Mystery Writers of America is a United States literary society founded in 1945 to support and advocate for writers of mystery and crime fiction. It administers the Edgar Awards, the genre’s most recognized annual prizes, and maintains a membership of more than 3,000 Active, Associate, and Affiliate members drawn from across the United States and beyond. Four writers launched the organization together: Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. From that single founding year, MWA grew into one of the largest genre-specific professional writers’ organizations in the country.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- Founded: 1945
- Type: literary society
- Website: http://www.mysterywriters.org/
Origins and Founding
MWA came into being in 1945, shaped in part by the example of the Detection Club of London. Unlike the Detection Club, whose membership was selective and invitation-based, MWA opened its doors to any writer published in the mystery genre, a deliberate choice that helped the organization expand its reach from the start.
The four principal founders brought distinct strengths to the enterprise. Clayton Rawson, a mystery writer and amateur magician, coined the organization’s motto, named its first newsletter, and edited its early issues. Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday each brought established careers in the genre. Together, they set the tone for what MWA would become over the following decades.
Membership Structure
MWA organizes its members into five categories. Active membership is open to professional published writers working in the genre. Associate membership covers allied professionals: agents, editors, and librarians, among others. Affiliate membership is available to aspiring or unpublished writers and fans. Corresponding membership serves members who reside outside the United States. Finally, Student membership is a reduced-dues category for Affiliate members between the ages of 18 and 26.
The organization’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter, covering the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, was founded in 2003 and is the newest of MWA’s regional chapters.
The Edgar Awards
MWA’s most visible contribution to the mystery genre is the annual Edgar Awards, which honor the best mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television produced in a given year. The awards are named for Edgar Allan Poe, whose influence on detective and crime fiction is foundational. The Grand Master Award, which MWA’s board confers to recognize the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing, was first given in 1955, to Agatha Christie.
The Ellery Queen Award, established in 1983, recognizes outstanding writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry, honoring contributions that extend beyond writing alone.
The 80th Annual Edgar Awards ceremony was held on April 29, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel in New York City, honoring work published or produced in 2025. The 2026 Grand Master Award was presented to Donna Andrews and Lee Child. At the same ceremony, MWA announced its inaugural Hall of Fame, inducting ten figures central to the history of the genre: Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Anna Katharine Green, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Dorothy L. Sayers, Dashiell Hammett, S.S. Van Dine, and Raymond Chandler.
Archives and Institutional Record
The bulk of MWA’s historical library collection and office files from its first forty years are held at the Lilly Library at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The archive spans materials from 1945 to 2019, giving researchers access to a broad sweep of the organization’s internal life.
Within that collection sit more than 800 books and periodicals from the organization’s own library, including volumes nominated for and selected as Edgar Award winners across many decades. Together, these materials form a detailed record of how genre fiction was evaluated, debated, and celebrated inside the organization that has long defined its professional standards.
Did you know
- The organization’s motto, “Crime Does Not Pay – Enough,” was coined in 1945 by co-founder Clayton Rawson. Rawson was a mystery writer and amateur magician who also named MWA’s first newsletter “The Third Degree” and served as its first editor. (mysteriouspress.com)
- The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of MWA, covering the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, was founded in 2003, making it the organization’s newest chapter. (mwa-ma.org)
- The MWA archives at the Lilly Library at Indiana University contain more than 800 books and periodicals from the organization’s own library, including books nominated for and selected as Edgar Award winners across many decades. (libraries.indiana.edu)
- MWA membership numbers more than 3,000 Active, Associate, and Affiliate members internationally, placing it among the largest genre-specific professional writers’ organizations in the United States. (mwanorcal.org)
- The 2025 Edgar Awards ceremony, held on May 1, 2025, in New York City, recognized Laura Lippman and John Sandford as that year’s Grand Masters. MWA first conferred the Grand Master honor in 1955, awarding it to Agatha Christie. (kirkusreviews.com)
- The 2026 MWA Hall of Fame inductees, announced at the 80th Edgar Awards in April 2026, were Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Anna Katharine Green, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Dorothy L. Sayers, Dashiell Hammett, S.S. Van Dine, and Raymond Chandler. (publishersweekly.com)
Data sources
Data updated: 2026-10-30