CrimeFest to End After 16 Years

 

CrimeFest, one of the UK’s leading crime fiction events hosted in Bristol each year, has announced 2025 will be its final convention.

In a statement announcing the closure, Adrian Muller, co-founder, co-host and director of CrimeFest, said: “It is with sadness – but great pride – that we announce that our sixteenth CrimeFest, which takes place from 15-18 May 2025, will be the final one.”

Inspired by a visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention, the first CrimeFest was held in June 2008. CrimeFest is a convention run by fans of the genre, initially organised by Myles Allfrey, Liz Hatherell, Adrian Muller, and Donna Moore, and more recently hosted by the latter two.

Whereas most crime fiction events are invite-only, with a fixed programme of authors, CrimeFest offers a more democratic model. As a convention, any commercially published author can sign up to appear on a panel.

Adrian Muller said: “CrimeFest provides many authors with a platform they would not have been offered elsewhere in the UK. And, subsequently, readers discover and meet writers they otherwise may never have heard of. During CrimeFest, all delegates – be they authors or readers – come together as equals to celebrate the genre they love.”

Taking place across four days, each year CrimeFest showcases around 150 authors across more than 50 panels; over the years, 1,100 authors will have appeared at the event.

CrimeFest also invites Featured and Highlighted guests, securing major authors including Cathy Ace, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Martina Cole, Michael Connelly, Jeffrey Deaver, Sue Grafton, Anthony Horowitz, P.D. James, Lynda La Plante, and Ian Rankin.

Lee Child attended the very first convention, and was a Featured Guest at the fifth and tenth anniversaries of CrimeFest.

Lee Child said: "Sadly all good things come to an end - and Adrian Muller's Bristol CrimeFest was one of the very best things ever. It was a warm, friendly, relaxed and inclusive festival, hugely enjoyable for authors and readers alike. Myles, Liz, Donna and Adrian, their team of volunteers - and Dame Mary from Specsavers - have my sincere thanks for many delightful weekends over the years."

The event is sponsored by Specsavers. 

Co-founder of Specsavers, Dame Mary Perkins, who will be attending again next year, praised the event: “I am an avid reader and fan of the genre, and I always look forward to CrimeFest. It is so friendly, and 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 and I will miss CrimeFest and the camaraderie very much.”

Adrian added: “Thanks to the support of Specsavers, our highly valued sponsor, we introduced reduced cost Community Passes for UK school and public librarians, students and for people on benefits. In 2021 we also created an annual bursary for crime fiction authors of colour. We’ve run community projects at local schools in the community; donated books to many schools and libraries across Bristol and the UK; our anthology Ten Year Stretch and our raffles each year have raised thousands of pounds for the Royal National Institute of Blind People, and the seven awards we present each year celebrate crime fiction, non-fiction, TV and crime fiction for children and young adults – the latter two being the first in the UK. We are immensely proud of these initiatives.”

Author and co-host of CrimeFest, Donna Moore, said: “CrimeFest is a labour of love for us and our volunteers. We are immensely grateful to the authors, readers, publishers, booksellers, sponsors, volunteers, and a whole host of other people who have supported us over the years.”

The organisers promise to say goodbye “in style”, with the attendance of some big-name authors to celebrate its 16 years.

The final CrimeFest takes place 15-18 May at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

 

Photo shows organisers Adrian Muller and Donna Moore with Specsaver's co-founder (and headline sponsor), Dame Mary Perkins, photo credit Gary Stratmann.

 

CrimeFest ’25 to Feature Exclusive le Carré Event

 

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.

To find out more, or to book your spot as a delegate, go to: https://www.crimefest.com/

 

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/

CrimeFest Award Winners Announced

Winners of 2023 CRIMEFEST Awards 

CRIMEFEST, one of Europe’s leading crime fiction conventions, has announced the winners of its annual awards.

Now in their 16th year, the awards honour the best crime books released in the UK last year. 

The winner of the highly anticipated Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, and £1,000 prize monies, is Stacy Willingham for A Flicker in the Dark published by HarperCollins.

A psychological serial killer thriller with a shocking twist, A Flicker in the Dark was an instant New York Times bestseller and Sunday Times Thriller of the Year and is set to be adapted into a major TV series.

Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers who sponsors the award, said: “We’re thrilled to support the debut author prize. As one of the judges, I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the shortlisted titles. Stacy Willingham’s debut, however, was a book I simply couldn’t put down until I had finished it.”

The eDunnit Award for the best e-book goes to Sara Gran for The Book of the Most Precious Substance, published by Faber & Faber. The absorbing occult thriller combining intrigue, magic and antiquarian bookselling was praised as “deeply atmospheric” by The Guardian.

Winner of the H.R.F Keating Award for best biographical or critical book on crime fiction is The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and their Creators by Martin Edwards, published by Collins Crime Club. Edward’s opus on the genre, described by the New York Times as a “impressive feat,” recently won a 2023 Edgar Award.

The Last Laugh Award goes posthumously to Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May's Peculiar London published by Doubleday. The author died aged 69 in March this year, having being diagnosed with cancer three years ago. His curious world of the nation’s oldest serving detectives, has been described as “deliriously eccentric” in the Financial Times, and “devilishly clever” by Val McDermid.

