CWA Diamond Dagger: Mark Billingham

Crime Writers' Association (CWA) 2026 Diamond Dagger. This award “recognises authors whose crime-writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.” 

MARK BILLINGHAM

Sleepyhead introduced Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, leading to a further 18 books in Billingham's series, which was adapted to screen by Sky 1 in 2010, starring David Morrissey as Thorne. The latest Thorne book, What the Night Brings, was published in June 2025 - Billingham’s 25th book.

Mark Billingham said: “Presuming this is not an administrative error, I could not be more thrilled or honoured. To be added to a list that features most of my literary heroes is fantastic. That so many are also friends is the icing on the cake and, for me, a mark of how very special the crime-writing community is.”

HT: The Rap Sheet