Mystery Melange

 

The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance announced the winners of the 2022 Maine Literary Awards in various categories from over 400 entries. In the Best Crime Fiction category, Paul Doiron took top honors for Dead by Dawn. The other finalists include Jule Selbo for 10 Days: A Dee Rommel Mystery and Caitlin Wahrer for The Damage. Doiron previously won for his novel, Trespasser, in 2012.

The shortlist was announced for the 2022 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, culled from a panel of UK librarians and library staff. These six titles are now with a judging panel and over the summer months, readers will be invited to participate in the Reader's Vote, which equates to one seat on the judge's panel. The finalists include The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield; Where Blood Runs Cold by Giles Kristian; The Vacation by John Marrs; The Plant Hunter by T.L. Mogford; Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo; and Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter by Lizzie Pook. (HT to Shots Magazine)

If you live in or plan to visit the UK, June is National Crime Reading Month, sponsored by the Crime Writers’ Association in partnership with national charity The Reading Agency. The festival aims to promote and celebrate crime reading across the genre through exciting events and activities in bookshops, libraries, museums, theatres and online, culminating in the prestigious CWA Daggers ceremony at the end of the month. You can check for events throughout the UK and Ireland via this link.

The Back Room, "An Evening of Cocktails and Conversations with Your Favorite Authors," announced its lineup for the summer. Starting June 12, there will be two events each summer month hosted by Karen Dionne and Hank Phillippi Ryan. Each online event starts with a short introduction to a panel of 4 authors, and the audience is then divided into 4 breakout rooms where they remain for the rest of the program while the authors visit each room in turn. Everyone’s video is turned on and their mics are unmuted, allowing for informal, face-to-face discussion. Panels will include topics like "Summer Books!" and "Crime and Legal Thrillers" and feature several noted crime fiction authors. Registration is free, but space is limited.

Sisters in Crime is accepting applications for its second annual Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers, a $2,000 grant awarded to an up-and-coming writer who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Candidates must apply by July 31. The award was established as the legacy project of former Sisters in Crime president, Sherry Harris, and is intended for a crime writer beginning their career and will support activities related to career development including workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of his, her, or their work. Complete guidelines and the application can be found at sistersincrime.org/page/Pride.

The deadline for submissions to the Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction is growing closer. The literary prize recognizes outstanding writing in the genre of crime or thriller fiction, sponsored by the author L J Ross through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, in association with the Newcastle Noir Crime Writing Festival and Newcastle Libraries. It is open to all writers who are from, or whose work celebrates the North East of England, and who have not previously had their submission published in any form. The winning entry will be awarded a prize of £2500 to support the completion of their work and funding towards a year’s membership of both the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors, with smaller financial awards to shortlisted candidates. Entries are open through June 30, 2022.

This week's crime poem at the 5-2 weekly is "Black-Eyed Susan" by Sharon Waller Knutson.

In the Q&A roundup, Lisa Haselton chatted with author Stephen Zimmerman about his new crime thriller, The Missing; and over at Writers Who Kill, E. B. Davis spoke with Krista Davis, who is back for the fifteenth book in the Domestic Diva mysteries series, The Diva Says Cheesecake.