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
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.
