Pinckley Prizes For Crime Fiction
The Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction was originally established as a project of the New Orleans Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association in 2012 to honor the memory of Diana Pinckley: a founding member of the New Orleans Chapter (1952-2012), a longtime crime fiction columnist for The New Orleans Time-Picayune, and her passion for mystery novels. Since 2014, the Prizes each year recognizes women authors in the crime fiction genre with a financial award of $2,500 in two categories:
The Pinckley Prize for Debut Novel annually recognizes a woman writer with a first-time published novel in adult crime fiction. The winner is selected by a panel of judges.
The Pinckley Prize for Distinguished Body of Work annually recognizes an established woman writer who has created a significant body of work in the adult crime fiction genre. The winner is nominated and selected by a jury of Committee members and Board members A celebratory awards event is normally scheduled in the spring of the following year.
In 2018, it was determined that the Prizes should function as an independent organization from the New Orleans Chapter. The Pinckley Prize Memorial Foundation was established that year and has worked as the administrators of the Prizes, since. For details on how to enter the contest as a debut author, please see How To Enter.
Diana Pinckley
January 11, 1952 - September 26, 2012
A native of Jamestown, Tenn., Diana Pinckley was an honors graduate of Duke University. She was the longtime director of University Relations at Tulane University; in 1993 she founded her own communications firm, Pinckley Inc. She devoted time and energy to such varied civic causes as Women of the Storm, the Edible Schoolyard, the Crescent City Farmers Market, and she was vice president of the board of the Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, which supports the New Orleans Charter Science & Mathematics High School. Her column about crime fiction, “Get a Clue!,” ran in The New Orleans Times-Picayune for 23 years.
“Diana loved mysteries, and she loved talking to the people who wrote them, especially in the panel discussions she frequently led during the annual Tennessee Williams Literary Festival,” said John Pope, her husband. “But she also enjoyed finding talented fledgling writers, and she strove in her columns to draw attention to them. I think the Pinckley Prizes will not only shine the spotlight on these authors but also help support them as they polish their craft."