Walter Mosley is the 2023 recipient of the Diamond Dagger, the highest honor in crime writing from the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA). Mosley receives the award in the CWA’s 70th Jubilee year (the CWA was founded in 1953). The Diamond Dagger recognizes authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre. Mosley is the author of more than 60 critically acclaimed books across a wide range of genres including his popular series featuring private detective, Easy Rawlins. Previous winners of the award have included Ruth Rendell, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Ian Rankin, PD James, Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill, Peter Lovesey, John Le Carré, Martina Cole, Michael Connelly, Elmore Leonard, Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Lawrence Block, Eric Ambler, Ed McBain, and CJ Sansom.
The Mavens of Mayhem, the Upper Hudson Chapter of Sisters in Crime, are sponsoring the virtual writers' conference, Murderous March 2023 on March 10-11. There will be a Master Class with Guest of Honor Deborah Crombie on "How to Keep Your Series Alive and Your Readers Coming Back for More," as well as a Pitch Workshop with Edwin Hill; a discussion by Retired Detective Sergeant Bruce Robert Coffin on police procedure, murder investigations and more; plus various other panels. For more information and to register, check out this link.
Submissions for the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award are open through March 31. Although the award is sponsored by Sisters in Crime, applicants do not need to be a member of SinC to submit materials. The $2,000 grant is intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. The grantee may choose to use the grant for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work.
Clues journal has a call for submissions on the topic of BIPOC Female Detectives. Guest Editor, Sam Naidu with Rhodes University in South Africa, is seeking articles that focus on female detectives who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color); span eras, genres, and geographical locations; and appear in texts, TV programs, films, and other media. Of particular interest are intersections among race, indigeneity, gender, age, class, or sexuality in these works, as well as projects that center BIPOC scholarship. Submissions should include a proposal of approximately 250 words and a brief biosketch and are due by April 30 to [email protected]. Accepted full manuscripts of approximately 6,000 words will be due by September 30.
Over at the Rap Sheet blog, guest Steven Powell, a British author and scholar, gave some insight and background into his new biography, Love Me Fierce in Danger: The Life of James Ellroy. Powell has become something of a dedicated documentarian of Ellroy's fiction in such previous books as Conversations with James Ellroy (2012), James Ellroy: Demon Dog of Crime Fiction (2015), and The Big Somewhere (2018). Some readers of this blog may also know Steven Powell as the creator of the crime fiction blog, The Venetian Vase.
A new full-length biography of Mickey Spillane, one of the most popular and influential mystery writers of his era, was released this week via Mysterious Press. Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction by Max Allan Collins and James L. Traylor bills itself as the definitive biography (and the first full biography of the author), which contains a detailed account of Mickey Spillane's life and literary career, illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Collins became Spillane's friend and collaborator, continuing the Mike Hammer series for years after the author's death, building upon unfinished manuscripts the writer left behind.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is the author of the popular Morland Dynasty novels and contemporary Bill Slider mystery series, as well as her recent series, War at Home, which is an epic family drama set against the backdrop of World War I. Harrod-Eagles applied the Page 69 Test to the new Bill Slider mystery, Before I Sleep.
This week's crime poem at the 5-2 weekly is "Victimless" by Eric D. Goodman.
In the Q&A spotlight, Walter Mosley (see Diamond Dagger announcement above) spoke with The New York Times about the publishing world’s idea of "representation"; what to make of the cultural dominance of the Marvel Universe; his new book, Every Man a King; and why he thinks America is getting dumber.
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