CWA launches National Crime Reading Month

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has teamed up with the Reading Agency to launch National Crime Reading Month (NCRM) this June, designed to celebrate the genre and get the nation hooked on books.

Ambassadors include authors Steve Cavanagh, M W Craven, Elly Griffiths, Alis Hawkins, Anthony Horowitz, Vaseem Khan, Nadine Matheson, Louise Phillips, Ian Rankin, L J Ross, Robin Stevens and Sarah Ward.

NCRM will be an inclusive initiative celebrating diversity in the genre at every level, with events both in-person and virtual to ensure full accessibility. They range from a “Crime Fact and Fiction” walk through London to online workshops.

The initiative is encouraging bookshops, libraries, museums, book clubs and schools to get involved with their own events in the month-long celebration, under the #PickUpAPageTurner hashtag. Interested organisations and groups can sign up online to a mailing list for organiser updates and news and to download promotional tools including logos, posters and press release templates.

Spearheaded by CWA board member and crime writer Sam Blake, NCRM will be launched at Waterstones Piccadilly on 1st June and will feature authors Abir Mukherjee, Lisa Jewell, Ross, Matheson and Khan.

Blake said: “This is a fantastic project that I hope will demonstrate the full breadth of the crime genre and bring new readers to discover books and authors they haven’t read before. Crime isn’t just police procedurals but includes Young Adult, mystery and thrillers, as well as books that have become celebrated films like Ian Fleming’s iconic Bond. We want everyone to #PickUpAPageTurner in June and try something new.”

Karen Napier, c.e.o. of the Reading Agency, added: “We are delighted to join National Crime Reading Month as the charity partner this year. Through our adult reading work, we know how important crime-writing is both for lifelong reading lovers and for those who are just starting out on their reading journey. We’re delighted to be taking part in the launch this year and helping new readers discover great reads by fantastic authors as part of the project.”