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The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has appointed author Elly Griffiths to the role of booksellers champion, as National Crime Reading Month begins across the UK.
Griffiths, pen-name of author Domenica de Rosa, will be tasked with building better connections between crime authors and bookshops. She will be supported in the new role by fellow crime authors Vaseem Khan and William Shaw.
The author, a former editorial director for children’s books at HarperCollins, said: “This last year has emphasised the importance of bookshops. We need books more than ever and it seems that crime novels are especially popular in difficult times. I’m delighted to be a CWA booksellers champion, working with these wonderful people and places to ensure that readers have access to the very best of crime fiction.”
Aims of the booksellers champion programme include supporting bookshops nationwide through putting them in touch with crime authors to speak at events, and promoting National Crime Reading Month to help drive crime book sales.
Maxim Jakubowski, chair of the CWA, said: “We are delighted that Elly, with the valuable support of Vaseem and William, has become our booksellers champion. As one of the largest crime genre communities in the UK, the CWA is well-placed to connect authors, readers and bookshops. We all need to work together after a challenging year for bricks-and-mortar bookshops, which are so vital to the reader and author experience.”
The CWA, which aims to support, promote and celebrate the crime genre and its authors, was founded in 1953 by John Creasey. It hosts National Crime Reading Month throughout June, promoting crime author events online and, when safe to do so, at festivals, libraries and bookshops.