In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Saima Mir

 Name:- Saima Mir

Job:- Author and Journalist

Website:- www. saimamir.com

X - @SaimaMir

Instagram - @saimamor_author

Introduction:-

Saima Mir is an award-winning journalist and author. Her novel The Khan is a Times and Guardian Bestseller and was shortlisted for the Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award.  It was also longlisted for the Jhalak Prize and the Portico Prize. Her current book Vengeance is the second in The Khan trilogy.

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

All The Colours of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

I’m writing the third in The Khan trilogy.

Favourite book:

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Which two musicians would you invite to dinner and why?

Kishore Kumar and Stevie Nicks, because their sound takes me away to other times and places.

How do you relax?

I’m still figuring that out!

Which book do you wish you had written and why?

We Begin at The End – I love the character of Duchess and she lives in my head.

What would you say to your younger self if you were just starting out as a writer.

Keep writing but do it for the love of the story and the craft. No one else gets to decide if your story is worth telling. It is your job to tell it.

How would you describe your latest published book?

Vengeance is about the power that women could wield if we found each other and came together.

With  A Dance to the Music of Crime: the artful crime to murder being the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite albums?

Grace by Jeff Buckley

Sholay soundtrack

Ghalib by Jagjit Singh

If you were given the ability to join a band which would it be and why?

Fleetwood Mac for the talent and the drama.

If you were to re-attend a concert which would it be and why?

I saw Franz Ferdinand when I was in my 20s. I was with friends I loved, we were a bunch of bright young journalists and life was better than I knew.

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

Hanging out with all the talented authors and hearing them speak in beautiful surroundings where the arts are celebrated.

Vengeance by Saima Mir (One world Publications)

Two years into running her organised crime syndicate in the north of England, Jia Khan stumbles on a notebook her father - the previous Khan - kept on arrival from Pakistan in the 1970s. And what Jia finds in the journal sends her deep into the family's past. But once the sleeping dogs from those years are woken, they are set for attack. Meanwhile, Jia struggles to control unrest amongst those that oppose her. Worst of all, Jia must unravel a puzzling but terrible warning - one of her staff lies brutally slain, his corpse displayed in her garden despite her sophisticated security... Could a traitor be part of her inner sanctum.

Information on how to buy online tickets can be found here. #HCFW24

A Dance to the Music of Crime: The Artful Oath to Murder

 From the classical adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey to the killer tunes of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, music and performance have played a central role in some of our best-loved stories.

Join us as the curtain rises on our 31st St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend with a host of award-winning authors who will put the poise into poison, explore the harm in harmony, and unfailingly strike the right note.

Guest of Honour: Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is best known for her award-winning Dr Ruth Galloway series and for The Brighton Mystery series, the latest of these being The Great Deceiver. Her standalone The Stranger Diaries won an Edgar Award. She has been shortlisted six times for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year, and was awarded the CWA’s coveted Dagger in the Library in 2016.

9-11 Aug in Oxford & online

Our speakers:

Kia Abdullah

Mark Billingham

Rev. Richard Coles

Harriet Evans

Doug Johnstone

Erin Kelly

Jake Lamar

Saima Mir

Lucie Whitehouse

David Whittle

Book your tickets for this exciting event here!

 

Forthcoming Books from Oneworld Publishing (Incl Point Blank Books)

January 2024

Hotel Arcadia is by Sunny Singh. Sam is a war photographer, famous for her hauntingly beautiful pictures of the dead. After a particularly gruelling assignment she checks into a luxury hotel, hoping to unwind with a few days of solitude. Abhi, the hotel manager, never wanted to be a hero; he just wants to avoid disappointing his father and brother any more than he has already. When they find five-year-old Billy alive under the bodies of his dead parents, Abhi and Sam are forced to work together to protect him from the mounting violence. As the threat of danger moves closer, the bond between this unlikely trio grows ever stronger. If they make it out alive, none of them will ever be the same.

