International Dagger

International Dagger. The International Dagger is a prestigious literary award presented by The Crime Writers' Association in the United Kingdom. It honors the best crime novel translated into English and published in the UK, serving as a counterpart to the association's famed Gold Dagger. The award highlights the global reach and diversity of the crime fiction genre, bringing international voices to a wider English-speaking audience.

History

The award was established in 2006, initially known as the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger under the sponsorship of the Duncan Lawrie private bank. Its creation reflected a growing appreciation for translated crime fiction from regions like Scandinavia, France, and Italy. Following the end of that sponsorship, it was briefly titled the International Dagger before becoming the CWA International Dagger. In 2022, the award was renamed the CWA Translated Crime Dagger as part of a broader restructuring of the CWA's Dagger awards, though it continues the same tradition. The award's history is closely tied to the popularity of authors such as Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell, whose works fueled a surge in interest for Nordic noir.

Award criteria and process

Eligibility requires that the submitted work be a crime novel first published in the previous calendar year in a language other than English, with a UK publisher releasing the English translation. Submissions are made by publishers, and a panel of judges appointed by The Crime Writers' Association evaluates the entries. The judging criteria focus on the literary quality of the translated work as a whole, considering the original writing, the skill of the translation, and the overall reading experience. The shortlist is typically announced in the spring, with the winner revealed at an annual awards ceremony, often held at venues like The Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

Winners and notable recipients

Early winners helped define the award's prestige, including Fred Vargas for *The Three Evangelists* and Arnaldur Indriðason for *The Silence of the Grave*. Notable multiple winners are rare, but Fred Vargas secured the honor again for *Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand*. The award has been pivotal for introducing authors like Jo Nesbø and Pierre Lemaitre to broader acclaim in the United Kingdom. Other distinguished winners include Domingo Villar for *Water-Blue Eyes* and Michele Giuttari for *A Florentine Death*. The renamed CWA Translated Crime Dagger has since honored works such as *The Birthday Party* by Laurent Mauvignier, translated by Daniel Levin Becker.

Significance and impact

The award plays a crucial role in elevating the status of translated crime fiction within the publishing industry, encouraging UK publishers to acquire and promote works from across the globe. It has significantly influenced reading trends, contributing to the commercial success of genres like Scandinavian crime fiction and broadening the market for authors from Japan, South Korea, and South America. By recognizing the collaborative art of writing and translation, the award underscores the importance of translators, such as Sian Reynolds and Laurie Thompson, in the literary ecosystem. Its legacy is evident in the sustained popularity of international crime series on television and streaming platforms.

Related awards

The International Dagger exists within a family of awards presented by The Crime Writers' Association, most directly alongside the Gold Dagger and the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. In the realm of translated crime fiction, other significant honors include the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel and the French Prix du Polar Européen. Broader literary translation prizes like the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Man Booker International Prize also share a mission to celebrate translated literature, though they encompass all genres. Within the specific niche of crime writing, the Mystery Writers of America also present awards like the Edgar Award for Best Novel that occasionally recognize translated works.

Category:Literary awards Category:Crime fiction awards Category:British literary awards