British Crime Writer Mick Herron Wins Crime Writers’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award
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Loading... - Frieda Wagner
- 28 Jan 2025
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British author Mick Herron, renowned for his Slough House series that began with Slow Horses, has been honored with the prestigious Diamond Dagger award by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) for his lifetime contribution to the crime writing genre.
In response to receiving the accolade, Herron expressed his gratitude, stating, “To receive this accolade from these friends and colleagues is a career highlight and a personal joy. I’m touched and thrilled beyond measure, and will try to live up to the honour.”
Born in Newcastle and an alumnus of Oxford University, Herron began his writing career while working as a sub-editor in London, managing to produce around 350 words a day. His debut novel, Down Cemetery Road, was published in 2003 and marked the beginning of his Zoë Boehm series. This novel is set to be adapted for television by Apple TV+, featuring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson.
Herron gained widespread acclaim with the release of Slow Horses in 2010, which follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents. The Slough House series has since expanded to include titles such as Dead Lions, Real Tigers, and Spook Street, with the latest installment, Bad Actors, published in 2022. The television adaptation of Slow Horses, which premiered on Apple TV+ in the same year, stars Gary Oldman as the lead character, Jackson Lamb. The series has been well-received, with three seasons released and two more in development.
Herron’s work has been recognized multiple times by the CWA; Dead Lions won the Gold Dagger in 2013, and Spook Street received the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2017. In addition to the Slough House series, he has authored several standalone novels, including Reconstruction, Nobody Walks, and The Secret Hours.
CWA chair Vaseem Khan praised Herron, stating, “I am delighted that the Diamond Dagger judges have picked Mick as their recipient this year. Few could be more deserving. Mick is the quintessential writers’ writer, and his Slough House novels have, by general consensus, reinvented the spy thriller, going on to delight millions on the page and on screen. The Diamond Dagger is a fitting tribute to a writer whose work has become a cultural marker and record of our time.”
The Diamond Dagger award is determined through a nomination process by CWA members, followed by a shortlist created by industry experts and a final vote by a panel of past winners. Previous recipients of this esteemed award include literary giants such as John le Carré, Ruth Rendell, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, and PD James. Last year, the award was shared by Lynda La Plante and James Lee Burke.
