The Crime Writers’ Association has awarded its highest honour, the CWA Diamond Dagger, to novelist Peter James. The Diamond Dagger is awarded each year to a writer who has a career marked by sustained excellence. James, the author of 28 novels which have, worldwide, sold over 16 million copies, said, ‘I’ve always felt that the CWA Diamond Dagger stands head and shoulders above all the myriad awards in the world for crime and thriller writing. It is, without doubt, the most coveted of all, partly because of its history, partly because of who actually decides it, but more important than either of these, is the list of past winners – a veritable roll call of the giants of our genre. I remember attending the ceremonies in my earliest days as a young, struggling writer, watching the annual presentations, listening to the acceptance speeches, and dreaming that one day that this could be me – which I always dismissed as no more than fantasy. Now to find that I am actually to be this year’s recipient is, without doubt, one of the greatest moments of my career. And it is proof that sometimes, our dreams really can come true.’