Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is a professional organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City.[1][2]
The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday.
It presents the Edgar Award, a small bust of Edgar Allan Poe, to mystery or crime writers every year. It presents the Raven Award to non-writers who contribute to the mystery genre. The category of Best Juvenile Mystery is also part of the Edgar Award, with such notable recipients as Barbara Brooks Wallace having won the honor twice for The Twin in the Tavern in 1994 and Sparrows in the Scullery in 1998, and Tony Abbott for his novel The Postcard in 2009.
John Dickson Carr, who also served as president of the MWA, won a Grand Master Award in 1949 and 1962.[3]
Grand Master Award
editThe Grand Master Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Mystery Writers of America. It recognizes lifetime achievement and consistent quality. (The award was presented irregularly up to 1978; from 1979 to 2008, it was given to one writer each year. Since 2009, as many as three authors have been honored annually.)
In 2018, the Mystery Writers of America announced that it would honor best-selling author and former prosecutor Linda Fairstein with one of its Grand Master Awards for literary achievement. But two days after controversy erupted in connection with her alleged role in the Central Park jogger case, the organization withdrew the honor.[4]
Raven Award
editThe Raven Awards are recorded in the Edgars Database of the Mystery Writers of America.[6]
See also
edit- The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time, selected by active MWA members in 1995
- Crime Writers' Association
- Crime Writers of Canada
- Mystery Writers of Japan
- Swedish Crime Writers' Academy
References
edit- ^ "Contact the National Office of Mystery Writers of America". Retrieved 2013-04-21.
- ^ "Mystery Writers of America | literary organization | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
- ^ Mitgang, Herbert (1977-03-01). "John Dickson Carr Is Dead at 70; A Master of the Mystery Novel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Piccoli, Sean; Gold, Michael (November 28, 2018). "After Furor, Literary Group Withdraws Honor for 'Central Park Five' Prosecutor". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ^ Tucker, Neely (2012-05-04). "Martha Grimes named 'Grand Master" of mystery writers". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ "The Raven Awards". Edgars Database. Mystery Writers of America. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
External links
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