Macavity Awards

The Macavity Award is an American literary prize for crime fiction. It is awarded by the Mystery Readers International ( MRI), a resident of the U.S. Open Association of Police fans and readers worldwide. Prizes will be awarded annually since 1987, works in four, and since 2006 in five categories. The selection of winners is made by the members of Mystery Readers International.

The ceremony takes place every year in the fall on the biggest crime festival in the U.S., the Bouchercon instead. Named the price is after a character in the humorous collection of poems Old Possum 's Book for Practical Cats by TS Eliot, who had been also a template for the musical Cats. Macavity is the name of the "Gangster Cat" who repeatedly escapes persecution by Scotland Yard.

Current categories

Best Novel - Best Mystery Novel

1 = publisher and yearly data refer to the original and German editions

Best First Novel - Best First Mystery Novel

1 = publisher and yearly data refer to the original and German editions 2 = appeared under the pseudonym Janice Young Brooks

Best Short Story - Best Mystery Short Story

EQMM = Ellery Queen 's Mystery Magazine | AHMM = Alfred Hitchcock 's Mystery Magazine

Best historical crime novel - Sue spring Memorial Historical Mystery Award

In memory of the deceased on 9 September 2005 Editor, critic and founder of the American Historical Mystery Appreciation Society ( HMAS ), Sue spring, awarded the MRI since 2006 with a prize: The best historical crime is the Memorial Historical Mystery Award Sue spring excellent.

1 = publisher and yearly data refer to the original and German editions

Best biographical or critical nonfiction - Best Mystery Nonfiction

( The award was until 2004 under the title of Best Bio / Critical Mystery Work awarded )