15-year-old crime writer wins prize as National Crime Fiction Week kicks off in Britain

Thanks to the efforts of the Crime Writers' Association, this week is officially "National Crime Fiction Week" in Britain - a week to celebrate crime writing. Over the coming days, members of the CWA will take part in readings, discussions, readers' group events and workshops all over the country. "Building on the success of our partnership with Oxfam Bookfest in 2009, the CWA is looking forward to promoting crime fiction through a variety of events," said outgoing CWA chair Margaret Murphy on the CWA website.

National Crime Fiction Week runs from Monday 14 June to Sunday 20 June, and the CWA has created a dedicated website which provides further information and lists all of the fantastic events on offer during the week. The week has kicked off on a great note with the announcement that 15-year-old Nicole Hendry, of Sutton Coldfield, has won the Young Crime Writers' Competition for her story "The Demolition of Lives".

A key part of the build up to National Crime Fiction Week, the Young Crime Writers' Competition was organised by the CWA in partnership with library authorities around the country. Murphy and fellow judge Laura Wilson, Guardian reviewer and winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award, praised Hendry's story as "daring and effective - a convincing emotional journey with a sympathetic protagonist, good motivation and a clever plot".

Click here to read "The Demolition of Lives".

You can browse a full schedule of all the great events on offer as part of National Crime Fiction Week here. Just click on each day of the week to see what's happening in the wonderful world of (fictional) crime. Hat tip to Graham Beattie for the heads-up about the competition announcement.

So, are you excited about National Crime Fiction Week? Will you be attending any of the events? What do you think of Hendry's winning story? Thoughts and comments welcome.