At precisely 6.30pm on Thursday 25th October, the publishing industry gathered to celebrate another year of quality crime writing at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards.

The CWA Daggers has been synonymous with outstanding crime fiction for over fifty years and presents 10 awards each year.

Head of Zeus were lucky enough to have two authors shortlisted: Martin Edwards for Dagger in the Library and Laura Thompson for the Non-Fiction Gold Dagger.

Champagne was popped, celebrities spotted, before sitting down to a three-course meal. Martin– also the current chair of the CWA and the busiest man in crime fiction – gave the opening keynote speech and later accepted the Dagger in the Library award, presented not just for a single title, but a body of work nominated by librarians. Martin’s acceptance speech then gave a rallying cry for the vital role libraries play in society: they must be prized as part of our culture.