In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Jo Callaghan

 Name:- Jo Callaghan

Job:- Author and senior strategist 

Instagram:- @Jocallaghankat

Introduction:

Jo Callaghan is the author of four books in the Kat and Lock series. Her debut novel In The Blink of an Eye was published in 2023 and won the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year in 2024. It was shortlisted for CrimeFest Debut novel and the Barry Award for Best First Novel. Human Remains the third book in the Kit and Lock series was longlisted for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year Award in 2026. Her most recent novel is Body Of Lies which is the final book in the Kat and Lock series.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both) 

I have just finished The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven is one of my favourite books) and I have just started Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan. I am consuming a lot of non-fiction books and podcasts at the moment to help with the novel I am currently writing, which is taking me into the world of Quantum Physics and elite athletics. I know nothing about either, but both are absolutely fascinating, so I am having a ball!

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers? 

To be honest, I don’t accept the term ‘anti-heroes’ as it relies upon a false, binary premise that people are either heroes or anti-heroes, when in reality, we are all both. I think readers and viewers are fascinated by so-called ‘anti-heroes’ as they are more complex, rounded characters that reveal more about humanity and ourselves.

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why? 

Hmm. I think most so-called ‘anti-heroes’ tend to have huge egos and personalities, so if I wanted the evening to be fun and enjoyable I would only invite one, with maybe another quiet, non-assuming person who would listen in awe. I am struggling to choose between Tony Soprano and Tommy Shelby, so I think I will invite them both but on separate days. I think Tony would help with the cooking, and Tommy could help with the washing up.

How do you relax? 

The truth is I don’t. It is something that I really struggle with. I work full-time in a very pressured job and there is usually a lot going on at home too. I think reading a really good book in the sun is the most relaxing thing I do – but it is all too rare. Writing is also a type of relaxation to me, as I can be so completely immersed in the next word, the next sentence that it shuts everything else out – I suspect this is what other people get from running or yoga. But conversely, the plot and characters keep me awake at night!

Which anti hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation.

Depends on the situation! If it was physically dangerous, then I’m going for Tommy Shelby again as he could probably prevent any violence with just the sheer force of his barely controlled rage. He is also very clever, so I am sure we could concoct a strategy whereby no one gets hurt, but ultimately, we still win.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero where would you set it and why? 

We are all anti-heroes as well as heroes and novels are a way of holding the mirror up to humanity and ourselves. So, they could be set anywhere. But my stories are often high-concept, so I try and ground them in reality, which is why they are set in the Midlands where I am from.

How would you describe your latest published book? 

It is called Body of Lies, and it’s the fourth and FINAL book in the Kat and Lock series, which pairs the lead – DCS Kat Frank with AI Detective, AIDE Lock. It opens on Halloween, with a local MP found murdered on medieval stocks with a taunting message written in binary code that seems to target Kat and Lock: catch me if you can. Like all good crime novels, my series explores what it means to be human, and the question at the heart of my books is, how much can AI learn, and what happens when it does? I hope I provide an answer of sorts in this fourth and final instalment…

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-heroes theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes: 

Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Tommy Shelby (Peaky Blinders)

Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why.

The best TV series are the ones that get better the more you watch them. I have watched Breaking Bad and Peaky Blinders 3 times, and I am currently re-watching Widow’s Bay – Tom Loftis might be my new favourite ‘anti-hero’!

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's? 

I have never been before, so don’t quite know what to expect (and I’m a bit nervous about it to be honest). But I am looking forward to seeing other writers who have become friends, and I expect to learn a lot from listening to all the other talks. That is the best thing about crime festivals: most crime writers are intellectually and emotionally curious people and we are constantly trying to learn and improve our craft. I have already learnt a lot just preparing for my own talk, so I am looking forward to an emotionally uplifting and intellectually stimulating weekend – if that doesn’t make me sound too swotty! 

Bodies of Lies by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster)

Human suspicion. AI manipulation. When truth can be rewritten, who can you trust? DCS Kat Frank is back at the Future Policing Unit after a devastating loss - and straight into her most disturbing case yet. On Halloween night, a local MP is found murdered. Beside the body is a taunting message in binary code, aimed directly at Kat: Catch me if you can. The victim was a vocal opponent of AI. The motive looks political. But as Kat investigates with her partner, AIDE Lock - the world’s first AI detective - the case spirals into something far more dangerous. Then a cyberattack takes down the National Grid. With the country in chaos and lives on the line, Kat and Lock must track a killer who is always one step ahead. But in a world of deepfakes, deception and digital ghosts, instinct is no longer enough. Kat must decide whether to trust the one thing she still fears most: her AI partner. Because this time, Lock may not just be solving the case. He may be changing what it means to be human. Can Kat stop a killer before the lights go out for good?

