Dagger in the Library
だがー・いん・ざ・らいぶらりー
An award presented annually by the UK's Crime Writers' Association (CWA) to the living author who has given the most pleasure to readers in libraries.
Mystery / Detective fictionCrime novel awardLibrary-related
- Established
- 1992
- Organizer
- Crime Writers' Association (CWA)
- Category
- Genre Fiction
- Selection Method
- Recommendation
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around December
- Announcement Period
- around July
- Status
- Active
Description
Dagger in the Library (formerly Golden Handcuffs, 1992–1994) is an award selected annually by the Crime Writers' Association, where a shortlist of the top 10 is created from readers' online nominations, and the final winner is determined by a panel of librarians. It was previously sponsored by Random House (until 2015). It has been in abeyance in some years.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Honorary award (no prize money specified)
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 — Reader nominations / Shortlist creation | Readers (online nominations) | Top 10 advance to shortlist (pass rate depends on total nominations; no specific numerical value) | Shortlist announced on CWA official site, etc. |
| Stage 2 (final selection) | Final decision by panel of librarians | 1 winner from shortlist (10 entrants) (approx. 10%) | CWA official announcement and press release |
Stage 1 — Reader nominations / Shortlist creation
Judges
Readers (online nominations)
Pass Rate
Top 10 advance to shortlist (pass rate depends on total nominations; no specific numerical value)
Announcement
Shortlist announced on CWA official site, etc.
Stage 2 (final selection)
Judges
Final decision by panel of librarians
Pass Rate
1 winner from shortlist (10 entrants) (approx. 10%)
Announcement
CWA official announcement and press release
Criteria
- Being a living author who has given the most pleasure to readers
- Support and evaluation from library users and readers
- Contribution to readers through the author's ongoing body of work (backlist)
Application Tips
Dos
- 読者との接点を増やし、作品が読者に届くようにする（読者にノミネーションを促せるように）
- 図書館や司書と関係を築き、貸出や利用の機会を増やす
- 幅広い読者層に長く支持されるバックリストを維持する
Don''ts
- 不正なノミネーション（買収やスパム）を行う
- 図書館や読者を誤導する虚偽の宣伝をする
From Judges
- 読者に喜ばれる読みやすさと持続的なクオリティを重視する
- 図書館での支持や貸出実績、読者の反応が評価に繋がる
Related Awards
- CWA Gold Dagger
- CWA International Dagger
- CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
- CWA Short Story Dagger
Official Resources
https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/the-daggers/dagger-in-the-library/Past Winners
No winner
No winner
No winner
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