February 2024

 

A Nye of Pheasants is by Steve Burrows. When a street brawl abroad turns deadly, Danny Maik faces a charge of manslaughter, but when evidence emerges that he may have planned the victim’s murder, he is looking at the death penalty. His only hope is reaching out to those he can trust back in the UK. In Norfolk, Maik’s replacement is trying to resurrect his career after a catastrophic error caused injury to a fellow officer. DCI Jejeune should be monitoring his new charge’s progress closely, but he is distracted by Danny’s plight. Others are watching, though, and they are disturbed by what they’re seeing. With the situation heading to a fatal climax, Jejeune must decide whether his duty lies with his old partner or his new. The fate of both men lies in his hands. But he can help only one.

March 2024

She closed her eyes, knowing that the moment he had a name, she would be unable to pretend any longer that this child was not her son. Ever since an ominous palm-reading on her honeymoon, Frankie has suspected that her youngest son, Michael, is different. From an early age he sees things no one else can. As he grows up – academically gifted, a musical prodigy and with an unshakeable religious faith – his mother can no longer deny there is something strange about him, or that it frightens her.   It is only when Frankie learns Michael is sliding into drugs and violence that she realises she can no longer ignore the past. But by confronting her destructive marriage and her own responsibility for all that has gone wrong, she begins to see there is something darker at play. A Proper Mother is by Isobel Shirlaw.

April 2024

Step forward Daphne Devine - you are about to change the course of the war  June 1940. As World War Two rages, Daphne Devine remains in London, performing each night as assistant to stage magician Jonty Trevelyan, aka the Grand Mystique. Then the secret service call. For, aware of Hitler’s belief in the occult, the war office has set up a hidden cohort to exploit this quirk in the enemy’s chain of command. Daphne and Jonty find themselves far from the glitz and glamour of the theatre, deep inside the lower levels of Wormwood Scrubs prison. Here, they join secret ranks of occultists, surrealists, and other eccentrics co-opted to the war effort. There is one goal: to avert invasion on British shores. Soon Daphne realises she must risk everything if there is any chance of saving her country… The Grand Illusion is by Syd Moore.

June 2024

The Vengeance is by Saima Mir. Two years into running her organised crime syndicate in the north of England, Jia Khan stumbles on a notebook her father - the previous Khan - kept on arrival from Pakistan in the 1970s. And what Jia finds in the journal sends her deep into the family's past. But once the sleeping dogs from those years are woken, they are set for attack. Meanwhile, Jia struggles to control unrest amongst those that oppose her. Worst of all, Jia must unravel a puzzling but terrible warning - one of her staff lies brutally slain, his corpse displayed in her garden despite her sophisticated security... Could a traitor be part of her inner sanctum?

CrimeFest Announce 2024 Featured Guests

 

 

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.

 

https://www.crimefest.com/

Bursary for crime fiction author of colour

 

CrimeFest, one of Europe’s leading crime writing conventions, is offering a bursary for a crime fiction writer of colour to attend its festival next May.

The bursary will cover the cost of a full Weekend Pass to the convention and a night’s accommodation at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, and a guaranteed panel appearance.

Eligible authors must have published at least one English language book in traditional print by a British commercial publisher.

CrimeFest launched the bursary in 2021 with the first award going to Saima Mir to attend the 2022 convention, for her debut novel, The Khan, which was a Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year.

Saima Mir, who grew up in Bradford, said that the bursary allowed her to, “be inspired by the company of seasoned storytellers, fulfil my childhood ambition, and to act as a beacon to other women who dare to dream of being published novelists, but fear the space is not for girls like them.”

2023’s bursary winner was Elizabeth Chakrabarty, whose critically-acclaimed debut crime novel Lessons in Love and Other Crimes was inspired by her own experience of a serious race hate crime in the workplace.

Donna Moore, co-host of CrimeFest, said: “The bursary is an important addition to CrimeFest, and one we are committed to build on. As a democratic convention open to all commercially published authors in the genre, CrimeFest is a natural hotbed for diverse talent. We’re aware however that more needs to be done to ensure festivals and conventions actively support writers of colour.”

Nominees for the bursary will be reviewed by Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Chair and author Vaseem Khan, and the freelance crime fiction critic and CWA judge, Ayo Onatade.

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India - the Baby Ganesh Agency series set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House crime novels set in 1950s Bombay. Ayo Onatade works with Justices at the Supreme Court, and is a well-known blogger and CWA Red Herring award-winning freelance crime fiction critic.