Information about programme and ticket sales including on line tickets can be found here.

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In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Sarah Vaughan

Name: - Sarah Vaughan

Job: - Author

Website: - https://www.sarahvaughanauthor.com

Instagram: - @svaughanauthor

Facebook: - @Sarah Vaughan Author

Introduction: -

Sarah Vaughan is a former journalist turned author.  Her first two novels are women’s fiction. Her first political thriller Anatomy of a Scandal was published in 2018 and was a Sunday Times bestseller and is now a global Netflix limited series. Her second crime book Little Disasters was published in 2020 and was shown in May 2025 on Paramount Plus. Reputation has been optioned by the team behind Anatomy of a Scandal. Her most recent book is entitled Based on a True Story.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

I’ve just read Sabine Durrant’s superb Dead Heat which features an unreliable narrator anti-hero and has really Ripley and Gatsby vibes.  As with her Lie With Me, she is excellent at capturing the precariousness of being an outsider and the oppressiveness of Greek heat.

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers?

I think we love a psychological puzzle. No one wants to read about an anodyne character: we want to know what motivates deeply flawed, even villainous, characters. And when they’re extreme – and criminal – they make us feel better about ourselves.

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why?

Tom Ripley and Iago. Think of their waspishness. Thankfully I don’t smoke, so I don’t possess an ash tray.

How do you relax?

A bit of a cliché but “getting out in nature”. In an ideal world, that means walking on a Cornish cliff. Day to day, it’s walking my dog Olive in the fields near my home. Sitting at a desk all day is terrible for one’s posture and I feel scratchy if I don’t get out first thing. Swimming – which I don’t do enough of; holidays; meals with family and friends; reading in bed. Having said that, I’m currently finishing a book so feel a constant low thrum of anxiety.

Which anti-hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation.

The one with the least scruples.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero, where would you set it and why?

I love London and think it lends itself brilliantly to anti-heroes: think of the potential for deception, for getting deliberately lost, and to reinvention. But my son’s about to go off to university in the north-east and I’m looking forward to exploring Northumberland (I can’t keep setting books in north Cornwall.) It feels remote and beautiful.

How would you describe your latest published book?

Based on a True Story is a feminised King Lear about power lies and family narratives which starts with a body found on a storm-lashed north Cornwall beach. Famed children’s author Dame Eleanor Kingman has gathered family and friends to celebrate her 70^th birthday and her latest number one bestseller. But someone’s been sending emails threatening to expose a secret she’s kept for half a century. With a TV documentary crew arriving to film a retrospective, can she unearth her nemesis and maintain the fiction on which her multi-million-pound career depends?

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-hero’s theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes?

At the risk of being horribly unoriginal: Ripley, Iago, Moriarty.

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why?

I adore Succession. How many anti-heroes does it have? Not just Logan Roy and his kids but the like of Lukas Matsson (played by Alexander Skarsgard) who sends frozen bricks of his blood to an employee with whom he’d been involved.

I’ve just watched The Beast in Me. Matthew Rhys’ Nile Jarvis is not so much an anti-hero as a psychopath and is horribly compelling.

Talking of Alexander Skarsgard, he also excelled at being charming and then toxic in Big Little Lies (where he is not so much anti-hero as outright villain.)

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

Writing’s such a solitary job and I thrived best, career-wise, when I worked in a cramped lobby room: I miss the banter of fellow journalists, so I’m giddy about being with other writers for a weekend. And, having spent three gorgeous years at Oxford, I’m looking forward to pretending I live there again. I used to plod round Christ Church meadow so might even manage that.

Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan (Simon & Schuster Ltd)

All families have secrets. But it's the lies that can kill. A lavish 70th birthday party. A body found on a storm-lashed beach. And a secret that someone is dying to tell...  Famed children’s author Dame Eleanor Kingman has summoned her family and friends to her exquisite manor house on the cliffs. They're celebrating her birthday – and her latest number one bestseller in her series of books based on a mother fox and her cubs. But the night before the party, Eleanor receives an email: an email that threatens to expose the lie she’s kept up for over half a century. Someone knows her secret. Is it her estranged literary agent? Is it her ex-husband, to whom she no longer speaks? Is it the nanny she fired all those years ago, who always did have a knack for storytelling? Or is it one of her three daughters, all of whom have a stake in the publishing empire she has built... With a TV crew arriving to film a documentary of her life, Eleanor needs to find out who sent the email – and preserve her multimillion-pound career. But when push comes to shove, and it's time to tell the truth - will anyone actually believe her?

