Le Carré’s sons feature in event in honour of their father.
CrimeFest, one of the UK’s leading crime fiction
conventions, will feature an exclusive John le Carré event featuring the
author’s two sons.
Considered one of the greatest novelists of the
postwar era, the ‘Ghost of Honour’ panel sees le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway,
discuss his latest novel, Karla’s Choice. In the book, Nick brought
back one of his father’s most famous literary creations – George Smiley.
The panel also welcomes Le Carre’s older son, the
film producer Simon Cornwell, who is the CEO and co-founder of the independent
studio, The Ink Factory. He is currently executive producing the
much-anticipated second season of The Night Manager for Amazon and
the BBC, starring Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman.
Further guests for the panel are to be announced.
Director and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian
Muller, said: “As a genre, crime fiction dominates our TV and film screens, and
John le Carré is undoubtedly a seminal influence. It’s a huge honour to welcome
his sons. We’re excited to discuss Nick’s acclaimed novel, and to get an
exclusive look into the upcoming adaptations of le Carré’s iconic novels with
Simon.”
CrimeFest, sponsored by Specsavers, is hosted from
15 to 18 May 2025 at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, when up to 150 authors
are expected to descend on Bristol appearing in over 50 panels. It attracts
regular delegates from as far as Australia, the Far East, Canada, the United
States, and mainland Europe.
Also confirmed for 2025 is the Canadian mystery
writer, Cathy Ace. Cathy's Cait Morgan Mysteries have been optioned for TV by
the production company, Free@Last TV, which is behind the hit series, Agatha
Raisin.
Vaseem Khan, chair of the Crime Writers’
Association (CWA), has also been confirmed as 2025’s Gala Dinner’s 'Leader
of Toasts' for the 2025 CrimeFest awards. Vaseem is author of the Malabar House
historical crime series set in Bombay. His first psychological thriller, The
Girl in Cell A is out in May 2025.
Considered as one of the most democratic of crime
fiction events, CrimeFest is open to all published authors and known for its
inclusive approach. To appear on a panel, authors – or their publishers -
simply sign up as a delegate to take part. Authors have until the end of
November to sign up to be featured in the 2025 convention.
The convention began in 2008 and attracts readers,
fans, editors, publishers, and reviewers.
Other confirmed names for ’25 include: Andrew
Child, who has taken over writing the Jack Reacher novels from his brother Lee;
veteran novelist and Diamond Dagger recipient John Harvey, who has written over
100 books, including his series of jazz-influenced Charlie Resnick novels, and
Kate Ellis, winner of the CWA Dagger in the Library award.
First introduced in 2022, the CrimeFest bursary for
a crime fiction author of colour returns for a fourth year. The bursary covers
the costs of a weekend pass to the convention, with a night’s accommodation and
panel appearance. Previous recipients include Saima Mir and Elizabeth
Chakrabarty. Entries for 2025 are now open.
The convention also continues its Community
Outreach Programme. In partnership with the independent Max Minerva’s
Bookshop and participating publishers, CrimeFest gifts thousands of pounds of
crime fiction books for children and young adults to school libraries.
With thanks to Specsavers, librarians, students,
and those on benefits are offered significantly discounted tickets.
CrimeFest, the UK's leading crime fiction convention hosted at Bristol’s Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel has announced its full programme, with tickets now on sale.
As well as the Full CrimeFest pass, which gives access to the entire event, a limited number of Day Passes for the Friday and Saturday of the four-day convention, have now gone on sale.
CrimeFest, which runs from 9-12 May, opens with a special Murdle live event, hosted by the creator of the international crime puzzle series hit, G.T. Karber, in one of just a handful of UK appearances.
The opening day also sees panels on topics including pace and tension, landscape and setting, plotting, and the appeal of the genre to all ages.
Thursday’s panels feature authors including Ajay Chowdhury, whose first novel in the acclaimed series featuring Detective Kamil Rahman, The Waiter, is being adapted for television, the Welsh-Canadian mystery writer Cathy Ace, the international bestselling author Alex North, and the award-winning, Kate Ellis.
