Glass Key award

ぐらすきーしょう

A literary award selected annually by Crime Writers of Scandinavia for crime novels from Nordic countries. Winners receive an actual glass key.

Crime novelsLiterary awardCrime fiction

Established: 1992
Organizer: Crime Writers of Scandinavia (Skandinaviska Kriminalsällskapet)
Category: Genre Fiction
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Status: Active

Description

The Glass Key award is an award presented annually by the Crime Writers of Scandinavia (Skandinaviska Kriminalsällskapet), targeting crime novels by writers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Members from each country nominate candidate works to form a shortlist, and the winner is determined through the association's final selection process. The winner is presented with a symbolic glass key.

Prize

Main Prize: An actual glass key (trophy) is awarded

Selection to the shortlist from candidates nominated by each country
International attention and promotional benefits from winning

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Country-specific nomination (shortlist creation)	Crime Writers of Scandinavia members from each country (selected by each national association)	One work nominated from each country, with the shortlist generally consisting of around 5 works	Shortlist formed by nominations from members of each country
Final selection (winner determination)	Selection committee of Crime Writers of Scandinavia or member vote	Unknown	Winning work announced at the annual official announcement

Country-specific nomination (shortlist creation)

Judges Crime Writers of Scandinavia members from each country (selected by each national association)

Pass Rate One work nominated from each country, with the shortlist generally consisting of around 5 works

Announcement Shortlist formed by nominations from members of each country

Final selection (winner determination)

Judges Selection committee of Crime Writers of Scandinavia or member vote

Pass Rate Unknown

Announcement Winning work announced at the annual official announcement

Criteria

Must be a crime novel by a writer from Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden)
Literary value and completeness of plot construction
Depth of characters and originality within the genre
International recognition and translation potential may also be considered

Application Tips

Dos

Clearly indicate that your work is a crime novel by a writer of Nordic origin
Polish the genre structure (plot, pacing, character descriptions) as a crime novel
Build connections with domestic crime writer communities or associations to create nomination opportunities

Don''ts

Misunderstanding that this award accepts individual open call submissions (recommendations by national members are the basis)
Submitting or seeking recommendations for works that do not meet the genre or nationality requirements

From Judges

Emphasis on narrative consistency and character depth
High evaluation of freshness and originality within the genre
Quality of translation may also be considered if a translated version exists

Related Awards

Nordic Council Literature Prize
Swedish Crime Writers' Academy awards (Svenska Deckarakademin)
National mystery awards in each country (e.g., crime novel awards in Denmark, Norway)
CWA International Dagger (award for translations and international works)