Agatha Awards

The Agatha Awards honor traditional mysteries, the kind of crime fiction associated with Agatha Christie, built around a puzzle and a detective rather than graphic detail. Eligible books avoid explicit sex, excessive gore and gratuitous violence, and sit outside the hard-boiled tradition. The awards are presented by Malice Domestic, a volunteer-run fan convention held each year in the Washington, D.C., area, and have been given since the convention began in 1989.

Unlike juried prizes, the Agathas are chosen by readers. People registered for Malice nominate titles on a ballot sent out in January, the awards chair assembles a slate of up to five nominees per category, and the board confirms that each title fits. Attendees then vote at the convention, and the winners are announced at the Agatha Awards banquet. Current categories cover contemporary and historical novels, first novels, nonfiction, short stories, and mysteries for children and young adults.

Traditional mysteries without explicit sex, excessive gore or gratuitous violence, including novels, first novels, short stories, nonfiction and books for young readers. The Malice Domestic board confirms each nominee's category and publication dates.