Friday then welcomes 25 author panels, including 2024’s featured guests: Laura Lippman, Denise Mina, and G.T. Karber.
Lippman is best known for her novels set in Baltimore featuring reporter turned investigator, Tess Monaghan. Her novel Lady in the Lake was adapted into a series for Apple. She will appear on a panel of superfans of the iconic TV series, Columbo, alongside chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, Vaseem Khan, and Murdle’s G.T. Karber.
Friday also sees the bestselling authors Holly Jackson and Abir Mukherjee discussing books that take readers on a ‘road trip,’ and former detective turned crime author, Graham Bartlett, exploring misconduct in crime fiction.
There will also be a panel celebrating Alfred Hitchcock moderated by Doctor Who writer, and author of the Hitchcock Murders, Gavin Collinson. He’ll be joined by the seminal Scottish author Denise Mina, and Barry Ryan, MD of Free@LastTV which created the TV hit series, Agatha Raisin.
A homage to PD James will feature the author Frances Fyfield, the Sunday Times chief fiction critic Peter Kemp, playwright and crime author, Simon Brett, and PD James’ granddaughter, Dr Beatrice Groves.
On Saturday 11 May, featured guest events include Denise Mina interviewed by Abir
Mukherjee, Laura Lippman interviewed by Ayo Onatade, Lynda La Plante interviewed by Maxim Jakubowski, and James Lee Burke in a live Zoom interview with Vaseem Khan.
Saturday also features panels on debut authors, an exploration of ‘partners in crime’ with Ruth Dudley Edwards, and a focus on historical fiction with Martin Edwards and Abir Mukherjee.
The CrimeFest Awards are also announced at a gala dinner event on Saturday evening.
On Sunday, highlights include an interview with the Welsh-Canadian author Cathy Ace by Free@Last TV’s Barry Ryan, who is currently adapting her Cait Morgan Mysteries for television. It also features the annual Criminal Mastermind quiz, conducted by the literary polymath, Maxim Jakubowski.
Sponsored by Specsavers, CrimeFest has been hosted in buzzing Bristol, which topped Time Out’s Best Places to Visit, since it began in 2008.
For Full Pass, Friday, or Saturday Pass tickets, visit crimefest.com
CrimeFest, the UK’s biggest crime fiction
convention, has announced a headline 2024 event with the Murdle author,
G.T. Karber.
Murdle took the coveted Christmas 2023 number
one spot, beating Richard Osman, who called it, “an absolute phenomenon”.
The Arkansas author has staged more than 30
immersive whodunits in the LA area, as the General Secretary of the Hollywood
Mystery Society, and will host a special Murdle event on CrimeFest’s
opening night.
CrimeFest, sponsored by Specsavers, is hosted from
9 to 12 May 2024 at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. Up to 150 authors take
part, appearing in over 50 panels.
G.T Karber joins featured guests for 2024’s
CrimeFest - Laura Lippman, Denise Mina, Lynda Plante and James Lee Burke.
Karber will also take part in a panel on Columbo,
alongside fellow aficionados of the iconic TV show, Laura Lippman, and Vaseem
Khan, chair of the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA).
G.T Karber’s third instalment, Murdle: Even
More Killer Puzzles is published on 9 May by Souvenir Press.
The fiendishly compulsive mini-mystery puzzles
challenge readers to find whodunit, how, where, and why. The new book features
the deadly secrets of a mysterious manor, the riddles of a suspiciously orderly
science institute and the eerie corridors of a tech billionaire’s island
retreat.
Adrian Muller said: “We’re really excited that G.T
Karber is coming from Hollywood to open CrimeFest on Thursday night. It
promises to be a thrilling, fun, and hugely entertaining evening, and with the
many crime authors and readers taking part, it will be intriguing to see who
cracks the Murdle code.”
The convention will also feature a homage to PD
James, known as the Queen of Crime Fiction, with the award-winning crime writer
and lawyer, Frances Fyfield, the Sunday Times chief fiction critic,
Peter Kemp, and the author, playwright, and producer, Simon Brett.
