The Dagger in the Library (Golden Handcuffs in 1992–1994) is an annual award given by the British

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. T ...

to a particular "living author who has given the most pleasure to readers". Yearly shortlists are drawn up of the ten authors most nominated, online, by readers, and the final decision is made by a panel of

librarians A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...

. It was sponsored by

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

until 2015.

Winners

2020s

* 2021 –

Peter May Peter May may refer to: *Peter W. May, American businessman *Peter May (cricketer) (1929–1994), English Test cricketer *Peter May (writer) Peter May (born 20 December 1951) is a Scottish television screenwriter, novelist, and crime writer. H ...

* 2020 –

Christopher Brookmyre Christopher Brookmyre (born 6 September 1968) is a Scottish novelist whose novels, generally in a crime or police procedural frame, mix comedy, politics, social comment and action with a strong narrative. He has been referred to as a Tartan No ...

2010s

* 2019 – Kate Ellis *2018 –

Martin Edwards Charles Martin Edwards (born 24 July 1945) is the former chairman of Manchester United, a position he held from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club and Director of Inview Technology Ltd. Biography ...

*2017 – Mari Hannah * 2016 –

Elly Griffiths Elly Griffiths is the pen name of Domenica de Rosa (born 17 August 1963, in London), a British crime novelist. She has written three series as Griffiths, one featuring Ruth Galloway, one featuring Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens and Max Meph ...

* 2015 –

Christopher Fowler Christopher Fowler (born 26 March 1953) is an English thriller writer. While working in the British film industry he became the author of fifty novels and short-story collections, including the Bryant & May mysteries, which record the adventures ...

* 2014 – Sharon Bolton * 2013 – Belinda Bauer * 2012 – Steve Mosby * 2011 –

Mo Hayder Beatrice Clare Dunkel (born Clare Damaris Bastin; pen names, Mo Hayder and Theo Clare; 2 January 1962 – 27 July 2021) was a British author. Earlier in her life she worked as an actress and model under the name Candy Davis. She went on to wr ...

* 2010 – Ariana Franklin

2000s

*2009 –

Colin Cotterill Colin Cotterill (born 2 October 1952) is a London-born teacher, author, comic book writer and cartoonist. Cotterill has dual English and Australian citizenship. He lives in Thailand, where he writes the award-winning Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery se ...

*2008 – Craig Russell *2007 –

Stuart MacBride Stuart MacBride is a Scottish writer, most famous for his crime thrillers set in the "Granite City" of Aberdeen and featuring Detective Sergeant Logan McRae. Biography Stuart MacBride was born 27 February 1969 in Dumbarton, Scotland and raise ...

*2006 –

Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United Stat ...

*2005 –

Jake Arnott Jake Arnott (born 11 March 1961) is a British novelist and dramatist, author of ''The Long Firm'' (1999) and six other novels. Life Arnott was born in Buckinghamshire. Having left Aylesbury Grammar School at 17, he had various jobs includin ...

*2004 –

Alexander McCall Smith Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE (born 24 August 1948), is a British writer. He was raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and formerly Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He became an expert on medical law and ...

*2003 – Stephen Booth *2002 – Peter Robinson *2000 – 2001 – in abeyance

1990s

*1997 – 1999 – in abeyance *1996 –

Marian Babson Marian Babson was the pseudonym of American mystery writer Ruth Marian Stenstreem, born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1929. She died in 2017. She lived most her life in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingd ...

*1995 –

Lindsey Davis Lindsey Davis (born 1949) is an English historical novelist, best known as the author of the Falco series of historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire. She is a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award. Life and career ...

*1994 –

Robert Barnard Robert Barnard (23 November 1936 – 19 September 2013) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer. In addition to over 40 books published under his own name, he also published four books under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable. Life and work ...

*1993 – Margaret Yorke *1992 –

Catherine Aird Kinn Hamilton McIntosh (born 20 June 1930), known professionally as Catherine Aird, is an English novelist. She is the author of more than twenty crime fiction novels and several collections of short stories. Her witty, literate, and deftly plo ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Crime Writers' Association website
Crime Writers' Association awards Awards established in 1994 1994 establishments in the United Kingdom Mystery and detective fiction awards