Arran crime author has a stab at dagger win
An Arran author has been shortlisted for one of the UK’s most prestigious literary prizes.
Tony Black, who has written more than a dozen novels, has been announced as one of four finalists in the CWA Dagger in the Library.
‘It’s a great honour to even be nominated but to make the shortlist is a little mind-blowing,’ said the Whiting Bay-based writer.
‘There’s some great talent on the shortlist, Scotland’s own Quintin Jardine to name but one, so it’s great to be recognised alongside such talent.’
Unlike most other literary prizes, Dagger in the Library is awarded not for an individual book but for an author’s entire body of work and is one of six highly-prized CWA Dagger Awards awarded to crime writers since 1955.
‘Ian Rankin jokingly tweeted me that he was a little jealous, having never been nominated for the Dagger in the Library - but then he has won everything else!’ said Tony.
The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) said the response received from voters for the award was staggering, with 1,384 crime fans voting for 636 different authors, highlighting the extraordinary quality and variety in crime writing.
The full shortlist of Tony Black, Alison Bruce, Elly Grifiths and Quintin Jardin will now have their books assessed by a panel of CWA judges. The winner of the CWA Dagger in the Library will be announced on October 11.
*Tony’s latest crime novel, Summoning the Dead, will also be published by Black & White Publishing in October.