Best Crime Novel for Children, aged 8-12, goes to Sharna Jackson for The Good Turn published by Puffin. With themes of social activism, the spooky mystery from the former Waterstones Children's Book Prize Category Winner revolves around an internet-loving girl determined to start her own scout troop.

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults, aged 12-16, is awarded to Holly Jackson for Five Survive published by Electric Monkey. A gripping cat-and-mouse thriller, it was The Guardian Best Children’s Book of 2022.  

The Thalia Proctor Memorial Award for Best Adapted TV Crime Drama goes to Slow Horses (seasons 1 & 2), based on the books by Mick Herron. Produced by See-Saw, shown on Apple TV+, the drama, which follows a dysfunctional and disgraced team of MI5 agents, stars Gary Oldman. 

The award is named in honour of Thalia, a CrimeFest team member and a much-loved figure in the world of crime fiction, and is decided by public vote.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “We are proud to be one of the few genre awards that celebrate e-books, humour, children, and Young Adult novels. Our inclusive awards reflect the values of our convention as accessible and open to all. These awards are a true celebration of the crime genre, which continues to entertain and enlighten so many readers of all ages. We would like to thank Specsavers for their on-going support in celebrating new talent.”

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. Featured Guests at the convention this May are Mark Billingham and Elly Griffiths. 

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. 

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 fans, readers, and commercially published authors. 

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

2023 CrimeFest Award Winners

SPECSAVERS Debut Crime Novel Award

 A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (HarperCollins)

eDUNNIT AWARD

The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran (Faber & Faber)

H.R.F. KEATING Award

The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and their Creators by Martin Edwards (Collins Crime Club)

Last Laugh Award

Bryant & May's Peculiar London by  Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)

Best Crime Novel for Children

The Good Turn by Sharna Jackson (Puffin)

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults

Five Survive by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)

Thalia Proctor Memorial Award for Best Adapted TV Drama 

Slow Horses (seasons 1 & 2), based on the books by Mick Herron. Produced by See-Saw. Shown on Apple TV+. 

CrimeFest Announce 2023 Line-Up

 

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/

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 Donates Books to Libraries Across Bristol

 

The Big Library Crime Book Giveaway, organised by the UK’s biggest crime fiction convention CrimeFest, takes place at the end of April.

Roughly 650 crime books will be given to all 27 libraries across the city from 29 April – 1 May.

The initiative is being supported by bestselling author, Ann Cleeves, who is a vocal advocate of reading and libraries as a ‘lifeline’.

Ann, who is behind the phenomenal Vera and Shetland series, both adapted to prime-time TV, is a featured guest at the 2022 CrimeFest convention, which is hosted at the Mercure Bristol Grande Hotel from 12 to 15 May.

Ann Cleeves said: “It’s fantastic that CrimeFest is giving away hundreds of books to libraries in Bristol. All genres owe a lot to the work of libraries, but crime fiction is the most borrowed genre. Accessible and popular, crime fiction offers a gateway into reading, and the many benefits that brings. I’ve long been a vocal champion of libraries and their importance for our communities, so I’m delighted to throw my support behind this initiative.”

CrimeFest has run the Big Library Crime Book Giveaway since 2016. In addition, it provides discounted tickets to its convention to librarians. The UK’s biggest crime fiction convention also donated £5k worth of books to inner city school libraries across Bristol, with support from the independent bookshop Max Minerva, and the convention’s title sponsor, Specsavers.

Books in the giveaway include titles by many authors who will be appearing in Bristol at the event this year, including Steve Mosby, Robert Goddard, Kia Abdullah and Sam Carrington.

Kate Murray, Head of Bristol’s Library Service, said: “We’re really pleased to be taking part in the Big Library Crime Book Giveaway again this year across all of our 27 libraries in Bristol. It is fantastic to get books into the hands of readers and get people into libraries where they can talk to staff and find out more about what’s on in their local library and the wide range of services we offer. Reading for pleasure can have such a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing so we’re really pleased to take part in this giveaway and share the joy of reading across the city.”

Crime novels dominate library lending, with Jack Reacher’s Lee Child regularly being the most borrowed author year-on-year. Lee’s brother Andrew Child will make 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.

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.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “Crime fiction is a popular gateway into reading. In a cost-of-living crisis, we want to encourage people to take advantage of the fact they can access a wealth of free books at their local library. School and community libraries and librarians play a role in transforming lives by fostering a love for reading. Reading can be transformative not only emotionally, but on an educational, economic and social level.”

Research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has shown that reading for pleasure is a higher indication of academic success than parental status or income.

CrimeFest is at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 12-15 May, 2022 

www.crimefest.com

Specsavers and Penguin team up to launch crime novella

CRIME thriller enthusiasts are being called upon to help decide the narrative fate of a brand new novella this autumn using social media to plot out the direction for three celebrated crime authors in a unique literary experiment.

After the success of #youdunnit, Specsavers and Penguin’s social media crowd-sourced novella in 2013, crime readers will be enticed with a new kind of involvement this weekend.  

