Saturday 26 September from 8pm
Proudly supported by Swinburne University of Technology, Department of Media and Communication
Sisters in Crime Australia is thrilled that Val McDermid, Tartan Noir Queen and long-time Sisters friend, will present its 20th Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women and published in 2019. In a special online ceremony, Val will announce the winners of these prestigious awards and unveil the fabulous, newly-designed trophies, a mark of this milestone anniversary.
So settle in with tasty treats and charge your glasses and mugs as Sisters in Crime celebrate and honour these writers. The award ceremony will be available for viewing on Saturday 26 September from 8pm. Val will discuss her latest crime book, Still Life (featuring DCI Karen Pirie from Edinburgh’s Historical Crimes Unit), and much more with Sisters in Crime Ambassador, Sue Turnbull. Val and Sue have established a wonderful rapport over nearly 30 years, both professionally and through numerous Sisters in Crime events, so this promises to be an engaging, entertaining and revealing conversation.
This year 124 books competed for the Davitts. The judges decided on a shortlist of 24 titles across six categories: Best Adult Crime Novel, Best Young Adult Crime Novel, Best Children’s Crime Novel, Best Non-fiction Crime Book, Best Debut Crime Book (any category) and Readers’ Choice, as judged by members of Sisters in Crime. Also taking part in the award ceremony are Davitt sponsor Dr Carolyn Beasley from Swinburne University of Technology, Davitt judges’ wrangler Moraig Kisler and, of course, the winners!
As Melbourne is in lockdown, the 2020 Davitt Awards will be presented online for the first time. We invite you to a Watch Party on Facebook, Saturday 26 September from 8pm, where you can join other crime fans for an interactive experience. Further details to come, but in the meantime make sure you have liked the Sisters in Crime Facebook page to stay updated. The ceremony will be available for free viewing worldwide via the Sisters in Crime YouTube channel. A video link will be posted on the Sisters in Crime website and Facebook page, and sent to members and supporters via the e-newsletter, A Stab in the Dark.
Tickets: If you would like to support Sisters in Crime and the work it does for Australian women crime writers you can do so by purchasing a $10 ticket HERE. Ticket sales close on Wednesday 23 September at 5pm. Three lucky ticket holders will win a $300 pack of crime books, kindly donated by the publishers, including all Davitt-winning books plus Val McDermid’s Still Life.
For more information about Sisters in Crime Australia, please visit
www.sistersincrime.org.au/