Mark Billingham Joins Crime Fiction’s Elite with CWA Diamond Dagger Win

Mark Billingham

The world of crime fiction is celebrating one of its most respected voices as Mark Billingham receives the Diamond Dagger, the highest lifetime achievement award presented by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA).

The Diamond Dagger sits at the pinnacle of the CWA Daggers, a renowned group of awards that recognise excellence across the crime and thriller genre. Each year, the Daggers celebrate everything from the best crime novel and debut author to short stories, translated fiction and emerging talent. Together, they form one of the most influential award systems in crime writing, both in the UK and internationally.

Unlike the annual competitive Daggers, the Diamond Dagger is awarded at the discretion of the CWA to honour an author’s sustained and significant contribution to crime fiction written in English. It is voted for by fellow writers, making it a rare peer-recognised accolade.

Billingham earns this distinction after more than two decades at the forefront of the genre. Best known for his Tom Thorne series, which began with Sleepyhead, he has built a reputation for tightly plotted stories, psychologically rich characters and a distinctly modern take on police procedurals. His work has reached a wide audience through both bestselling novels and television adaptations.

Beyond his writing, Billingham is also recognised for his support of the crime-writing community, championing new voices and remaining an active presence within the CWA.

With the Diamond Dagger added to his list of achievements, Mark Billingham joins an elite group of authors, such as Walter Mosley, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, Peter James, Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, Colin Dexter and John le Carré, whose influence has helped shape crime fiction as readers know it today.