I attended the strangest of award ceremonies last week.
From the isolation of my study in my home in France, I was part of a Zoom conference for the UK Crime Writers’ Association’s Dagger Awards. Several hundred people from around the world were in attendance, but instead of gathering with the great and good of crime writing in tuxedo and black tie at one of London’s classiest venues, I was in my shorts, at my desk, accompanied by my wife Janice and my dog Daftie!
I had been shortlisted for the Dagger in the Library. This award recognises the popularity of an author’s body of work with readers and users of libraries. The judges committee is made up of librarians from across the country.
When master of ceremonies Barry Forshaw announced the winner, he quoted Sue Wilkinson, the chair of the 2021 committee who said: ‘Peter May infuses his books with a real sense of place, whether it be China, France or the Hebrides. His books are tense, atmospheric and complex but always utterly absorbing.’
This is a very special prize to win as it is for all my various books and series, and an endorsement from the readers, users and keepers of the UK library system.
I know how important libraries were to me from the very earliest of ages. Long may they continue to provide a free and essential service to readers young and old.
And in other news…
The Night Gate will be available in paperback from August 2021. In case you missed the story behind the writing of the book, here’s a video I made explaining it…
Peter May Author 
Congratulations Peter! A well deserved award. I have so enjoyed all your books, hooked on each of each series. Looking forward to the new Enzo.
Hope you enjoy it Joan.
Many congratulations – so well-deserved! I couldn’t have put it better myself: I feel I am in the places you describe, every time. I also know that nothing else will get done the minute I begin one of your books. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks, Jane 🙂
Congratulations Peter! I have thoroughly enjoyed all your books & the dedication you put into researching the locations etc. Can’t wait to read The Night Gate! Continues, Bonne chance et restez en securite!
Meilleures salutations! Catherine
Thanks, Catherine. Hope you enjoy “ The Night Gate”.
Brilliant and VERY well deserved Peter!
Living close to Cahors myself I am a completely addicted to your books, I especially love those based around here as it is so great to wander around people watching and wondering if they might end up in the next book, but I have thoroughly enjoyed all your books and I want to thank you for your brilliant writing.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kate Lockwood Msc Animal Manipulation, B.Ost Med Tel: +33 (0) 6 02 71 03 45 Facebook: Kate Lockwood Equi Lot
Cheers, Kate!
Congratulations. Love your books.
🙂
Congratulations on your award! I love your books, especially the black house series. Just finished A Silent Death which was also outstanding. Please keep writing.
Thanks, Ken.
Congratulations! Now get back to writing…your fans are waiting for your next masterpiece!
So well deserved !!! I have listened to all your books now & enjoyed all immensely. The Lewis Trilogy were outstanding.
Thank you, Caroline
What fun! And I love your dog’s name. 🤣
It describes his personality 🙂
Well deserved I just wish you could write 2 books a year, but then again they would become pot boilers. I will just be patient and wait
Again, well done
Cheers, Jim.
Well done Peter,congratulations. I have been “hooked” since stumbling upon “The Blackhouse” some years ago.I enjoy your writing style & the ability to interweave bits of history into many of your stories.Good to see that Enzo is “back in the saddle”. Best wishes & keep up the good work
Thanks, Terry!
Hi Peter
Just wanted to congratulate you on “The Night Gate”. I really enjoyed it as it provided wonderful descriptions of the area in France that I love the most as well as characters that seemed so real.
I have enjoyed all your books and especially like the descriptions of areas in your books of both Scotland and France, since they bring back memories as we are now living in Melbourne, and haven’t been able to get back to our Scottish homeland for a while,
Also thought you might like know that my father in law is Russell Galbraith, who I understand you know from your days at STV. Russell is well and splits his time between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Anyway, I look forward as ever, to your next book.
David Carnegie
Cheers, David. And say hi to Russell for me!
Congratulations, Peter: richly deserved!
Cheers, Derek.
Dear Mr. May;
I am a great admirer of your work and have read all of your works that take place in the Hebrides and also all of the Enzo Files, including the latest “The Night Gate” that I just finished reading. There is just a small detail that I wanted to ask: You mention a Christian Tyschen. I think that the name might be misspelled as I think that the historical figure is called Christian Tychsen. If there is a misunderstanding please excuse my message as I really enjoy your work and this is not meant as criticism but as help.
Kind regards
Felix Lehmann
Hi Felix, you are, of course, absolutely right. Tychsen is the correct spelling. I checked the proofs and there are four mentions of his name. One is correct, three are wrong. There is an additional mention in the acknowledgments which is also Incorrectly spelled. I am at a loss as to how to explain this. How it could be missed by the copy editor, proof reader AND myself is beyond me. Thank you for pointing it out, I will have it corrected in all future editions.
Thanks for your message, Peter, glad that I could be of a little help, it happens to the best of them ;-). Keep up the great work – my whole family loves your books on the Outer Hebrides; fascinating stories!
I love your work but can’t believe that in this day and age (I am 64 BTW) that you still say “lady doctor” in The Night Gate. Would you say “gentleman doctor”? If you need to make the point that she is a woman please find another way. She is a doctor. At worst a woman doctor. Seriously get rid of the constant sexism.
I was quite upset to wake up on a Sunday morning and look at my phone to discover someone who doesn’t know me describing me as sexist. Anyone who does, wouldn’t. If I’m guilty of anything, it’s being old-fashioned – like Enzo himself. You’re right, I wouldn’t refer to a “gentleman” doctor. “Male” would be my choice of adjective . The corollary would be “female” doctor. “Lady” doctor sounds more gentil to me, and is certainly what my mother would have said. But it’s certainly not worth of an accusation of “constant sexism”. I believe that both my wife and my “female” copy editor would have pulled me up short if they had thought that. Sadly, your comment bears out what I have learned in life – that those most easily offended are often the quickest to give offense. Fortunately, I am not easily offended.
You make my point by referring to what your mother would have said. Your mother lived in and through a different time, as did mine. We have fought hard in this current generation not to be called lady doctors.
And you miss mine.