Mystery Writers of America announces establishment of Lilian Jackson Braun Cozy Mystery Award. For the best full-length, contemporary cozy mystery published by an MWA-approved publisher. The annual award comes with a $2,000 prize thanks to an endowment to MWA by the late Lilian Jackson Braun, author of The Cat Who mysteries, who died in 2011 at the age of 97.
Cozy mysteries depend on plot, characters, and setting rather than murder on the page. The books feature amateurs who are vested in solving the crime, usually a murder, either because they or a friend or relative is the main suspect. Hobbies or occupations are often a feature (knitting, quilting, cupcake shop, furniture refinishing) as well as pets. Braun’s Siamese cat characters, Koko and Yum Yum were as popular, if not more, than her main character Jim Qwilleran.