The Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is a professional organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City.
The organization was founded in 1945 by <a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1080559A/" target="_blank">Clayton Rawson</a>, <a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1197683A" target="_blank">Anthony Boucher</a>, <a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL406798A" target="_blank">Lawrence Treat</a>, and <a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL2180760A/" target="_blank">Brett Halliday</a>.
It presents the **Edgar Award**, a small bust of Edgar Allan Poe, to mystery or crime writers every year. It presents the **Raven Award** to non-writers who contribute to the mystery genre. The category of Best Juvenile Mystery is also part of the Edgar Award, with such notable recipients as <a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL25649A" target="_blank">Barbara Brooks Wallace</a> having won the honor twice for ***The Twin in the Tavern*** in 1994 and ***Sparrows in the Scullery*** in 1998, and <a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL514471A" target="_blank">Tony Abbott</a> for his novel ***The Postcard*** in 2009.
<a href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL465130A" target="_blank">John Dickson Carr</a>, who also served as president of the MWA, won a Grand Master Award in 1949 and 1962.