 More information about St Hilda's and how to purchase online tickets can be found here.

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In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Abigail Dean

 Name:- Abigail Dean

Job:- Author 

Website:- https://www.abigail-dean.com

Instagram- @AbigailSDean.

Introduction

Abigail Dean is a former lawyer turned author. She is the author of three books. Her debut novel Girl A was published in 2021 and was a SundayTimes and New York Times bestseller. She was one of the Observer's best new novelists in 2021, and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize, Good Housekeeping Futures Award in 2022. Girl A won the inaugural Fingerprint Debut novel in 2022 and the CrimeFest E-dunnit Award. It was also shortlisted for the Barry Award, The British Book Award Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, Crimefest Sounds of Crime Award and Debut Novel, ITW (International Thrillers Award) and Macavity Award for Best First Novel, and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Her second book Day One was published in 2024.

Her third and most recent novel The Death of Us won the 2026 CWA Gold Dagger, was shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and was longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and the CWA Twisted Dagger. The Death of Us was a book of the year in The Times, the Guardian, Good Housekeeping and iPaper, and film rights have sold at auction.  

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both) 

I’m editing my fourth novel, which tells the story of a little boy who disappears from his bed in 1970, the youngest son of a famous Cambridge scholar. We see his family and the investigators every five years as they change, age – and search. 

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers 

I don’t think our interest in anti-heroes can be separated from our interest in good characters more generally. Characters who are purely bad can be great fun – I’m thinking of the vast majority of Bond villains – but those who harbour questionable motivations or are forced into heroism against their will are much more human and relatable.

How do you relax? 

I run, read, and watch films and TV. 

Which anti hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation. 

I’ll take Amy Dunne from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, who seems capable of manipulating, lying or murdering her way out of any situation.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero where would you set it and why? 

I would take inspiration from Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley and set it in an Italian coastal town. Months of research would surely be required.

How would you describe your latest published book? 

The Death of Us follows a young couple who are the victims of a terrible home invasion - and asks what romance can endure. It’s a love story interrupted by a crime novel. 

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-heroes theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes 

I love Jessica Jones, Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell, and Tony Soprano.

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why. I’ve been rewatching a few in preparation for my talk! I’ll always be happy to revisit The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Slow Horses.

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's? 

Everybody else’s talks! There are a whole bunch of great, inspiring speakers, and I’m looking forward to stealing all of their wisdom.

The Death of us by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins Publishers)

It’s the story everyone wants to hear. That spring night in South London, when Isabel and Edward’s lives were torn apart. The night Isabel learned that the worst things wait, just outside the door. The night Edward learned that he was powerless to stop them. The night they never talk about. When their attacker is caught, it's finally time to tell the story of that night. Not to the world. Or to the man who did it. But to each other. This is a story of murder. This is a story of survival. But most of all, this is a story of love.

More information about St Hilda's and how to purchase online tickets can be found here.

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In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Martyn Waites

Name: - Martyn Waites (AKA C.B Everett)

Job: - Author

Introduction: -

Martyn Waites is the author of the Stephen Larkin, Joe Donovan and Tom Killgannon series. In 2006 the first book in his Joe Donovan series The Mercy Seat was shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel dagger. Under the pseudonym Tania Carver he wrote eight books in the Brennan and Esposito series. The first book in the series Little Bones was shortlisted in 2010 for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2013, he was chosen to write Angel of Death, the official sequel to Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black. In 2014 he received the Grand Prix du Roman Noir Award for his novel Born Under Punches which was the fourth book in his Stephen Larkin Series.

Under the name C B Everett, he is currently the author of two books. The most recent being The Final Chapter.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

The current one for writing is the new CB Everett, Destroying Angels, which I’ve just finished. Literally, just. And for reading: Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay which is absolutely fantastic.

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers?

In the same way that villains are always popular (certainly with actors, much more fun to play), anti-heroes appeal to the side of human nature that lets us get away with things, with not being hidebound by sticking to the rules. They may do the right thing, but it’ll usually be for the wrong reasons. They’re not big on altruism. 

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why?