The Welsh-Canadian mystery writer Cathy Ace will be
the Gala Dinner’s 'Leader of Toasts', toasting the authors nominated for
the 2024 CrimeFest awards. Cathy's Cait Morgan Mysteries have been optioned for
TV by the production company, Free@Last TV, which is behind the hit
series, Agatha Raisin.
The convention was founded in 2008 and features the
annual CrimeFest Awards.
Laura Lippman and Denise Mina have been announced as the Featured Guests at one of
Europe’s biggest crime fiction conventions in the spring.
CrimeFest,
sponsored by Specsavers, is hosted from 9 to 12 May 2024 at the Mercure Bristol
Grand Hotel. The biggest event of its kind in the UK, up to 150 authors will
descend on Bristol appearing in over 50 panels. It attracts regular delegates
from as far as Australia, the Far East, Canada, the United States and mainland
Europe.
The
Scottish novelist Denise Mina won the CWA John Creasy Dagger for Best First
Crime Novel for her debut, Garnethill, published in 1998. Now, she
is a seminal and multi-award-winning author, known for her DI Alex Morrow
books, as well as adapting Steig Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy as graphic
novels. Denise has made several TV and radio documentaries, as well as frequent
media appearances. She is also the first woman asked to write a new novel
featuring Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlow; the paperback of The Second
Murderer is out April 24. Denise last headlined CrimeFest in 2013,
alongside the late admired Scottish author, William McIllvanney.
The
acclaimed American author Laura Lippman and former reporter on The
Baltimore Sun is best known for her novels set in Baltimore featuring
reporter turned investigator, Tess Monaghan. She is a two-time CrimeFest
eDunnit Award winner for Wild Lake (2017) and Sunburn (2019)
and has won the Agatha, Anthony, and Edgar awards. Her novel, Every
Secret Thing, was adapted into a 2014 film, starring Diane Lane, and Lady
in the Lake was adapted into a series for Apple.
As a
convention, CrimeFest is open to all published authors and known for its
inclusive approach. The event is run by Adrian Muller, co-host Donna Moore, and
a small team of committed volunteers.
The
convention began in 2008 and attracts readers, fans, editors, publishers, and
reviewers, and features the annual CrimeFest Awards.
Director
and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “It’s a real honour to be
welcoming Laura and Denise to CrimeFest next year. They are both remarkable
writers who generate huge amounts of respect and acclaim, in the publishing
industry and with readers alike. We can’t wait to welcome them to Bristol.”
Canadian
mystery writer Cathy Ace will be the Gala Dinner’s 'Leader of Toasts',
toasting the authors nominated for the 2024 CrimeFest awards. Cathy's Cait
Morgan Mysteries have been optioned for TV by the production company, Free@LastTV, which is behind the hit series, Agatha Raisin.
The
convention has also announced a homage to PD James, the creator of Adam
Dalgliesh, known as the Queen of crime fiction. The Ghost of Honour panel will
feature the award-winning crime writer and lawyer, Frances Fyfield, the Sunday
Times chief fiction critic, Peter Kemp, and the author, playwright, and
writer and producer for TV and radio, Simon Brett.
Other
acclaimed authors confirmed include chair of the Crime Writers’ Association,
Vaseem Khan, the author of two award-winning crime series set in India. It also
welcomes the award-winning Janice Hallett, best known for her phenomenally
successful debut thriller, The Appeal.
Bristol
will see some of the genre’s most established names descend, including the
author, critic, and historian Martin Edwards, who returns to host one of
CrimeFest’s most popular panels: Authors Remembered.
The
convention also welcomes some of the newest talent, such as Abigail Dean, whose
first novel Girl A in 2021 took the book world by storm. Donna
Moore will be moderating a panel showcasing debut authors.