In a partnership between Specsavers and Penguin’s crime community Dead Good Books, crime fans will steer the story through Facebook and on a dedicated website, influencing the very direction the narrative will flow in.

Best-selling crime authors Christopher Fowler, James Oswald and Jane Casey will be challenged to write their chapter based on the decision made by readers. Each author will follow on from the last, shaping the narrative and adding their own unique style and take on the journey presented to them. A digital only eBook will be given away free from the 24^th October including all chapters and their hidden alternatives.

Dame Mary Perkins, founder of Specsavers, says: ‘We have been supporting the Crime Thriller Awards for a number of years now as there is of course such an intrinsic link between reading, watching crime thrillers and eye sight. How exciting though to see that crime writing enthusiasts and future crime writers could create a new crime thriller story with the help of some of the best crime thriller writers!’

Penguin digital marketing manager, Lynsey Dalladay, says: ‘We’re delighted that Dead Good can work with Specsavers on creating an innovative and exciting novella. The three authors are extremely talented and looking forward to the challenge of shaping a book with the readers in the driving seat.’

The mass participation event, called #ChooseThePlot, begins on 23^rd September. Contributors can find all information about the campaign by visiting www.specsavers.co.uk/choosetheplot. The site will guide them through every step of the process, and all the details about the progress of the stories.

The partnership between Specsavers and Penguin was created and project managed by Manning Gottlieb OMD.

- Ends -

For more information please contact: Lynsey Dalladay, Digital Marketing Manager, Penguin Random House UK

T: 0208 231 6793

E: LDalladay@RandomHouse.co.uk

About the authors

CHRISTOPHER FOWLER is a Londoner born (in Greenwich) and bred. For many years he jointly owned and ran one of the UK's top film marketing companies. He is the author of many novels and short story collections, from the urban unease of cult fictions such as Roofworld and Spanky, the horror-pastiche of Hell Train to the much-praised and award-winning Bryant and May series of detective novels - and his two critically acclaimed autobiographies, Paperboy and Film Freak. His most recent novel is Bryant and May The Bleeding Heart.

JAMES OSWALD is the author of the Detective Inspector McLean series of crime novels. Currently there are four available, Natural Causes, The Book of Souls, The Hangman’s Song and his most recent Dead Men’s Bones. He has also written an epic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfroinas well as comic scripts and short stories.In his spare time he runs a 350 acre livestock farm in North East Fife, where he raises pedigree Highland Cattle and New Zealand Romney Sheep.

JANE CASEY is an internationally best-selling crime author, married to a criminal barrister, she has a unique insight into the brutal underbelly of urban life, from the smell of a police cell to the darkest motives of a serial killer. This gritty realism in her books has led to critical successes; while D.C. Maeve Kerrigan has quickly become one of the most popular characters in crime fiction. Twice shortlisted for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award as well as the Mary Higgins Clark Award. The fifth book in her Maeve Kerrigan series The Kill is published on 20^th November 2014. 

About Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House (http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/) is the world’s first truly global trade book publisher. It was formed on 1 July, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively. Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and South Africa; Dorling Kindersley worldwide; and Random House’s companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.

Specsavers notes to editors 

·      Specsavers is a Partnership of almost 2,000 locally-run businesses throughout the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, all committed to delivering high quality, affordable optical and hearing care in the communities they serve

·      Each store is part-owned and managed by its own directors who are supported by key specialists in support offices that provide a range of services including marketing, accounting, IT and wholesaling, among others

·      There are currently more than 1,700 partners in the UK and Republic of Ireland alone, of whom 548 have been with the Partnership for at least ten years

·      Specsavers was founded in 1984 by husband and wife team, Doug and Dame Mary Perkins, who pioneered the optical joint venture partnership model and also revolutionised the industry with their innovative concept of affordable, fashionable eyecare for everyone

·      Specsavers is a champion of the National Health Service – of its 17.3m customers in the UK, 60% are from the NHS and the company is the largest provider of free NHS digital hearing aids

·      Specsavers is the largest employer of registered optometrists and dispensing opticians in the UK (around 3,500)

·      Specsavers was voted the UK's most trusted optician by a YouGov Plc online survey of 2,423 UK adults, 22-23 July 2014

·      Total revenue for the Specsavers Group was £1.8 billion in 2012/2013

·      More than 28 million customers used Specsavers globally in 2012/2013

·      Specsavers stores employ more than 23,000 staff globally

·      More than one in three people who wear glasses in the UK buy them from Specsavers - 10,800,000 glasses were exported from the warehouse to stores in 2013

·      Specsavers sold more than 300 million contact lenses globally in 2012/13 and has more than a million customers on direct debit schemes. Specsavers' own contact lens brand - easyvision - is the most known on the high street

·      The hearcare business in the UK has established itself as the number one high street provider of adult audiology services to the NHS

·      Specsavers supports several UK charities including Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Sound Seekers, the road safety charity Brake, the anti-bullying charity Kidscape and Vision Aid Overseas, for whom stores have raised enough funds to build a school of optometry in Zambia and open eyecare outreach clinics in much of the country.