A star cast of crime writers has been confirmed for Noirwich
as the festival returns to celebrate its fifth year from 13- 16 September 2018.
The event brings together crime-writing giants Val McDermid, Nicci French,
Paula Hawkins and Elizabeth Hayes, alongside panels celebrating killer debuts
and cutting edge writing from across the genre.
Organised by the National Centre for Writing and the
University of East Anglia (UEA), the events form part of a city-wide
celebration of activities in Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of
literature. The long weekend is also set to include writing workshops, crime
themed cocktails and a murder mystery musical from new Poirot novelist Sophie
Hannah.
Kick starting Noirwich 2018 are married couple Nicci French,
who will celebrate their 21-year crime writing career discussing Day of the
Dead, the much anticipated finale to their Freida Klein series. Queen of Crime
Val McDermid will deliver a talk on violence and gender within the genre for
this year’s Noirwich Lecture sponsored by The Times and The Sunday Times Crime
Club; acclaimed literary novelist John Banville will discuss his double life as
crime fiction writer Benjamin Black; and global sensations Paula Hawkins and
Ruth Ware will be in conversation about their chart topping thrillers.
Not-to-be missed events also include an insightful session
with experts from UEA who will explain the facts behind fingerprints, forensics
and postmortem evidence; a spellbinding hour on witchcraft and superstition
with authors Syd Moore, Cathi Unsworth and Roz Watkins; an in-conversation with
novelist and screenwriter Robert Thorogood about his BBC One hit Death in
Paradise; and a panel on books to screen with Sarah Pinborough, Jane Lythell
and Matt Wesolowski.
Avid crime readers can enjoy the best new and cutting edge
work the genre has offer, as the festival showcases upcoming, debut and
boundary-pushing authors. UEA’s MA Crime Fiction graduates will launch their
anthology Postmortem at local pub The
Murderers; Amer Anwar, Claire Askew and Stuart Turton will discuss their
distinguished debuts; and Leo Benedictus, Jacob Ross and Louise Welsh will talk
about their recent work and creating something new in the genre. The festival
will conclude with a fun hour of readings to celebrate its fifth birthday
headlined by New York Times bestseller Elizabeth Hayes.
Chris Gribble, Festival Co-Director and Chief Executive of
the National Centre for Writing, said: “Crime
fiction is phenomenally popular and has become the UK’s top selling fictional
genre this year- beating all others put together. Noirwich is a wonderful
celebration that brings people from far and wide to our UNESCO City of
Literature for a four-day spectacular of the most exciting and diverse crime
writing that the world has to offer.”
Henry Sutton, Festival Co-Director and Senior Lecturer in
Creative Writing at the UEA added: “Noirwich
is at the cutting edge of the most exciting, dynamic and popular literary and
filmic genre in the world. But it’s so much more as well; it’s a place for
great, timely and entertaining discussions in the friendliest of environments.
Meet the people who shape imaginations and who can make you laugh. Crime
writers know how to have fun.”
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival draws on its setting as a
site of significant cultural heritage to offer a unique city-wide experience,
with events and fringe activities complementing Norwich’s existing local
attractions. Between panels, visitors can discover local food with a crime
twist, follow the city’s crime and punishment walking tour, stay at Agatha
Christie’s favourite hotel, browse one of Margaret Atwood’s favourite bookshops
(The Book Hive) or take a trip to the dungeons at the medieval Norwich castle.
No comments:
Post a Comment