Hannibal Lector, as long as he wasn’t doing the cooking, and Dexter from Jeff Lindsay’s novels and the TV series. I reckon I’d be safe with them and if Hannibal was bringing the wine, I’d know I’d be drinking something good.

How do you relax?

 How do I what? That’s like being asked what hobbies I have. None. Everything I do is for work, or can be construed to be for work. Reading? Work. Watching a film or TV? Work. Going for a bike ride? Work, if it’s helping me think about writing. The only thing I do that could be classed as relaxing is making models because that uses a different part of the brain and recharges you. Ready to work. 

Which anti hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation?

Again, probably Hannibal Lector. He has immaculate manners so if I were to point out that someone was being disrespectful then he would have them. I’d probably feel safe with him.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero where would you set it and why?

Already have. See below.

How would you describe your latest published book?

It’s The Final Chapter by my new pseudonym CB Everett. In the words of The Guardian, it’s ‘a metafictional tour de force’. A new novel has appeared by a hugely successful writer who disappeared fifteen years ago.  The writer wants his old friend, CB Everett, to edit the book and make notes. Everett soon realises that the novel contains clues as to where the writer is now and what happened to him. It’s a novel within a novel and brilliant fun to read.

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-heroes theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes?

Well, since I’m writing about them I’ve got to include George Harvey Bone from Patrick Hamilton’s Hangover Square and Mr Gorse from Patrick Hamilton’s Gorse Trilogy. Third? Probably Dexter again.

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why?

This will come as no surprise, but Hannibal and Dexter (obviously) and The Shield featuring Michael Chiklis as corrupt cop Vic Mackey. It’s kind of slipped off the radar now but it’s one of the best TV series ever made. I’m due a rewatch.

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

Having a laugh with my mates!

The Final Chapter by C.B Everett (Simon & Schuster)

A missing author. A lost manuscript. A final chapter that could reveal the truth. Ten years ago, bestselling literary novelist Jonathan Durward vanished without a trace - leaving behind no body, no answers, and no final book. Now that missing manuscript has finally surfaced. But it isn’t the masterpiece anyone expected. It’s a spy novel: pulpy, outlandish, and packed with clichés, tradecraft and Bond-style twists. Jonathan’s former publisher asks his closest friend, fellow author C. B. Everett, to annotate the novel and separate fact from fiction. But as C. B. reads, he begins to spot unsettling echoes of real people, real events - and perhaps the truth about Jonathan’s disappearance. Because hidden inside this strange, slippery thriller may be a confession. Or a clue. Or a trap. As C. B. is drawn deeper into the mystery, one question becomes impossible to ignore: did Jonathan vanish - or was he written out of the story?

Information about programme, and ticket sales including online tickets can be found here.

Over on Instagram there is a chance to win a pair of online tickets. Information can be found here.

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In the St Hilda's Spotlight - Hallie Rubenhold

 Name:- Hallie Rubenhold

 Job:- Historian, author and historical adviser for period drama.

 Website:- https://www.hallierubenhold.com

 X:- @HallieRubenhold

 Instagram:- @hallierubenhold

 Facebook:- @HallieRubenholdBooks

Introduction:- Hallie Rubenhold is the author of eight books.  Her 2019 book The Five which told the story about the lives of the women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper won the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction, was the Hay Festival Book of the Year. It was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize, the CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger, the HWA (Historical Writers Association) Crown for non-fiction, the Agatha Award for Non-Fiction and the Anthony Award for Non-Fiction. Her 2025 book Story of a Murder which examines the historical true crime story of Dr Crippen and how he was brought to justice won the Clue Award for True Crime Book of the year and was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

At the moment I'm immersed in Said The Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa. What a ride! This is a work of experimental non-fiction about the author's relationship to those who once lived in a now derelict asylum in Cork. What she writes about communing with the dead through documents in the archives has given me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. 

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers?

Anti-heroes remind us that people are never entirely good or bad. It pleases us to believe in binaries, but history has taught me that human beings are complicated, contradictory and often shaped by circumstance. We are drawn to anti-heroes because they force us to wrestle with uncomfortable questions about morality, justice and empathy.

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why?

I'm not sure having a pair of enemies at my table would make for an enjoyable evening! The tension would be terrible and I doubt I'd learn anything about either of them, because people rarely drop their guard when they're in the presence of others they don't trust. Having said that, I would have loved to have met Ethel Le Neve, Dr Crippen's mistress and accomplice - and maybe to get her into the same room as Belle Elmore, Crippen's wife (and future victim). Watching Ethel squirm would be fascinating.

 How do you relax?

