The crime novel – of any subgenre; including but not limited to thriller, noir, cosy mystery, suspense, police procedural; spy story and crossover of any kind – should be suitable for adults or young adults.

Entries are eligible from writers who have never had a contract for a full-length novel of any kind and who don’t have an agent when the competition closes at the end of February. Entrants may not have self-published their entry and must not have self-published any novel over 20,000 words in the five years preceding the deadline.

The winner receives £500. Shortlisted entries are sent to agents and publishers who regard them with interest, and this is where the real value of succeeding in the competition lies. Many crime writers both shortlisted and longlisted go on to get representation and/or a publishing contract as a result of their listing in the Debut Dagger.

Entry fee: £35 + VAT = £42.

The competition is sponsored by ProWritingAid.

Find out more here. 

Deadline: 6pm GMT, Thursday 29 February 2024