Specsavers
is the long-running sponsor of the convention. Dame Mary Perkins, who founded
the national and international chain of opticians in Bristol, said: “I am an
avid reader and fan of the genre, and I always look forward to CrimeFest, which
is so friendly it feels like all who go are welcomed as part of a big family,
connected by a love of books and reading. We are proud sponsors of the
convention.”
Donna
Moore, co-founder of CrimeFest, said: “Generally, the crime writing
community is a very friendly one, and CrimeFest has always been a down to
earth, welcoming convention open to all. We continue to work hard at creating
an inclusive energy.”
First
introduced in 2022, CrimeFest's bursary for a crime fiction author of colour
returns for a third year. The bursary covers the costs of a weekend pass to the
convention, with a night’s accommodation and panel appearance. Previous
recipients were Saima Mir and Elizabeth Chakrabarty.
The
convention also continues its Community Outreach Programme.
In partnership with the independent Max Minerva’s Bookshop and
participating publishers, CrimeFest gifts thousands of pounds of crime fiction
books for children and young adults to school libraries.
Also,
with thanks to Specsavers, librarians, students, and those on benefits are
offered significantly discounted tickets.
Mark
Billingham and Elly Griffiths have been announced as the Featured Guests at one
of Europe’s biggest crime fiction conventions this spring.
CrimeFest,
sponsored by Specsavers, is hosted from 11 to 14 May 2023 at the Mercure
Bristol Grand Hotel. Up to 150 authors will descend on Bristol appearing in
over 50 panels.
Featured
guest Mark Billingham worked as an actor and stand-up comedian before
publishing his first crime novel Sleepyhead in 2001. Billingham’s
novels have now sold over 6 million copies. He has had 21 Sunday
Times bestsellers and two TV series have been made of Mark’s books – Thorne by
Sky starring David Morrissey, and In the Dark by the BBC. A third is
currently in development. Rabbit Hole, his 2020 novel, was named as
Crime Book of the Year by The Times.
A
regular on TV and radio, he launches his first new book series for 20 years
with The Last Dance, which is set in Blackpool and features Detective
Declan Miller. The Last Dance is published on 25 May 2023.
Acclaimed
crime author Elly Griffiths is best known for her Dr Ruth Galloway series. This
year, she brings the beloved series to a close with the 15th instalment of
the no. 1 Sunday Times bestselling series, The Last Remains.
Elly
is also the author of The Brighton Mystery series, set in the 1950’s and 60’s,
inspired by her own grandfather’s life on the stage, as well as three
standalone novels, the latest Bleeding Heart Yard, was published to
glowing reviews in October 2022. She is #18 on the list of most borrowed
authors from UK libraries and is a recipient of the Crime Writers’ Association
Dagger in the Library award.
The
CrimeFest convention began in Bristol in 2008 and attracts readers, fans,
editors, publishers and reviewers, thanks to its reputation as a hotbed for
crime writing talent.
Director
and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “It’s a delight to welcome
each year featured guest authors to CrimeFest, and we are thrilled to announce
Elly and Mark for 2023. Both are not only hugely acclaimed names in the genre,
but are also known for being warm, friendly and entertaining at literary
events, so audiences are in for a real treat.”
As
a convention, CrimeFest is open to all published authors and known for its
inclusive approach. The event is run by a team of committed volunteers.
Also
returning is last year’s featured guest, Andrew Child – brother of Lee Child
and co-writer of the iconic Jack Reacher series. Reacher had the big screen
treatment with Tom Cruise, followed by the more recent Amazon TV adaptation
starring Alan Ritchson.
Other
acclaimed authors include Vaseem Khan, the author of two award-winning crime
series set in India. His latest, The Last Man of Bombay was picked as
the top crime book of the year by the Guardian, Financial Times and Daily
Express.
Will
Dean, whose debut in 2017 Dark Pines became a word-of-mouth
sensation, attends with his latest novel Wolf Pack. Also appearing is
Abigail Dean, who was an instant Sunday Times bestseller with her debut Girl
A in 2021.