I try to take a walk every day, no matter what the weather. As a writer, it's so necessary to step away from the computer and to engage with the physical world. Holidays are also essential. I rarely go on holiday in the UK because I always end up working! There is something about going somewhere culturally different that takes me out of my life and allows me to switch off. 

Which anti-hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation?

Daenerys Targaryen (who is the main fictional character in George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire and the TV adaptation Game of Thrones).

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero, where would you set it and why?

I'm dying to write a novel set in the American frontier. I'm so fascinated by what the harsh and relentless environment did to people. Those who went west in the 19th century were shaped by a very conservative, Victorian set of values and it fascinates me to see what happened when those very rigid ideologies were tested by the need to survive. Suddenly women weren't just subservient wives and mothers, they had to pull ploughs, build log cabins, trudge miles through sub-zero temperatures. People had to drop their prejudices when they had to cooperate with neighbours who didn't speak their language or share their culture, yet doing that often caused an internal struggle. These are the very conditions that create anti-heroes and force characters to evolve, for better or for worse. 

How would you describe your latest published book?

Story of a Murder is the true story behind one of Britain's most notorious crimes: the Crippen case. Rather than retelling it in the familiar way, which either centres the murderer or the detective who caught him, I broaden the lens and examine the lives of the people caught up in the case. As is the case with every crime and every trial, everyone has a version of events. I've approached writing the book as a historian approaches an episode in the past - I've interrogated everything, peeled back every layer and as a result seen things that others who have previously written about the case haven't.

With Bad Apples: crime fiction's enemies and anti-heroes theme at St Hilda's this year, who are your three favourite anti-heroes?

I think any woman who has ever held a position of power has been framed as an anti-hero, from Medieval queens to Nell Gwynn, to Theresa May! Women are not supposed to be outspoken, cunning or too clever. I'm not sure I can really choose from among them - but any woman in the past who has struggled to get by, made difficult and possibly even ruthless choices in the face of her own survival is someone who fascinates me.

Which three films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why?

Succession - this is the ultimate anti-hero watch! The Roys are all so unpleasant, but each of them seems to find a way to do something redemptive at some point, even if it is only for a brief moment.

White Lotus- Like Succession, this is one of my favourite series. The complexities of these characters makes me come back for more every time. Some characters are more detestable than others, but no one in any of the three seasons is perfect. Somehow acknowledging their flaws makes it all feel more real and also more entertaining.

Game of Thrones - Extraordinary plotting and character development aside, I feel this is one of the best depictions of the pre-modern world ever to make it to the screen! Even though it's pure fantasy, all of the structures, roles and rules of the past have been perfectly recreated. It really allows us to understand and empathise with the circumstances that make characters appear 'bad'. 

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

Festivals are wonderful because they bring together readers, writers and ideas in equal measure. I'm particularly looking forward to discussing the complexities of crime writing with fellow authors, hearing fresh perspectives on anti-heroes, and, perhaps most of all, meeting readers. Those conversations are often the highlight of any festival.

Story of a Murder: The Wives, The Mistress and Dr Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold. (Transworld Publishers Ltd)

On 1 February, 1910, vivacious music-hall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.

They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen. Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?

Information about programme and ticket sales including on line tickets can be found here.

Over on Instagram there is a chance to win a pair of online tickets. Information can be found here.

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Photo © Sarah Blackie

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Simon Mason

Name:- Simon Mason

Job:- Author

Introduction: Simon Mason is the author of Juvenile and adult fiction. His 2022 novel A Killing in Novemberwhich was the first in his D I Wilkins series set in New Hinksey, Oxford was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the month along with the second book in the series The Broken Afternoon (2023). In 2024 Missing Person: Alice the first in the Finder series was published. He also commissioned Barry Forshaw to edit the excellent and prize-winning two volume Encyclopedia of British Crime Writing (2009). His most recent book is The Dangerous Stranger (2026) the sixth book in his D I Wilkins series.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

I’ve belatedly discovered Daniel Kehlmann, the astonishingly entertaining but erudite German writer, whose novels Tyll – featuring the eponymous folkloric trickster at large during the seventeenth-century wars of religion – and The Director – based on the life of Expressionist cinema director P. W. Pabst – have been my most thought-provoking and fun reads this year. 

Why do you think anti-heroes are so interesting to readers

We’re all anti-heroes, I think that’s it; and as we connect with that fact through reading about them, it produces in us all the most profound emotions: shame, excitement, fear, anger, guilt and so on.

