CWA Dagger Shortlist Announced

The Crime Writers’ Association  announced the shortlists for a number of this year’s Daggers - the prestigious awards that celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing. The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement.

These shortlists were announced at Crimefest in Bristol. The winners will be announced at an event staged on Friday, 23 July 2010, 6 – 7.30pm, at the The Crown Hotel, Harrogate during the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER
For crime, thriller, suspense or spy fiction novels which have been translated into English from their original language. Prize money £1000 for the author and £500 for the translator. The shortlisted books are:

Badfellas by Tonino Benacquista, translated by Emily Read (Bitter Lemon Press)
August Heat by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli (Picador)
Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indriðason, translated by Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest by Stieg Larsson, translated by Reg Keeland (MacLehose Press)
Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer, translated by K.L. Seegers (Hodder and Stoughton)
The Darkest Room by Johan Theorin, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Doubleday)

THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION
Any non-fiction work on a real-life crime theme or a closely-related subject by an author of any nationality, as long as the book was first published in the UK in English between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010. Prize money £2000. The shortlisted books are:

David Cesarani: Major Farran’s Hat (Heinemann)
David R. Dow: Killing Time (Heinemann)
Ruth Dudley Edwards: Aftermath: The Omagh Bombing & the Families’ Pursuit of Justice (Harvill Secker)
Jeff Guinn: Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie & Clyde (Simon & Schuster)
Alex McBride: Defending the Guilty (Penguin/Viking)
Douglas Preston, with Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence (Virgin/Random House)

CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY
Sponsored by The Random House Group. Nominated and judged by librarians and awarded to an author for a body of work, not one single title. Prize money £1,500. The shortlisted authors are:

Simon Beckett (Bantam)
R J Ellory (Orion)
Ariana Franklin (Random House)
Mo Hayder (Bantam)
Denise Mina (Transworld)
Chris Simms (Orion)

CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER
Any crime short story first published in the UK in English in a publication that pays for contributions, or broadcast in the UK in return for payment. Prize money £500. The shortlisted stories are:

A Calculated Risk by Sean Chercover from Thriller 2 (Mira) edited by Clive Cussler
The Weapon by Jeffrey Deaver from Thriller 2 (Mira) edited by Clive Cussler
Can You Help Me Out There by Robert Ferrigno from Thriller 2 (Mira) edited by Clive Cussler
Boldt's Broken Angel by Ridley Pearson from Thriller 2 (Mira) edited by Clive Cussler
Like a Virgin by Peter Robinson from The Price of Love (Hodder and Stoughton)
Killing Time by Jon Land from Thriller 2 (Mira) edited by Clive Cussler
Protecting the Innocent by Simon Wood from Thriller 2 (Mira) edited by Clive Cussler

CWA DEBUT DAGGER
Sponsored by Orion. The Debut Dagger is a new-writing competition open to anyone writing in the English language who has not yet had a novel published commercially. First prize is £500 plus two free tickets to the prestigious CWA Dagger Awards and night’s stay for two in a top London hotel. The shortlisted stories are:

All the Precious Things Jan Napiorkowski (UK)
A Murder in Mumbles Rick DeMille (USA)
A Place of Dying Patrick Eden (UK)
Case No 1 Sandra Graham (Australia)
Chinese Whispers Alan Carter (Australia)
In the Lion’s Throat Bob Marriott (New Zealand)
Legacy Rebecca Brodie (UK)
Lockdown Danielle Ramsay (UK)
Pretty Preeti Stephanie Light (India)
Safe Harbour Rosemary McCracken (Canada)
The Beggar’s Opera Peggy Blair (Canada)
The Chameleon Factor Kathleen Stewart (Australia)