Kiwi flag flies amongst Edgar nominations!

With two writing nominations for Wellington-based crime novelist and screenwriter Neil Cross's excellent TV series Luther, and one for Hamilton-based short story writer Stephen Ross for his story "Monsieur Alice is Absent" (published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine), the New Zealand flag is certainly flying proudly amongst the Edgar Award nominations announced overnight (New Zealand time). Great stuff, terrific to see.

As many of you will know, the Edgars are like the Oscars of crime writing (possibly sharing that status with the Daggers - I'll let the organisers of each battle it out for which one is the Oscars, which the Golden Globes). Regardless of eventual results, it's fantastic to see a couple of New Zealand-based writers getting recognised in this way by the Mystery Writers of America.

You can read a bit more about Stephen Ross here, and at his website here.

You can read more about Neil Cross here, and at his website here.

Hopefully the bigger New Zealand media (TV, radio, newspapers/magazines) will pick up on the story and share it with more New Zealanders, because both Neil Cross and Stephen Ross deserve congratulations and wider acclaim for their achievements.

I will have more to say on the rest of the Edgar nominations (see here for full list), especially the best novel lineup, soon, but for now, go the Kiwis!

Comments welcome.