Crimefest 2012 Site
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PAST CRIMEFEST NEWSLETTERS:

Saturday, 07 April 2012.

Hi all,

Welcome to what may well be the last newsletter before this year’s CRIMEFEST. Registered delegates will start receiving updates shortly.

- (ALMOST) SOLD OUT/PRICE INCREASE
- BLACKWELL BACK AS CRIMEFEST BOOKSELLER
- FLASHBANG CRIME WRITING CONTEST (WIN CRIMEFEST PASSES)
- OTHER NEWS
• EDITING SERVICES AND WRITING COURSES
• OTHER UPCOMING CONVENTIONS

(ALMOST) SOLD OUT/PRICE INCREASE
We’re not quite there yet, but almost! (Not surprising with a line-up that includes Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Paul Doherty, Frederick Forsyth, Sue Grafton, P.D. James, David Hewson, Philip Kerr, Roslund & Hellström, and many, many more.Visit the AUTHORS & DELEGATES page for a complete list, or the PROGRAMME page for details of interviews and panels.) There are less than fifty Full Weekend Passes left for this year’s CRIMEFEST, and fewer Day Passes and individual interview and event tickets. And don’t forget that only the Full Weekend Passes come with a high quality canvas delegate bag with a programme and some surprise goodies that include (audio) books. Also, at the end of the month the price for the Full Pass increases from £135 to £140. There are also a few places left on the CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP and TRIPS - including tea in Oxford with Colin Dexter, and a private tour of Agatha Christie’s Devon home. So, BUY TICKETS now to avoid disappointment.

BLACKWELL BACK AS CRIMEFEST BOOKSELLER
Last year we had one of the best book stands ever, so we are delighted that Blackwell's is returning as CRIMEFEST’s exclusive bookseller. A wide selection of books—recent hardbacks as well as a selection of backlisted paperbacks and some collectibles—will go on sale from midday onwards on Thursday 24 May until shorly after the closing panel in Sunday, 27 May.

FLASHBANG CRIME WRITING CONTEST (WIN CRIMEFEST PASSES)
To celebrate our fifth year, CRIMEFEST is sponsoring a new 150 word crime writing contest with a top prize of two weekend passes to CRIMEFEST. (Delegates will be reimbursed if they win and have already registered.) Other prizes include The Killing box-sets and a selection of books. Flashbang is free to enter. For a chance to win, just write an original crime story in 150 words (or less) and submit it via the Flashbang website by 15 April. The entries will be judged by a panel of hardened crime experts (writers, reviewers, editors and a bookseller) and bestselling author Zoë Sharp. For more information visit the FlashBang website or follow @FlashbangGang on Twitter for latest news.

OTHER NEWS
• EDITING SERVICES AND WRITING COURSES
Philippa Pride, Stephen King’s UK editor and acclaimed writing coach, offers one-to-one coaching, book editing, consultancy and unique writing courses in inspirational settings. For more information—the next course starts 30 April—visit www.thebookdoctor.co.uk
• OTHER UPCOMING CONVENTIONS
If you can’t make CRIMEFEST next month, then you might want to consider some other conventions coming up later this year. There is the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival in July or Bouchercon, the world mystery convention, in Cleveland, in the US in October.

My co-hosts, Myles Allfrey and Donna Moore, and I look forward to seeing you in May!

Happy Easter,

Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.

Friday, 26 March 2012.

Hi all,

It's been a while since the last update and we've got lots of news! 

- DIAMOND DAGGER WINNER FREDERICK FORSYTH AT CRIMEFEST!
- THE ITINERARY IS UP
- CRIMEFEST HOTEL BLOCK ALMOST FULL
- CRIMEFEST TRIPS, CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP & PITCH-AN-AGENT SELLING OUT
- MILLION FOR A MORGUE RECEPTION
- CRIME READERS' ASSOCIATION
- DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY & DRIVE GIVE-AWAYS
- OTHER NEWS
  • MYSTERY PEOPLE
  • ADRIAN MAGSON'S CRIME WRITING COURSE
  • LEFT COAST CRIME

DIAMOND DAGGER WINNER FREDERICK FORSYTH AT CRIMEFEST!
This year the Crime Writers' Association (CWA) has awarded its Diamond Dagger to Frederick Forsyth. This prestigious award is presented for sustained excellence in and a significant contribution to crime fiction. As the author of landmark thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War and The Fourth Protocol, Forsyth is another worthy winner joining an elite few that includes John le Carre, Dick Francis, Sue Grafton, P.D. James, Ian Rankin and Ruth Rendell. (For a full list visit the CWA website.) Since the award presentation has always been an exclusive event, CRIMEFEST traditionally invites the recipient for an interview as a more public celebration of the award. We are delighted that Frederick Forsyth has accepted and his interview will be on Friday, 25 May. He joins Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Sue Grafton, P.D. James and Roslund & Hellström as a CRIMEFEST Featured Guest Author.