Hosted in Bristol, CrimeFest is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

CrimeFest, now in its 16th year, was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.

Dates for next year's Bristol CrimeFest are 9-12 May, 2024.

Email info@crimefest.com for more details on how to apply.

 

Specsavers Back UK’s Largest Crime Fiction Convention

 

Specsavers has renewed its title sponsorship of CrimeFest in Bristol through 2025.

The convention has grown to be one of the biggest crime fiction conventions in Europe, with a loyal and dedicated fan base.

The CrimeFest brand and website is undergoing a refresh as 2023 marks its 15^th anniversary since it was founded.

Adrian Muller, co-founder and organiser, said: “CrimeFest is going from strength-to-strength. We pride ourselves as being the UK’s friendliest and most accessible crime writing events. There’s an 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.”

CrimeFest is known for its egalitarian and inclusive approach, as it is one of the few events in the UK that is open to all commercially published authors.

Last year after two fallow years with Covid, it welcomed more than 400 delegates to 50 author panel events across four days.

Bristol-born Dame Mary Perkins DBE co-founded Specsavers and is an avid reader. Dame Mary, who attended in 2022, praised CrimeFest for its sense of ‘family’. The brand supports new writers with the CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, with a £1,000 prize. The annual CrimeFest awards honour the best crime books released in the UK that year.

2023 also sees the return of the CrimeFest bursary for a crime fiction author of colour. The bursary will cover the cost of a full Weekend Pass to the convention and a night’s accommodation at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, and a guaranteed panel appearance. The winning author is chosen by a panel including author Vaseem Khan, crime blogger and critic Ayo Onatade, and CrimeFest organisers. 2022’s winner was Saima Mir for her debut novel, The Khan.

CrimeFest also organises outreach events for children and young adults in local schools, and
offer discounts for librarians, students, and delegates who are on benefits or disabled.

CrimeFest was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.

Hosted at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 11-14 May 2023, headline authors will be announced in the New Year.

CRIMEFEST Announce 2022 Award Nominees

 

CRIMEFEST, one of Europe’s leading crime writing conventions, has announced the shortlists for its annual awards.

Now in its 15th year, the awards honour the best crime books released in 2021 in the UK.

The awards include the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, the winner of which receives a £1,000 prize.

A further £1,000 prize fund is also awarded to the Audible Sounds of Crime Award, sponsored by Audible.

All category winners will receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Up for the hotly-contended Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is Saima Mir for The Khan, which was a Times and Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year in 2021. Featuring lawyer Jia Khan, the novel has been praised as a dark, gripping thriller with an unforgettable heroine, and dubbed a “once-in-a-generation crime thriller”.

Mir faces strong competition from five other shortlisted authors, including Abigail Dean for Girl A, which became a Sunday Times global bestseller. Dean was claimed as “the biggest literary fiction voice of 2021”. The book is soon to be a TV show, directed by Chernobyl’s Johan Renck.

The winner of the Audible Sounds of Crime Award will be voted for by Audible UK listeners. This year, Richard Osman returns to the shortlist with The Man Who Died Twice read by Lesley Manville, after winning in 2021 for his phenomenal debut smash-hit, The Thursday Murder Club. Osman is up against big-hitters including Lee and Andrew Child, Paula Hawkins and Liane Moriarty.

Abigail Dean’s Girl A also features on the Audible Sounds of Crime shortlist. Dean is the only author up for three CrimeFest awards. Girl A is also in contention for the eDunnit Award for the best e-book, alongside bestselling authors Michael Connelly and Megan Abbot, as well as Gianrico Carofiglio for The Measure of Time, which was shortlisted for Italy’s most prestigious literary award, the STREGA prize.

Shortlisted for the H.R.F Keating Award for best biographical or critical book on crime fiction are books that focus on icons of the genre, including Ian Fleming’s nephew - James Fleming – for Bond Behind the Iron Curtain, and Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks, which was published for the centenary of her birth in 2021. Richard Bradford’s acclaimed Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith also makes the list.

