The Edgar Awards are the most prestigious honor that is bestowed on the world’s mystery and crime writers. The awards are named for the master poet, writer and critic Edgar Allan Poe, who was first published in 1827.

Held annually and without all the fanfare of other awards programs, it allows some of the greatest living writers on the planet to come together for a night of celebration to honor some of Poe’s literary legatees.

Categories include novels, novelettes, short stories, plays, TV teleplays and motion picture screenplays.

This year its highest award, the Grand Master, will be given to Stuart Kaminsky. He is the author of over fifty novels, four textbooks on writing, five biographies and several short stories. He has been nominated for the Edgars on six different occassions and holds the distinction of being one of the organization’s past presidents.

The Edgar Awards ceremony will be at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on April 27, 2006.