Author Vaseem Khan has been elected as the new chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, becoming the first person of colour to take the role in the organisation’s 70-year history.
Khan is the author of two crime series set in India, and won the CWA Historical Dagger for Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House historical crime novels. Khan’s debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was a bestseller and translated into 17 languages. He also co-hosts the Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast with fellow author Abir Mukherjee.
He takes over the role of chair from author, editor, publisher and critic Maxim Jakubowski. Previous chairs include Ian Rankin, Dick Francis, Peter James and Lindsey Davis.
Khan, who will hold the post for two years, said his vision for the organisation was for it to be “a home for all crime writers, whether you’ve sold 10m copies or 10.
“It should be a place where writers of all backgrounds can come and know that they will be treated with respect,” he continued. “Ultimately, the CWA should be about inspiring the next generation of crime writers.”
The CWA board has also voted in new co-vice chairs, authors Sarah Ward and William Shaw. New board members are Nadine Matheson, Stella Oni and Morgen Witzel.
Khan said: “Our board is now the most diverse it has ever been, in terms of age, gender, and background, reflecting the incredibly broad church that crime writing now represents. My hope is that this signals just how welcoming we intend to be, to old members and new.”
Jakubowski will formally hand over the Creasey Bell – named in honour of the CWA founder – to Khan at the annual Dagger awards on 6 July. The bell has been passed on from chair to chair for 70 years.
The CWA was founded in 1953 by the prolific author John Creasey, who wrote more than 400 books under various pseudonyms. Among them is the crime fiction Gideon series, about a fictional Scotland Yard police officer.