The Last Laugh Award sees Mick Herron’s Slough House on the shortlist. The Jackson Lamb series of dysfunctional British intelligence agents is due to be screened by Apple TV this April, starring Oscar-winner Gary Oldman. He’s up against stalwarts of the genre, including Simon Brett for An Untidy Death and Christopher Fowler with London Bridge is Falling Down.

Best Crime Novel for Children, aged 8-12, features giant of the genre Anthony Horowitz for Nightshade, from his popular Alex Rider series. The nominees also include the multi-award-winning Frank Cottrell-Boyce with Noah’s Gold, Alexandra Page’s charming Wishyouwas and M.G. Leonard’s birdwatching detective, Twitch.

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults, aged 12-16, features C.L. Taylor’s The Island, dubbed Lost meets The Hunger Games. Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades also makes the list. An instant New York Times bestseller, Ace of Spades is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2022.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “After two years of hosting our awards online due to Covid restrictions, we’re thrilled we will be announcing and celebrating the winners of 2022’s CrimeFest Awards in person at our convention in Bristol in May. These shortlists show how valuable books have been to all ages, particularly in times of isolation, as sources of escapism, entertainment and enrichment. We’d like to thank Audible and Specsavers for their on-going support of these awards.”

CRIMEFEST has had to postpone its 2020 and 2021 conventions, due to Covid restrictions. Hosted in Bristol, it is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

Leading British crime fiction reviewers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults, alongside the members of the School Library Association (SLA) form the CRIMEFEST judging panels, aside from Audible Sounds in which Audible listeners establish the shortlist and the winning title.

Co-host of CRIMEFEST, Donna Moore, added: “We are proud to be one of the few genre awards that recognise e-books and audiobooks, humour, children and Young Adult crime fiction novels. We aim to be the most inclusive of awards to reflect the values of our convention, and the incredible diversity and reach of the genre which dominates the cultural landscape.”

CRIMEFEST was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.

The 2022 Shortlists in full

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for crime novels by previously unpublished authors bring vital fresh blood to the genre.

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)

The Appeal by Janice Hallett, (Viper)

The Khan by Saima Mir,(Point Blank)

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina, (Abacus/ Little, Brown Book Group)

One Night, New York by Lara Thompson, (Virago/Little, Brown Book Group)

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, (Simon & Schuster)

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks.

Better Off Dead by Lee and Andrew Child - read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)

Girl A by Abigail Dean - read by Holliday Grainger (HarperFiction)

Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins - read by Rosamund Pike (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell - read by Joanna Froggatt (Penguin Random House Audio)

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty -read by Caroline Lee (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman - read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Marriage by K.L Slater - read by Lucy Price-Lewis (Audible Studios / Bookouture)

False Witness by Karin Slaughter - read by Kathleen Early (HarperCollins)

eDUNNIT AWARD

The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction eBook

The Turnout by Megan Abbott (Virago/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Measure of Time by Gianrico Carofiglio (Bitter Lemon Press)

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Orion Fiction)

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)

Running Out of Road by Cath Staincliffe (Constable/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Royal Secret by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD

The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists.

The Detective's Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks by Lucy Andrews (Palgrave Macmillan)

Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith by Richard Bradford Bloomsbury, Caravel)

Bond Behind the Iron Curtain by James Fleming (The Book Collector)

Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks by Patricia Highsmith (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine (Sphere/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Hank Janson Under Cover by Stephen James Walker (Telos Publishing Ltd)

LAST LAUGH AWARD

The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel.

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett (Severn House)

Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri (Mantle)

Bryant & May: London Bridge is Falling Down by Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)

The Appeal by Janet Hallet (Viper)

Slough House by Mick Herron (Baskerville, John Murray Press)

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen, (Orenda Books)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for children (aged 8-12)

Noah's Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, (Macmillan Children's Books)

Vi Spy: Licence to Chill by Maz Evans (Chicken House)

Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz, (Walker Books)

The Five Clues by Anthony Kessel, (Crown House Publishing)

Lake Evolution by Jennifer Killick Crater, (Firefly Press)

Twitch by M.G. Leonard,(Walker Books)

Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters by Alexandra Page illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The Secret Detectives by Ella Risbridger (Nosy Crow)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for young adults (aged 12-16).

