CWA to run crime writing initiatives again in 2011

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced that it will again run two highly successful initiatives introduced in the past year.

National Crime Writing Week, formerly National Crime Fiction Week, will run between June 13 and 19, 2011. The name change is designed to increase the emphasis on non-fiction as well as fiction. A nationwide celebration of crime writing, the week will also see the culmination of the successful CWA Young Crime Writers’ Competition, which was run by libraries and the CWA this year and attracted 600 entries nationwide.

Both the week and competition ran for the first time this year and CWA Chair Tom Harper said: “We were delighted with the way both initiatives went. Our idea was to raise the profile of crime writing with all age groups and the success of both the dedicated crime writing week and the competition achieved just that. Crime Writing Week is an opportunity for writers to arrange events under the umbrella of a week dedicated to celebrating crime books in all their forms. It is an excellent showcase for writers.”

During the week, members of the CWA will take part in readings, discussions, readers’ group events and workshops all over the country. If you have a Crime Writing Week event in mind, you will be able to log the details on a national map of events at http://www.nationalcrimewritingweek.co.uk/

National Crime Writing Week will be coordinated by CWA press officer John Dean at media.enquiries@thecwa.co.uk

The Young Crime Writers' Competition, which will run from January 10 - 18 Feb, 2011, will again be organised in association with library authorities. Stories will again be judged by members of the CWA. More information will be released later in the year.

For press enquiries or more information on the CWA, please visit the website, http://www.thecwa.co.uk/, or contact media.enquiries@thecwa.co.uk