Macavity Awards

まかびてぃしょう

Annual awards presented to mystery writers by Mystery Readers International.

MysteryCrime fictionBest Mystery NovelBest First Mystery (Novel)Best Mystery Nonfiction/CriticalBest Mystery Short StorySue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery

Established: 1987
Organizer: Mystery Readers International
Category: Genre Fiction
Selection Method: Vote
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Status: Active

Description

The Macavity Awards (est. 1987) are annual literary awards for mystery writers, nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International. Categories include Best Mystery Novel, Best First Mystery (Novel), Best Mystery Nonfiction/Critical, Best Mystery Short Story, and the Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery. Eligibility generally requires publication in the previous calendar year.

Prize

Main Prize: Honorary award (trophy or commemorative recognition, etc.). No cash prize is generally set or announced.

Industry recognition and promotional benefits from winning
Publication on official announcements and winner lists
Trophy or commemorative items (if applicable)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination	Recommendations by members of Mystery Readers International (nominations from members)	null	Nomination results are announced by the organizers
Voting	Members of Mystery Readers International (winners determined by vote)	null	Voting results are announced annually (at event venues or organizer's website, etc.)
Winner Announcement	Organizing body (results announced on website or at related events)	null	Usually at annual events (e.g., Bouchercon) or on the official website

Nomination

Judges Recommendations by members of Mystery Readers International (nominations from members)

Pass Rate null

Announcement Nomination results are announced by the organizers

Voting

Judges Members of Mystery Readers International (winners determined by vote)

Pass Rate null

Announcement Voting results are announced annually (at event venues or organizer's website, etc.)

Winner Announcement

Judges Organizing body (results announced on website or at related events)

Pass Rate null

Announcement Usually at annual events (e.g., Bouchercon) or on the official website

Criteria

Excellence as mystery/detective fiction in the genre
Literary quality (structure, plot, character depiction, style)
Originality and reader appeal
Publication in the target year (previous calendar year) (Eligibility: published in the previous calendar year)
Suitability for the category (novel, debut, nonfiction, short story, etc.)

Application Tips

Dos

Confirm eligibility (works published in the previous calendar year)
Correctly identify the applicable category (novel, debut novel, nonfiction, short story, historical mystery)
Promote the work to readers and members (as member voting is central)
Coordinate publication details with publishers or agents
Accurately present English titles and publication information

Don''ts

Do not ignore announced entry/nomination conditions
Do not misreport publication dates or editions
Do not overestimate based on misunderstanding member voting (not always aligned with commercial success)
Do not force ill-suited works into categories

From Judges

Emphasis on plot coherence, character depth, and originality
Work's voice (style) and reader appeal are key
Short stories: condensed structure; novels: sustained tension and character growth
Nonfiction: depth of research/reporting and clarity of argumentation