Criminal Events at the British Library

An exhibition, Murder in the Library: An A-Z of Crime Fiction is due to start on 18 January 2013. More information on the exhibition can be found here. As part of the exhibition a number of other events have been lined up to run in tandem with the exhibition.

Real Crime, Real Fiction 21 January 2013.

Does the consumption of crime novels influence the way we read about real crime? Where does ‘true crime’, which takes its inspiration from actual events rather than mere imagination, fit in?  In this panel discussion, writers, curators and journalists explore the impact of real-life crimes on the writing and production of crime fiction, both on television and in print.

The Story of Crime Fiction – 8 February 2013

Mark Lawson, who recently wrote and presented BBC Radio 4 series Foreign Bodies: A History of Modern Europe Through Literary Detectives, is joined by a panel of leading crime fiction writers, including P D James, to discuss the history of the genre, their favourite classics and their own work. From mysteries and murder and from The Moonstone to Henning Mankell... 

The Female Detective – 8 March 2013

Britain's first-ever lady detective Miss Gladden appeared in The Female Detective published in 1864, where she exposed killers while concealing her own identity. Since then the female sleuth, from Agatha Christie's Miss Marple to Alexander McCall Smith's Mma Ramotswe, has captivated readers of crime fiction. But what is it about the female detective that makes her an icon of the genre? Join an esteemed panel of writers for an entertaining debate.

All the events start at 18:30 until 20:00 and are being held at the British Library. Further information (including how to buy tickets) can be found here.