CrimeFest
also welcomes the 2022 CWA New Blood Dagger winner and CrimeFest Award nominee,
Janice Hallett, best known for her phenomenally successful debut
thriller, The Appeal with her latest, The Mysterious Case of the
Alperton Angels.
Also
returning is a former CrimeFest Toastmaster, the screenwriter and novelist
Robert Thorogood, creator of the immensely popular BBC One series Death in
Paradise; the new spin-off series Beyond Paradise starring Kris
Marshall will be screened on BBC1 from Friday, February 24, 2023.
Bristol
will see some of the genre’s most established names descend, including the
crime author, playwright and TV and radio producer Simon Brett, the Canadian
mystery writer Cathy Ace, the author, critic and historian Martin Edwards, and
author and chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, Maxim Jakubowski. Maxim
also returns as the host of the closing Criminal Mastermind Quiz.
Crime
fiction is the most popular genre in the UK and dominates our TV screens; a
wealth of crime authors in attendance have had books recently snapped up for TV
or film adaptations.
Dame
Mary Perkins, who founded the national and international chain of opticians
Specsavers in Bristol, is the headline sponsor.
Dame
Mary said: “I am an avid reader and fan of the genre, and I always look forward
to CrimeFest, which is so friendly it feels like all who go are welcomed as
part of a big family, connected by a love of books and reading. We are proud
sponsors of the convention.”
Donna
Moore, co-founder: “We pride ourselves on being open to new and established
authors, creating a friendly and inclusive energy at CrimeFest. Bristol is
known for its vibrant, creative and independent spirit, and CrimeFest offers an
exciting opportunity for writers and readers alike to meet and mingle.”
Highlights
include the annual Pub Quiz with the journalist and author Peter Guttridge as
the Inquisitor; Peter is also the Toastmaster at the annual CrimeFest Awards,
featuring the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award.
2023
will also offer the CrimeFest bursary for a crime fiction author of colour. The
bursary covers the costs of a weekend pass to the convention, with a night’s
accommodation and panel appearance.
In
partnership with the independent Max Minerva’s Bookshop, CrimeFest is giving
away £4,000 worth of books to eight primary and five secondary inner-city
schools in Bristol. CrimeFest offers discounts to students and the unemployed.
The
full programme will be announced shortly.
CrimeFest runs at the
Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 11-14 May, 2023. For details and to book, go
to: https://www.crimefest.com/
Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) have announced the Shortlists for the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing. Started in 1984, the annual Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, then known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, recognizes the best in mystery, crime, and suspense fiction, and crime nonfiction by Canadian authors.
Winners will be announced Thursday 26 May 2022.
Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) have announced the Shortlists for the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing. Started in 1984, the annual Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, then known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, recognises the best in mystery, crime, and suspense fiction, and crime nonfiction by Canadian authors.
Winners will be announced Thursday 26 May 2022.
Best Crime Novel sponsored by Rakuten Kobo, with a $1000 prize
Find You First by Linwood Barclay (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.)
Lost Immunity by Daniel Kalla, (Simon & Schuster)
Under the Outlaw Moon by Dietrich Kalteis (ECW Press)
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena (Doubleday Canada)
The Hunted by Roz Nay (Simon & Schuster)
Best Crime First Novel sponsored by Writers First, with a $500 prize
The Push by Ashley Audrain (Viking Canada)The Captive by Fiona King Foster (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.)
Windfall: A Henry Lysyk Mystery by Byron TD Smith (Shima Kun Press)
All Is Well by Katherine Walker (Thistledown Press)
Seven Down by David Whitton (Rare Machines an imprint of Dundurn Press)
The Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery sponsored by Jane Doe, with a $500 prize
What’s the Matter with Mary Jane? By Candas Jane Dorsey (ECW Press)
Three Dog Knight by Alice Bienia (Cairn Press)
Hell's Half Acre by Jackie Elliott (Joffe Books)
So Many Windings by Catherine Macdonald (At Bay Press)
Murder in a Teacup by Vicki Delany (Kensington Publishing Corp)
The Howard Engel Award for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada sponsored by The Engel Family, with a $500 prize
Beneath Her Skin by C. S. Porter (Vagrant Press / Nimbus Publishing Inc.)
