Mystery Writers of America Launches Edgar® Awards Website
Site is the Exclusive Destination for All Things “Edgar”
New York, NY—February 15, 2007—

Mystery Writers of America (MWA), the premier organization for mystery writers and professionals allied to the crime writing field, today announced the launch of www.theedgars.com, the exclusive online destination for information about the Edgar Awards.

“This is the first time in the history of the Edgar Awards that individuals can go to one destination to find all of the information they would ever want about the awards and the various Edgar Week activities,” stated Daniel J. Hale, Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America. “The creation of www.theedgars.com is just one of the many steps that MWA is taking not only to make the Edgar Awards more accessible to the public, but also to raise the profile of the awards as a whole,” Hale added.

The Edgar Awards, or "Edgars," as they are commonly known, are named after Mystery Writers of America's patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are awarded to authors of distinguished work in various categories. The 2007 Edgar Awards Banquet will be held on April 26, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. At the 2007 Banquet, Stephen King will receive the Grand Master Award, the highest honor bestowed by MWA. Additionally, the event will be hosted by Al Roker of NBC’s Today Show

Included on the website is in-depth information about each of the 2007 Edgar Award nominees and their nominated works. Visitors to the site can also learn about and buy tickets for the Edgar Awards Banquet, where the winners will be announced in each of 12 categories. Additionally, www.theedgars.com includes a detailed overview of the Edgar Symposium, an entire day of top-notch panels featuring some of the most respected names in the mystery/crime fiction genre.

“One of the most important functions of the website is to inform visitors about the 2007 Edgar Symposium. The Symposium presents a rare yet invaluable opportunity for both published and non-published crime writers to come together and exchange information about strategies for all facets of writing and publishing,” said author PJ Parrish, who is producing and chairing the event. She continued, “Among others, this year’s Symposium features best-selling authors Nelson DeMille, Janet Evanovich, Harlan Coben, and our 2007 Grand Master Award recipient, Stephen King. We hope that the new website will be a vehicle by which we can attract both professional and novice writers to this year’s amazing Symposium workshops.”

About Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. MWA is dedicated to promoting higher regard for crime writing and recognition and respect for those who write within the genre. We provide scholarships for writers, sponsor MWA:Reads (our youth literacy program), organize symposia and conferences, present the Edgar Awards, and conduct other activities to further a better appreciation and higher regard for crime writing. With 11 chapters covering the 50 states, membership is open to the public, and you need not reside in the U.S. to join. MWA is a nonprofit organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. www.mysterywriters.org