Stratford author nominated for Arthur Ellis Award

Stratford author Leslie Watts was announced Thursday as a nominee for a 2008 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story in crime fiction.

The nominated short story, published in the Kingston Whig-Standard on July 7, 2007, takes the reader into the world of a little girl with Turner's Syndrome, whose life is touched by a shocking murder.

Nominated author Leslie Watts has illustrated 12 books for children, three of which she wrote herself. She was a scriptwriter for CTV's The Eleventh Hour for three seasons. She won an Arthur Ellis Award in 2005 for her short story Crocodile Tears.

The 2008 award winners will be announced in Toronto on June 5 at the Downtown Eaton Centre Marriott Hotel.

This year is the 25th year for the awards, considered by many as the premier award for excellence in the crime genre.

The Crime Writers of Canada is a national organization for Canadian crime writers, associated professionals, and fans of Canadian crime writing. In addition to the Arthur Ellis Awards, the CWC publishes a quarterly newsletter, Fingerprints, and hosts a series of popular literary events.