Corpse with an Iron Will by Cathy Ace (Four Tails Publishing Inc.)
Death on Darby’s Island by Alice Walsh (Vagrant Press / Nimbus Publishing Inc.
Hell and Gone by Sam Wiebe (Harbour Publishing Co. Inc.)
Three for Trinity by Kevin Major (Breakwater Books)
Best Crime Novella sponsored by Mystery Magazine, with a $200 prize
Identity Withheld by Marcelle Dubé (Falcon Ridge Publishing)
Murder in Abstract by Brenda Gayle (Bowstring Books)
Letters From Johnny by Wayne Ng (Guernica Editions)
Not So Fast Dr. Quick by Elvie Simons, (Dell Magazines)
Best Crime Short Story sponsored by Mystery Magazine, with a $300 prize
What can You Do? By Pam Barnsley (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Weed Man by Hilary Davidson (Dell Magazines)
Number 10 Marlborough Place by Elizabeth Elwood (Dell Magazines)
All My Darlings by Charlotte Morganti Die Laughing: An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries
Dead Man's Hand by Melissa Yi (Dell Magazines)
Best French Crime Book (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Le Murmure des Hakapiks by Roxanne Bouchard (Libre Expression)
Dis-moi Qui Doit Vivre… by Marc-André Chabot (Libre Expression)
Conduite Dangereuse by Guillaume Morrissette (Saint-Jean)
Flots by Patrick Senécal (Editions Alire)
Stigmates by Richard Ste-Marie (Editions Alire)
Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book (Fiction and Nonfiction) sponsored by Shaftesbury, with a $500 prize
Blood Donor by Karen Bass (Orca Book Publishers)
Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney (Puffin Canada)
Hunting By Stars, by Cherie Dimaline (Penguin Teen)
The Traitor's Blade by Kevin Sands (Aladdin (Simon & Schuster))
Don't Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor (HarperTeen (HarperCollins Publishers))
The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book sponsored by Simpson & Wellenreiter LLP, Hamilton, with a $300 prize
Don't Call it a Cult, by Sarah Berman (Viking Canada)
Vancouver Vice: Crime and Spectacle in the City's West End, by Aaron Chapman (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Murder on the Inside: The True Story of the Deadly Riot at Kingston Penitentiary by Catherine Fogarty (Biblioasis)
The Beatle Bandit by Nate Hendley (Dundurn Press)
The Don: The Story of Toronto's Infamous Jail by Lorna Poplak (Dundurn Press)
The Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript sponsored by ECW Press, with a $500 prize
The Strength to Rise by Delee Fromm
Captives by Pam Isfeld
Elmington by Renee Lehnen
Ken's Corner by Katie Mac
Part Time Crazy by Mark Thomas
CWC announces the 2022 Grand Master Award recipient Louise Penny.
Louise Penny’s debut novel, Still Life, not only won CWC Award for Best First Novel but also the New Blood Dagger, Anthony and Barry awards. Since then, Louise Penny has penned over sixteen Inspector Gamache novels, won many more awards, become an International Bestseller and Canadian icon. Inspector Gamache is being adapted for television by Left Bank Productions with Alfred Molina playing the beloved detective. Her most recent book, State of Terror, was written with 2016 U.S. Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton, a literary coup and another bestseller.
About Crime Writers of Canada
Crime Writers of Canada was founded in 1982 as a professional organization designed to raise the profile of Canadian crime writers. Our members include authors, publishers, editors, booksellers, librarians, reviewers, and literary agents as well as many developing authors. Past winners of the Awards have included such major names in Canadian crime writing as Mario Bolduc, Gail Bowen, Stevie Cameron, Howard Engel, Barbara Fradkin, Louise Penny, Peter Robinson and Eric Wright. We would like to thank ECW Press, Rakuten Kobo, Mystery Magazine, Shaftesbury, Simpson and Wellenreiter LLP (Hamilton), Writers First, Jane Doe and the Howard Engel family for their sponsorship, and the many participating publishers for their continued support.
