The Dagger Finds Its Target

Traditionally, Britain’s Crime Writers Association (CWA) throws excellent parties, and the 2007 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award ceremony--held Wednesday evening at Six Fitzroy Square, in London--was certainly no exception.

Arriving early, I found a coffee shop nearby in Warren Street, where I could unwind a bit before joining the festivities, and there happened upon critic-author Adrian Muller, seated at an adjacent table. We chatted a bit about next June’s CrimeFest Conference to be held in Bristol, England. CrimeFest was organized after the great success of Left Coast Crime 2006, which also found Muller and his partners, Myles Allfrey and Liz Hatterall, at the steering wheel. And the event looks interesting, with guests Lee Child, Ian Rankin, and Norwegian novelist Karin Fossum, with Natasha Cooper serving as toastrix. (For more information about CrimeFest, click here.)

We were soon joined at the table by my usual partner in crime, Shots editor (and Dick Van Dyke impersonator) Mike Stotter, along with Shots contributor Ayo Onatade, sub-editor Liz Hatherall, and Allfrey. Presently, we all headed off to The Prince of Wales Feathers, a local pub, for a pint or two before wandering en masse to Six Fitzroy Square.

Well armed with flutes of champagne, but occasionally distracted by the need to sample finger foods, I mingled--a particular talent of mine, if you can forgive my saying so myself. I talked for a while with the delightful Emma Dunford of Gregory and Company, who told me that she was sad to be leaving Jane Gregory’s literary agency, but would soon be joining Piatkus Publishing (now owned by Little, Brown). Afterward, I spent some time with Zöe Sharp (Second Shot), who let me know that she’s now halfway through composing a standalone thriller. Also gathered in our vicinity were author (and Shots alumnus) Peter Guttridge and critic-novelist Mike Ripley. I had the chance, as well, to visit with critic, author, and editor Barry Forshaw, who had brought me some requested back-issues of his Crime Time magazine.

Finally, David Shelly, Little, Brown’s editorial director for crime and thrillers, stepped up to the podium in order to welcome all the guests at this awards ceremony. He began by thanking Becky Fincham of Headline Publishing for having organized the event, and then paid homage to the estate of Ellis Peters (aka Edith Mary Pargeter), the late author of the Brother Cadfael novels, after whom the CWA Historical Dagger is named. Then Shelly relinquished the floor in favor of Janet Laurence, who headed this year’s panel of award judges. She, in turn, thanked her fellow judges, and read brief synopses of the half-dozen books nominated for the Historical Dagger. After which there was a hush of anticipation, followed by the announcement that Ariana Franklin (the pseudonym of Diana Norman) had won this year’s Ellis Peters award for her novel Mistress of the Art of Death (Transworld/Bantam Press).

As Franklin (shown at the top of this post) took the podium, Mike Ripley--who’d quite confidently predicted that Mistress would win--whooped with joy. After receiving, as part of her award, a check for £3,000, Franklin made a very short but emotional speech, telling the assemblage that she never thought she’d win against such an outstanding shortlist--and had therefore not prepared a speech. Instead, she simply thanked the CWA, the judges, and her husband, renowned film critic and broadcaster Barry Norman.

After popping out of the room for just a moment, in order to phone the night’s award results in to The Rap Sheet (making this blog the first to report them), I returned to meet up with Franklin and her publisher, Selina Walker from Transworld. I congratulated the author, and shortly after that bumped into her husband. Barry Norman was most gracious, as I let him know how much I’ve enjoyed his movie criticism over the years, and as Ripley (shown in the photo above, with Norman on the right) went to organize more champagne for the lot of us.

However, the drink and excitement of this affair eventually took their toll. After relaying my good-byes all around, I headed off into the London night, already looking forward to attending next year’s Ellis Peters Historical Dagger fête.