Which two anti-heroes or enemies would you invite to dinner and why?

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (squabbling friends rather than enemies, and funny).

How do you relax?

I watch quite a lot of boring television, to be fair.

Which anti hero would you like to be on your side in a difficult situation.

Long John Silver. It’s important, when you get into those little jams, to have a stone-cold killer at your side.

If you were to write a book involving an anti-hero where would you set it and why?

I’ve always wanted to write a novel about the famously bad-tempered Sheffield United goalkeeper Fatty Foulkes of the early 1900s.

How would you describe your latest published book?

A bugger to write. I’ve been told not to keep saying that. So . . . adventures of a detective pantomime horse.

With Bad Apples: crime fiction’s enemies and anti-heroes theme at St Hilda's this year, who are you three favourite anti-heroes

Brer Rabbit, Becky Sharp and the aforementioned Long John Silver.

Which 3 films or television series featuring anti-heroes would you rewatch and why.

Matt Damon’s Ripley (at least partly for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Freddie Miles); the 1998 TV version of Vanity Fair (for Natasha Little’s Becky Sharp); Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (for them).

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

Company.

The Dangerous Stranger by Simon Mason (Quercus Publishing)

On a warm and pleasant evening in Oxford, gentle city of poets and scholars, rioters outside a hotel full of asylum seekers set a young refugee on fire. The city - the country - convulses in shock. Is this who we are? It's international news of the very worst kind, and the Chief Constable demands immediate and exemplary action in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The detectives leading the investigation fill him with misgivings, however: DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), Thames Valley's detective pantomime horse, one Oxford-educated, the other Oxford-trailer park. He doesn't understand why they work together. 'Do they even get on?' 'Somehow that doesn't seem necessary,' their Superintendent replies. Who burned the boy alive? Was it a far-right extremist? Was it an ordinary person who had simply gone along to watch and got caught up in the emotion? Could it even be one of the children who were there? Deploying a range of investigative skills, some standard, some unconventional and some frankly nuts, the Wilkinses do what they do: results with chaos. But when they discover that the victim was not an asylum seeker after all, or even a resident of the hotel, the whole investigation kicks into a completely different configuration. 

Information about programme and ticket sales including on line tickets can be found here.

Over on Instagram there is a chance to win a pair of online tickets. Information can be found here.

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Simon Mason on The Dangerous Man

The Dangerous Stranger is the fifth story in a series featuring a pair of mis-matched detectives in Oxford, both called Wilkins. Ryan Wilkins is Oxford born and bred, white, a chav who grew up on what the Americans would call a ‘trailer park,’ badly dressed, badly behaved, semi-feral in fact, with a chip on his shoulder and anger-management issues generally brought into play by encounters with privileged elites. Ray Wilkins is a member of the privileged elites, London-Nigerian, privately educated with a double first in PPE from Balliol College, Oxford, handsome, nattily dressed, articulate and suave, the golden boy of Thames Valley Police – until, much against his will, he was paired with Ryan. They are not related. They do not get on.

Oddly, what they get are results.

This new story is a thought-experiment. What if Oxford – gentle city of poets and scholars – had experienced a riot, as so many cities in the UK did, after the Southport murders? An out-of-control crowd lobbing Molotov cocktails at a hotel housing asylum seekers. And also: what if a young refugee was actually burned to death? (It’s an Oxford tradition, after all, if in abeyance for many centuries and formerly restricted to Jews and archbishops.) And furthermore: what if the victim then turned out not to be a refugee at all?

Perhaps it sounds very political. But the impulse wasn’t to discuss politics; the story seemed to arise naturally out of the anger and fear. There is action, for sure, but as Chandler said, what counts is emotion; and it seemed to me that there were unusual amounts of this arising, unstoppably, chaotically, from the basic situation I imagined.

This emotion affects all the characters, in different ways. Because it’s the fifth book in a series, some of the characters have naturally been around for a while. Little Ryan, for instance, Ryan’s four-year-old son. And his father, Ryan Senior, released early from prison (overcrowding issues) and now resident, to his disgust, in a hostel for rehabilitating prisoners. The Wilkins’s Superintendent is familiar too, fresh, steely and blonde as ever, but having to cope with a disciplinary enquiry, which tests her considerable reserves to the limit, and the Chief Constable, a massive, battered, malevolent presence, who openly hopes to get rid of those Wilkins ‘clowns’.