The shortlist presentation can also been seen on YouTube below.
Ann
Cleeves, Andrew Child, Martin Edwards and Robert Goddard feature at one of
Europe’s biggest crime fiction conventions this spring.
CrimeFest,
sponsored by Specsavers, is hosted from 12 to 15 May at the Mercure Bristol
Grand Hotel. It returns after a two-year hiatus from Covid.
Up
to 150 authors will descend on Bristol appearing in over 50 panels.
The
convention, which began in 2008, is based on the American convention model and
is considered the most democratic and accessible crime fiction event in the UK.
As
well as drawing readers and fans, it attracts editors, publishers and
reviewers, thanks to its reputation as a hotbed for crime writing talent.
2022 Featured Guests include Ann Cleeves, the author behind Vera and Shetland, both adapted to TV with fans worldwide. ITV also recently dramatised The Long Call - the first in her Two Rivers series, featuring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, filmed in part on location in Bristol.
Andrew
Child makes his first UK appearance at CrimeFest since taking over the helm of
the Jack Reacher series. An author in his own right as Andrew Grant, the
younger brother of Lee Child has been hugely successful as the continuation
author, dominating the bestseller lists. The books have also been dramatised
for Amazon Prime series; Reacher was recently commissioned for a
second series.
Also
featuring are the past two winners of the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest
accolade - the CWA Diamond Dagger. Robert Goddard was awarded the Dagger in
2019 and Martin Edwards in 2020.
Goddard's books captivate readers worldwide - translated into over thirty languages - with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their labyrinthine plotting. As well as a prolific award-winning novelist, Martin Edwards is a renowned editor, reviewer, columnist and versatile writer of non-fiction, and a leading authority on crime fiction.
Director
and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “We pride ourselves on being
open to all authors, which makes it a diverse and democratic celebration of the
genre. Behind the scenes there is a team of passionate readers and volunteers,
so there’s a friendly and inclusive energy at CrimeFest. Bristol is known for
its vibrant, creative and independent spirit, and CrimeFest offers an exciting
opportunity for writers and readers alike to meet and mingle.”
Panels
delve into diverse topics from division in society today to historical crime,
and locked room mysteries to police procedurals.
A
‘from page to screen’ panel includes the number one bestselling Icelandic
writer, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and the ‘queen of twists’, Sarah Pinborough -
author behind the Netflix hit, Behind Her Eyes.
A
wealth of crime authors in attendance have had books recently snapped up for TV
or film, including Cathy Ace, whose Cait Morgan Mysteries have been optioned by
Free@Last TV, behind the hit Agatha Raisin series.
Other
acclaimed authors attending include Holly Watt, Matt Wesolowski, Lynne Truss,
Barry Forshaw, Simon Brett, Vaseem Khan, Helen FitzGerald, Ruth Dudley Edwards
and Michael Ridpath.
This
year’s Ghost of Honour, commemorates Dick Francis, and highlights include the
Gala Dinner with Toastrix Zoë Sharp, creator of the Charlie Fox series of crime
thrillers, and the annual CrimeFest Awards, featuring the Specsavers Debut
Crime Novel Award.
Real
life contends with fiction too, with authors such as Vicki Bradley - a
detective constable in the Met police, former lawyer Steve Cavanagh and
thriller writer, Simon Conway - a former British Army officer and international
aid worker, who has cleared landmines in wars across the world.
CrimeFest
is at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 12-15 May, 2022. For the full list
of authors and to book, go to: https://www.crimefest.com/
Cait Morgan was ‘born’ in a
collection of twelve short stories written and self-published in 2007. She
developed somewhat in a collection of four novellas self-published in 2008, and
finally found her feet in her (and my) first traditionally published novel, The
Corpse with the Silver Tongue, in March 2012. Since then she’s continued
her globetrotting ways through seven more novels each featuring a traditional
closed circle, puzzle plot mystery – very much along the lines of a
contemporary Agatha Christie scenario – and has grown into her role as first a
single sleuth, then a dating one, through an engagement and a wedding, followed
by a honeymoon, all of which, necessarily, featured corpses. The eighth book in
the series found her having to face a dangerous situation in Budapest, which
left her unable to continue in her role as a professor of criminal psychology.
