Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.
The Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction award recognises a non-fiction work on a real-life crime theme or a closely-related subject.
The award was established in 1978. For the two years of 1978-1979 the Silver Dagger for Non-Fiction was also awarded. Between 2006 and 2010 the Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction was awarded every other year, in even-numbered years; however in 2011 it returned to be an annual award.
See other CWA category winners and all the other literary prize winners we list.
2026
That dark spring Susannah Stapleton
2025
The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place Kate Summerscale
2024
Ian Fleming: The complete man Nicholas Shakespeare
2023
Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey Wendy Joseph
2022
The disappearance of Lydia Harvey: The true story of sex, crime and the meaning of justice Julia Laite
2021
Written in bone Sue Black
2020
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee Casey Cep
2019
The spy and the traitor: The greatest espionage story of the Cold War Ben Macintyre
2018
Blood on the page: A murder, a secret trial, a search for the truth Thomas Harding
2017
Close but no cigar: A true story of prison life in Castro's Cuba Stephen Purvis
2016
You could do something amazing with your life (you are Raoul Moat) Andrew Hankinson
2015
In plain sight: the life and lies of Jimmy Savile Dan Davies
2014
The siege: 68 hours inside the Taj Hotel Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark
2013
Midnight in Peking Paul French Winner
The boy in the river Richard Hoskins Highly Commended
2012
The eleventh day Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
2011
The killer of little shepherds Douglas Starr
2010
Aftermath: the Omagh bombing & the families’ pursuit of justice Ruth Dudley Edwards
2008
Nationality: Wog - the hounding of David Oluwale Kester Aspden
2006
The Dagenham murder (The Borough of Barking and Dagenham) Linda Rhodes, Lee Shelden and Kathryn Abnett
2005
On the run Gregg and Gina Hill
2004
Joint winners Cosa Nostra: a history of the Sicilian Mafia John Dickie; The Italian boy: murder and grave robbery in 1830s London Sarah Wise
2003
Pointing from the grave Samantha Weinberg
2002
Dead man’s wages Lillian Pizzichini
2001
The infiltrators Philip Etienne, Martin Maynard and Tony Thompson
2000
Mr Blue: memoirs of a renegade Edward Bunker
1999
The case of Stephen Lawrence Brian Cathcart
1998
Cries unheard: the story of Mary Bell Gitta Sereny
1997
The jigsaw man Paul Britton
1996
The Gunpowder Plot: terror and faith in 1605 Antonia Fraser
1995
Dead not buried Martin Beales
1994
Criminal shadows David Canter
1993
Murder in the heart: a true-life psychological thriller Alexandra Artley
1992
The reckoning: the murder of Christopher Marlowe Charles Nicholl
1991
Giordano Bruno and the Embassy affair John Bossy
1990
The passing of Starr Faithfull Jonathan Goodman
1989
A gathering of saints Robert Lindsey
1988
The secret lives of Trebitsch Lincoln Bernard Wasserstein
1987
Perfect murder: a century of unsolved homicides Bernard Taylor and Stephen Knight
1986
Evil angels John Bryson
1985
Killing for company: the case of Dennis Nilsen Brian Masters
1984
In God’s name David Yallop
1983
Double dealer Peter Watson
1982
Earth to earth John Cornwell
1981
Prisoner without a name, cell without a number Jacobo Timerman
1980
Conspiracy Anthony Summers