But there are new characters too. A sly criminal from Rotherhithe who hates Oxford even as his job keeps him there. An eager new DC, William, who simply won’t shut up and is a little too naïve for his own good. ‘Milky’ Nolan, twelve years old, excited to find himself at his first riot. Yemi Kosoko, world food grocery shopkeeper in Oxford’s ethnic Cowley Road and his friend, the chess-playing eccentric academic Nicholas Kinghorn, who dyes his beard lilac to remind him of weddings in Ghana. And finally, most important of all, Jallo (other names unknown, age unknown, country of origin unknown) who finds himself sleeping rough in Oxford’s nooks and crannies, and knows himself to be in horrible danger.

I like Oxford’s nooks and crannies, I must admit. I like the city’s double nature. Its deep Englishness (dons and quadrangles, meadows and river), and simultaneous air of foreignness (all those foreign post-grads, language students and care workers). I like its strange blend of permanence (we who live here) and transience (those who arrive and go, students, tourists). And I like its rooted elderly and great waves of youth. It seems to me excitingly unstable. Perhaps it’s that quality that gives rise to stories, not all of which it wants to tell.

The Dangerous Man by Simon Mason (Quercus Publishing) £16.99 Out Now

On a warm and pleasant evening in Oxford, gentle city of poets and scholars, rioters outside a hotel full of asylum seekers set a young refugee on fire. The city - the country - convulses in shock. Is this who we are? It's international news of the very worst kind, and the Chief Constable demands immediate and exemplary action in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The detectives leading the investigation fill him with misgivings, however: DIs Ryan and Ray Wilkins (no relation), Thames Valley's detective pantomime horse, one Oxford-educated, the other Oxford-trailer park. He doesn't understand why they work together. 'Do they even get on?' 'Somehow that doesn't seem necessary,' their Superintendent replies. Who burned the boy alive? Was it a far-right extremist? Was it an ordinary person who had simply gone along to watch and got caught up in the emotion? Could it even be one of the children who were there? Deploying a range of investigative skills, some standard, some unconventional and some frankly nuts, the Wilkinses do what they do: results with chaos. But when they discover that the victim was not an asylum seeker after all, or even a resident of the hotel, the whole investigation kicks into a completely different configuration.

The Shots review of The Dangerous Man can be found here.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight Olivia Isaac-Henry

Name:- Olivia Isaac Henry

Job:- Author

Instagram: @OliviaIsaacHenryAuthor

Facebook: @oisaachenry

X: @oisaachenry

Introduction: 

Olivia Isaac-Henry is the author of 4 books. Her most recent book due out in September is Hallow Hill. She is also the occasional keyboard player in experimental electronic band.

Current book? 

The Changeling, Victor LaValle. Apollo Kagwa believes his wife is suffering from post-natal depression when she declares their son is ‘not a baby’. Tragedy ensues, and in his quest to find the truth, Apollo discovers places and people no one knew existed in New York. Partly a musing on fatherhood, this novel also delves into ancient lore and fairytale, in a world where witches and changelings definitely do exist. 

Has any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why?

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. The whole atmosphere of Eel Marsh House leaves you shivering and checking for The Woman in Black out of the corner of your eye. 

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why?

Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. Not only were they fabulous writers, but they led fascinating, if tragic, lives. 

How do you relax?

I’m addicted to streaming dramas, especially anything crime or horror related. Currently I’m watching Finnish detective series Arctic Circle, the scenery is stunning and the plot goes off in a completely unexpected direction. 

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why?

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. I read this when I was about eleven or twelve. At the time I was down in Cornwall on a camping holiday with my family. We bought the book at the actual Jamaica Inn. I read it in a day and I thought it was the most exciting novel ever. The final reveal stunned me. One day I’d love one of my books to have the same effect on a reader as that one had on me. 

If you were to write a gothic book where would you set it and why?

Two of my novels lean toward the gothic: Sorrow Spring, which is already published, and Hallows Hill, which comes out in September. Both are set in Worcestershire, where I grew up. It’s a beautiful county with plenty of legends and folklore to use as inspiration. Also, because it’s not as well known as counties like Cornwell and Yorkshire, people come to it with fewer expectations. 

How would you describe your latest published book?

Sorrow Spring is a folk horror novel with a crime-mystery element. In the present day a woman attempts to discover what happened to her aunt, last seen in the village of Sorrow Spring in 1978. The novel goes back and forth in time to unravel her fate, which is linked to the ancient customs and beliefs of the village. 

With Detecting the Gothic: tales from the Dark Heart of Crime Fiction the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite gothic authors or books

Melmoth - Sarah Perry

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

The Night Film - Marisha Pessl

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why?

