Best young crime writers named

A teenage crime writer from the West Midlands has won the National Young Crime Writers’ Competition.
Organised by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), which represents the interests of published crime writers, and library authorities nationwide, the competition invited writers aged up to 18 to submit 1000 words of crime fiction.

More than 600 stories were received from all over the country. The eventual winner, chosen by outgoing CWA Chair, Margaret Murphy, and Laura Wilson, Guardian reviewer and winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award, is Nicole Hendry, age 15, of Sutton Coldfield, with ‘The Demolition of Lives’. The judges praised her story as 'daring and effective - a convincing emotional journey with a sympathetic protagonist, good motivation and a clever plot.'
The highly commended writer is Lara Denaro, age 16, of Teddington, London, with ‘The Phone Box’.

The first prize is a weekend pass for the winner and one companion to the crime writing festival CrimeFest in 2011, including tickets to the Gala Dinner. This has been donated by the organisers of CrimeFest. The national winner will also get a selection of signed crime novels and a uniquely engraved pen.

CWA Chair Tom Harper said: “We have been really impressed with the way the first competition has gone; the future of crime writing is in good hands. We have already agreed to run the competition again next year.”

This announcement is being made during the CWA’s first National Crime Fiction Week, June 14th-20th