John Harvey gets the Diamond Dagger

You won’t get any argument from me about this – it’s excellent news:

The Crime Writers’ Association has awarded its Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2007 to the outstanding British novelist, John Harvey.

The presentation of the award, made for sustained excellence in the

genre of crime writing, will be made by M. Arnaud Bamberger of Cartier

and will take place at a champagne reception at the Savoy Hotel in

early May 2007.

JOHN HARVEY has been described as “one of the masters of British crime fiction” by the Sunday Telegraph, and “one of the leading writers of crime fiction alive today” by Le Monde.

He was born in 1938 in north London, where, after several lengthy

sojourns in Nottingham, he continues to live. Like many successful

writers, he learned his trade writing pulp fiction – including many

westerns. He has close to one hundred published titles to his credit

and his latest, Gone to Ground will be published by February 2007 by William Heinemann.

When told of his win, Mr Harvey said: “My reaction to hearing I was to

be the recipient of the next Diamond Dagger? Gobsmacked. Absolutely,

totally taken by surprise. And then, of course, delight. It was all I

could do not to waltz out into the street and accost any stray

passers-by with the news. Instead, I calmed myself down with a strong

cup of coffee, phoned my editor at Random House, and relaxed under a

small tide of congratulatory e-mails and phone calls. It is a terrific

honour, coming, as it does, from my fellow scribblers and scriveners,

whose judgement I value perhaps above all others – and to see my name

added to a list which includes so many leading exponents of the craft.”

Many of his friends and well-wishers will be raising a glass around the world when he receives his honor. Congratulations, Mr. Harvey.