Let the Right One In – This Swedish film is disturbing on multiple levels, not least because it reminds you that humans far exceed vampires in their vice and savagery.

Angel Heart – Just mesmerizing. It has fantastic performances by Mickey Rourke and Robert de Niro and one of the all time greatest twists. A couple of watches are required to spot all the clues. 

Sinners – I’ve only just seen this one at the cinema, and I haven’t had a chance for a rewatch, but this film definitely requires one, as there’s so much to unpack. Again, it’s not just about vampires but the society that spawns them. It’s visually stunning with great performances and a stomping soundtrack. 

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?

I’m looking forward to chatting with the other authors. Some I know already. Others I’m keen to meet. 

Hallows Hill by Olivia Isaac-Henry (Harper Collins Publishers) Out in September.

Have they stirred an ancient evil…or is there a killer in their midst? Twenty years ago, on Halloween night, a group of teenagers performed a summoning ritual on Hallows Hill. The next day, one of them was dead. Mia has never forgotten the chilling vision she saw that night, and which she believes foretold the death. Now the remaining friends gather for Halloween again. But when another death occurs, Mia starts to doubt everything around her. Is there a malevolent supernatural force that means them harm, or is human evil at play? Mia must take a long, hard look at her friends, herself and the folklore of Hallows Hill. Can she find the answers before all of them are dead?

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Stuart Turton

Name: - Stuart Turton 

Job: - author and journalist

Website: - https://www.Stuturton.com

Instagram @stuturton

X @stu_turton

Introduction

Stuart Turton is the bestselling author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (aka 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) which won the 2018 Costa Book Award for First Novel, Best Novel in the 2018 Books Are My Bag Readers Award and was also shortlisted for the Debut book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards and longlisted for both the CWA New Blood Dagger  and the Gold Dagger at the  CWA dagger awards. In 2019 it was shortlisted again for the Best Debut Novel at the Strand Magazine Critics’ Awards and longlisted for the Glass Bell Award. The Japanese edition of the book was shortlisted in 2019 For the Best Honkaku Mystery Novel translated into Japanese in the last decade. 

His second book, The Devil and the Dark Water won the 2020 Books Are My Bag Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and the Japanese version was nominated for the 2023 Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Mystery Fiction in Translation.

His most recent book is The Last Murder at the End of the World and was longlisted for the 2025 Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both)

I’m currently reading the North Woods by Daniel Mason and it’s so astonishingly good that I want to quit reading, sulk, and then immediately try to replicate its ambition and beauty. It’s wondrous, expanding the scope of what a novel can be while telling a great story. God, I’m depressed again now.

Have any gothic book spooked you and if so which one and why?

I’m not easily spooked, unfortunately. Typically, I find gothic novels so daft that I end up laughing rather than trembling. This is sort of what I’ll be talking about at the festival, actually.

Which two gothic writers would you invite to dinner and why?

The Bronte sisters. I reckon they’d drive each other absolutely nuts and it would be fun to watch.

How do you relax?

Relax? I could do my job in a bed with no material difference to the outcome. Honestly, there’s nothing hard about it. Relaxing is for people with work to do. 

Which gothic book do you wish you had written and why?

I’m good on that front. If I’d written Dracula or Frankenstein, I’d be long dead, and would have spent my entire life without the internet. No thanks!

If you were to write a gothic book, where would you set it and why?

There’s always a bit of gothic in my novels, so I’ve sort of covered what I wanted to do. My first novel was set in a creepy old house with secrets in every corner, and my second was set on a haunted boat. I feel like I’ve got my gothic fix.

How would you describe your latest published book?

Agatha Christie does Lost. Except weirder.

Which 3 gothic films would you rewatch and why.

Oh god, I don’t really watch many movies. Can I pass?

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda’s?

I really like being let out of my office and chatting with people with similar interests. It’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

 

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Abi keeps them safe. One hundred and twenty-two islanders and their three beloved scientists live in harmony, kept safe from a poisonous security barrier with the help of Abi's instructions. Niema keeps the islanders occupied. Niema is one of the scientists who remembers what life was like before the fog. She ensures that all of the islanders have a job to do, and everyone loves her. Almost everyone. Emory can't stop asking questions.

But then one of the scientists is found dead, and their murder triggers the dropping of the security barrier. The only way to reinstate it is to find the killer. But can Emory ask the right questions? They have 107 hours to solve the murder before the fog sweeps in. Can they stop the end of their world?

 

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. The programme can be found here.