel of expert judges made up of UK librarians.

 

The prize is for an author’s whole collection rather than a specific book. In previous years, recipients of the Dagger in the Library have included Mo Hayder, Steve Mosby and Stuart MacBride.

 

It’s a great chance for readers to recognise their favourite authors and also to honour the work of our UK libraries. But you’ll have to be quick, the closing date for nominations is 1st April 2013.

 

So, hop across to http://deadgoodbooks.co.uk/index.php/nominate-an-author-for-cwas-dagger-in-the-library-award-and-win-200-worth-of-books/ and nominate your favourite British crime writers. You’ll also be in with a chance to win £200 worth of books from Random House Publishers.

 

Events Alert: Get Writing 2013

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Get Writing 2013 logo

Get Writing 2013 logo

The 20th April 2013 is the date of the Verulam Writers’ Circle annual writing conference ‘Get Writing’.

Held at the University of Hertfordshire campus in Hatfield, England, this friendly and variety-packed conference is a one-day event and a must-attend for all writers aspiring to publication.

This year there’s a wide variety of sessions to pick from including workshops and panel discussions on childrens’ fiction, crime writing, historical fiction, writing drama, and some fabulous ‘how to’ sessions on editing, creating tension and a whole bunch of other essential writerly skills. For the conference fee of £55 you also get the opportunity to pitch your novel to an agent of your choice and, for those looking for more detailed feedback, you can pay a little extra and book a longer ‘Face Time’ slot.

I’m especially excited about this years’ event as I’ve been asked to chair the Crime Panel. I’ll be talking with the wonderful crime authors Claire McGowan, Adrian Magson, Ann Cleeves, and Lesley Horton. I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m really looking forward to picking their brains on how they get their ideas, their writing process, the essentials of crime thriller writing, and any tips and advice they have for those aspiring to publication.

Also, for those with a novel, or the opening of a novel, ready to go there’s the ‘First Three Pages’ competition. It’s open to all attendees and requires you to submit the first three pages of a novel of any genre. So, Get Writing!

Booking is open now at http://vwc.org.uk/getwriting2013.php

Perhaps I’ll see you there?

 

Good Reads Choice Awards 2012: Mystery and Thriller – cast your vote now!

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Good Reads Choice Awards logo

Good Reads Choice Awards logo

That’s right, it’s time to vote for your Good Reads Choice Awards 2012: Mystery and Thriller books.

The folks over at Good Reads organise these awards to showcase the top reader voted for books of the year.

Right now it’s the semi-final round (2 of 3 rounds) and there are twenty books to pick from including those by Lee Child, Tana French, Harlan Coben and Gillian Flynn.

So, what are you waiting for? Click along to cast your vote for your favorite mystery and thriller books here:  http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-mystery-thriller-books-2012#74616-Best-Mystery-&-Thriller

To find out more about the Good Reads Choice Awards and the voting process visit

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2012

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Competition Alert: CWA Debut Dagger has opened!

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Entries have opened for the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger competition. Budding crime writers can enter the competition from now until the closing date of 2nd February 2013.

The competition offers a prize of £700 and all shortlisted entrants receive a professional assessment of their entries.

The shortlist will be announced at CRIMEFEST in May, and the winner announced at the glitzy CWA Awards Ceremony in July 2013.

To enter you’ll need a 500 – 1000 word synopsis and the first 3000 words (or fewer) of your novel, plus you’ll need to complete the entry form, pay the entry fee and ensure you’re abiding by the competition rules.

To find out more about the competition and how to enter, head over to http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/debut/index.html

While you’re there, you can also sign up for regular competition updates, and check out the wealth of writing hints and tips.

So what are you waiting for?