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé, (Usborne Publishing)

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (Rock the Boat)

The Girl Who … by Andreina Cordani (Atom/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Outrage by William Hussey (Usborne Publishing)

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)

Splinters of Sunshine by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children's Books)

The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud (Walker Books)

The Island by C. L Taylor (HQ)

CrimeFest Announces Bursary for Crime Fiction Author of Colour

 

Saima Mir has been announced as the first recipient of the CRIMEFEST bursary for a crime fiction author of colour.

Saima Mir’s debut novel The Khan was published by Point Blank in 2021 and is due in paperback this March. It was a Times and Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year in 2021 and has been longlisted for The Portico Prize.

Saima, who grew up in Bradford and lives in London, said: “

As a young girl growing up in inner city Bradford, I dreamt of being a writer, but didn’t see the names of women like me on the covers of books, or between them.  This bursary will allow me to be inspired by the company of seasoned storytellers, fulfil my childhood ambition, and to act as a beacon to other women who dare to dream of being published novelists, but fear the space is not for girls like them.”

One of Europe’s leading crime writing conventions, the bursary will cover the cost of a full Weekend Pass to CRIMEFEST this May, a night’s accommodation at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, and a guaranteed panel appearance.

The winning entry for the bursary was chosen by CRIMEFEST organisers in collaboration with author Vaseem Khan, and the freelance crime fiction critic and CWA judge, Ayo Onatade.

Donna Moore, CRIMEFEST co-host, said: "We had incredibly strong entries, and we're thrilled to welcome Saima to CRIMEFEST and to give her the opportunity to introduce her compelling debut novel, with its fabulous protagonist, to an audience of new readers.”

 Hosted in Bristol, CRIMEFEST is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

Vaseem Khan, author of two award-winning crime series set in India - the Baby Ganesh Agency series set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House crime novels set in 1950s Bombay - said: “Saima is a writer with a distinct voice, always fearless in challenging the status quo. She exploded onto the scene in 2021 with The Khan and will be warmly welcomed at CRIMEFEST.”

Three runners-up were also chosen to receive complementary passes to this year’s convention: Elizabeth Chakrabarty, Amita Murray, and Stella Oni.

Elizabeth Chakrabarty’s critically-acclaimed debut crime novel Lessons in Love and Other Crimes was inspired by her own experience of a serious race hate crime in the workplace. It was published by Indigo Press in April 2021.

Amita Murray writes murder mysteries with a feminist, multi-cultural edge. The first of her Arya Winters series - Arya Winters and the Tiramisu of Death – was published by Agora Books, an imprint of Polis Books, in 2021, and has been optioned for TV.

Stella Oni grew up in Nigeria. Her debut novel Deadly Sacrifice - a fast paced thriller, set in London and Nigeria and about human trafficking and ritualistic killing - was published by Jacaranda Books in September 2020.

Ayo Onatade, who works with Justices at the Supreme Court, and is a well-known blogger and critic, said: “I am delighted that Saima Mir is to be the first recipient of the CrimeFest Bursary. I look forward to seeing her take part in what is always a brilliant convention. I also hope that Elizabeth Chakrabarty, Amita Murray, and Stella Oni have a wonderful time at the convention.”

A 2020 study, Rethinking Diversity in Publishing by the University of London found writers of colour still don’t receive the same industry access, creative freedoms or economic value as their white counterparts. It also found each stage of the publishing process generally amplified the voices of white and middle-class people

Saima added: “I write about being British Asian, being Muslim, and being female, but all of this is incidental to the story. I hope that my readers come to understand that despite our surface differences, more unites us than divides us, and this learning happens in a whisper not a shout, as they are gripped and entertained by story.”

CRIMEFEST was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.

 CRIMEFEST takes place 12-15 May 2022 in Bristol  www.crimefest.com

 

A New Detective on the Block by Nadine Matheson

 

Last year I contributed to the growing list of crime thrillers when my debut novel ‘The Jigsaw Man was published. I’ve been a fan of crime fiction for as long as I can remember and there were many occasions when I would be nose deep in a copy of Patricia Highsmith’s ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ instead of studying the required Shakespearean text or Wuthering Heights for my English class. In fact, I may just be a fan of crime in general as in my non-writing life, I’m a lawyer specialising in Criminal Law. 