That was published in late 2016 by the company that had published all of Cait’s
novels. Then they dumped her. And me.
2017 was a challenging year: I’d
had one series dropped by a publisher; I was Chair of Crime Writers of Canada
with a LOT of work to do to prepare for Bouchercon in Toronto; I was offered a
new contract by the publisher of my other series (The WISE Enquiries Agency
Mysteries) that I didn’t want to sign, and was advised by my agent that I
should. I fired my agent, and didn’t sign. I was right back where I’d started.
So…
I rewrote, and re-edited, the
original collection of short stories, publishing it through my newly
incorporated publishing company in November 2017 (Murder Keeps No Calendar),
a decade after it had first appeared. That project gave me the chance to
revisit Cait’s early existence and rework her a little so that her backstory
fitted better with what she’d eventually – through eight novels – become. I
then repeated the process with the collection of novellas I’d published back in
2008, and they were published in 2018 (Murder Knows No Season).
Then I took a leap and published a
novel of psychological suspense set in my Homeland of Wales, The Wrong Boy,
which was the first ‘proper book launch’ for Four Tails Publishing Ltd. The
book was well-reviewed, won a couple of awards, and made it to No. 1 on amazon
in Canada, and into the top ten in four other countries. I was pleased I’d
taken the chance I had.
But…Cait! When I’d given birth to
her, I’d created her in my own image: at the time I was teaching marketing at
university, so I gave her an academic life too; she’s Welsh, and had migrated
to Canada, like me; she was – as I had been when I wrote those first short
stories about her – in her late forties and keen to find her feet within a new
culture. Through the novels I’d given her a good life, with a loving husband,
and a fresh start. But I’d left her high and dry, with an uncertain future. I
felt as though I’d abandoned her.
My latest book, The Corpse with
the Crystal Skull, finds Cait in Jamaica, recuperating from her last
adventure which happened about six months before the book opens. She’s also just
celebrated her 50th birthday; not something she’s wild about, but something she
hopes might mean she’s now ready for a different future than she’d ever
imagined. This ninth book in the series shows the reader a Cait who’s more
given to admitting her insecurities, and realizing she has to face them; a Cait
who’s a little less judgmental of others, even as she dares to examine her own
frailties, and those of her husband. I put Cait through the wringer in her
eighth book, and in her ninth I’ve given her the chance to grow up. At last.
And that’s a good thing, because
I’m facing a different future, too. I just turned 60, have my own company, and
I chose to invest a pension lump-sum payment into buying back the rights to the
Cait books, which my company now markets. The Cait Morgan Mysteries have
just been optioned for a returning series of 90-minute TV movies by the
wonderful UK production company Free@Last TV, which makes the hit Agatha
Raisin series, and they’ve also optioned The Wrong Boy, to be
broadcast as a three-part bilingual Welsh-English production. I am thrilled –
for me, and for Cait.
I think Cait’s come of age. Maybe I’m
getting there too!
The Corpse with the Crystal Skull (Four Tails Publishing Ltd) , June
2020
Welsh Canadian globetrotting
sleuth, and professor of criminal psychology, Cait Morgan, is supposed to be
“celebrating” her fiftieth birthday in Jamaica with her ex-cop husband Bud
Anderson. But when the body of the luxury estate’s owner is discovered locked
inside an inaccessible tower, Cait and her fellow guests must work out who
might have killed him – even if his murder seems impossible. Could the death of
the man who hosted parties in the 1960s attended by Ian Fleming and Noël Coward
be somehow linked to treasure the legendary Captain Henry Morgan might have
buried at the estate? Or to the mission Bud and his secret service colleagues
have been sent to the island to undertake?
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