C.J. Sansom is the recipient of the 2022 CWA Diamond Dagger, which is sponsored by the Crime Writers' Association and recognizes "authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre."
Noting that Sansom is one of Britain's bestselling historical novelists, the CWA said he combined both history and law in his debut novel Dissolution (2003), which "was an immediate bestseller, and critical success.... This success sparked the bestselling Shardlake series, set in the reign of Henry VIII and following the sixteenth-century lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. Now running to well over four million copies in print, it is one of the most successful crime series of all time. After Dissolution came Dark Fire, which won the 2005 Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger."
Sansom said: "I feel so honored to be awarded this year's Diamond Dagger, and my heartfelt thanks to the CWA members and committee. Wonderful to think I now join such a distinguished group of authors. To think it all started with the idea that a novel set around Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries might make a good story. Thank you."
Maxim Jakubowski, chair of the CWA, commented: "C.J. Sansom has proven himself to be the modern master of the historical thriller, regardless of periods. Equally at ease evoking sixteenth century England, Spain in the aftermath of its Civil War or even an alternate post-WW2 Britain, he weaves a web of compelling reality around his characters and brings the past to life like no other, making him a splendid and deserved addition to the prestigious ranks of Diamond Dagger winners."