There are two reasons why I’m drawn to crime fiction. The first is that crime thrillers allow us to access to a slice of life that is out of bounds to morally and law complying people. For a brief period, we can indulge in the pages of a crime story and then safely, and maybe self-righteously, close the pages and get on with our lives. The second reason is that I have an innate desire to uncover what motivates people to commit crimes. One of the main reasons why I practice criminal law is that I want to understand what makes people tick and why, for example, someone would murder their next-door neighbour, bury their body in the garden and assume their identity. 

It seems almost inevitable that after working in criminal law, for nearly twenty years, and having a love affair with crime thrillers that I would write my own book. There was an expectation that because I work in criminal law that I would write a legal thriller but that wasn’t the specific sub-genre of crime that thrilled me. Police procedurals have always been my first port of call. A police procedural promises the thrill of the chase and pits good against bad. The best police procedurals makes the reader feel as though they’re part of the investigation and isn’t just a passive observer. 

My job as a criminal lawyer has never been to prosecute and to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the person standing in the dock is guilty or to put it more colloquially “Bang to Rights”. I’ve always represented those who have been accused of the crime. My job has been to put the prosecution to proof, to find holes in their case and to also defend my client to the best of my ability. Writing a police procedural was a complete adventure for me because I had to switch the gears in my head. I had to put myself in the mind of both a prosecutor and a detective and become the person who was building a case against a suspect, which brings me onto the first person that you meet in my book, The Jigsaw Man, Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley. 

Books are the best form of escapism in which we’re able to experience different lives and different worlds, but with certain genres of books i.e., crime thrillers we should be able to recognise our own worlds within the pages. Take a moment right now and think of four fictional detectives. I’m prepared to put money on it that the four detectives that you chose were white males. Like the popular fictional detectives that we know, and love (Holmes, Thorne, and Rebus) Henley is committed and complex, but she occupies a unique place in crime fiction because she is also a Black British woman. Henley takes the lead in her professional life, as a Detective leading an investigation and in her personal life as a wife and a mother. There are not many detectives in crime fiction that look like Henley. In my profession as a lawyer, I’ve lost count of the times that I have sat opposite a female detective of colour in a police interview room. It always seemed strange to me that the stories of these detectives of colour were not being in the books that I was buying. 

Too often characters of colour have been relegated to the cliched roles of criminal, victim or supporting role in a story. Fortunately, the last couple of years have noticeably seen a rise in the number crime thrillers books that are written by authors of colour and feature characters of colour in main roles. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to recommend books by Saima Mir, S.A. Cosby, Amer Anwar, Rachel Edwards, Femi Kayode, and myself to readers. My hope is that the name Detective Inspector Henley becomes iconic in crime fiction, and I cannot wait for you to read the next chapter in her story.

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson. (HarperCollins) Out Now

There's a serial killer on the loose. When bodies start washing up along the banks of the River Thames, DI Henley fears it is the work of Peter Olivier, the notorious Jigsaw Killer. But it can't be him; Olivier is already behind bars, and Henley was the one who put him there. The race is on before more bodies are found. She'd hoped she'd never have to see his face again, but Henley knows Olivier might be the best chance they have at stopping the copycat killer. But when Olivier learns of the new murders, helping Henley is the last thing on his mind . . . Will it take a killer to catch the killer? Now all bets are off, and the race is on to catch the killer before the body count rises. But who will get there first - Henley, or the Jigsaw Killer?

The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson (Published July 2022) HarperCollins.In this room, no one can hear you scream... The Serial Crimes Unit are called in to investigate when a local pastor is found stabbed to death. As DI Henley assesses the crime scene, she discovers a hidden door that conceals a room set up for torture - and bound to the bed in the middle of the room is the body of a man. When another body is found, also tied down, Henley realises there's someone out there torturing innocent people and leaving them for dead. But why? There's nothing that connects the victims. They didn't know each other. Their paths never crossed. But someone has targeted them, and it's up to Henley and the SCU to stop them before they find another binding room...

More information can be found on her website. You can follow her on Twitter @nadinematheson, on Instagram @queennads and on Facebook.