THE ITINERARY IS UP!
Yes, the itinerary is now up on the CRIMEFEST website. For details of the panels, interviews and receptions, visit the PROGRAMME page.

CRIMEFEST HOTEL BLOCK ALMOST FULL
The Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, home of CRIMEFEST, has already added more rooms to the block reserved for the convention, but these too are now close to selling out. The discount code for CRIMEFEST ends on 15 April, but once the block of reserved rooms are sold out, the price reverts to whatever the going rate is at the time. Delegates are only issued with the hotel discount code once they have registered for the CRIMEFEST, so book soon if you wish to stay at the convention hotel. (The WHERE TO STAY page also lists details of nearby budget hotels.)

CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP, PITCH-AN-AGENT & CRIMEFEST TRIPS SELLING OUT
At the time of writing, only two of the thirty Pitch-an-Agent slots are left, a few places remain for the Crime Writing Workshop, and here is limited availability on the CRIMEFEST trips. Click on the hyperlinks for more information and, again, book soon to avoid disappointment!

MILLION FOR A MORGUE RECEPTION
This year's CRIMEFEST pre-Gala Dinner reception is hosted courtesy of Million for a Morgue. What is Million for a Morgue? Dundee University have enlisted a sleuth of crime writers in a unique campaign to raise one million pounds for a new morgue for their Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID). Everyone who donates to the Million For A Morgue campaign gets the chance to vote for their favourite author(s) to determine who will have their name on the new building. Participating authors are: Mark Billingham, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, Peter James, Jeff Lindsay, Val McDermid, Stuart MacBride and Kathy Reichs. The campaign's official launch party will be CRIMEFEST's Saturday evening pre-Gala Dinner reception - with the attendance of Lee, Jeffery, Peter and Professor Sue Black, a leading forensic anthropologist in the UK, and the director of the award winning CAHID. All CRIMEFEST delegates are welcome (regardless of whether you are going to the Gala Dinner), so bring your wallet! You can vote at the Million for a Morgue website if you can't wait until then. (The site will also be running competitions throughout the year for a pair of tickets to this and next year's CRIMEFEST.)

CRIME READERS' ASSOCIATION
The CWA has just launched an exciting new initiative for fans of crime fiction: the Crime Readers' Association (CRA). The CRA has a website for crime and thriller fans to keep up with their favourite CWA authors. Still in its early stages, the CRA has ambitious plans for the future. Look out for details of a CRA event at CRIMEFEST in future updates. In the meantime visit the CRA's website for more information.

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY & DRIVE GIVE-AWAYS
To highlight two of this year's participating authors we have two give-aways this month. Three copies of P.D. James' Death Comes to Pemberley are up for grabs (thanks to Faber & Faber). To enter send an email with 'pemberley' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message tocompetition@crimefest.com. The deadline is 31 March 2012.
Also attending CRIMEFEST is James Sallis, a crime writer's crime writer with a dedicated cult following. Until the recent hit film adaptation of his crime novel Drive, Sallis was probably best known for the Lew Griffin series and his highly acclaimed biography of Chester Himes. (Himes was the author of If He Hollers Let Him Go and the Coffin Johnson & Grave Digger Jones crime novels.) Courtesy of Icon Pictures, we have a copy of the Drive DVD (region 2 - Europe only) to give away. To enter send an email with 'sallis' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message to competition@crimefest.com. The deadline is 31 March 2012.

OTHER NEWS
• MYSTERY PEOPLE
Mystery Women is dead, long live Mystery People! Yes, the popular Mystery Women organisation is no more but, in its place the indefatigable Lizzie Hayes, a driving force behind Mystery Women, has set up Mystery People. Like CRIMEFEST, the idea behind Mystery People is to bring readers and writers together in celebration of the genre. For more information visit the Mystery People website.
• ADRIAN MAGSON'S CRIME WRITING COURSE
Missed out on the CRIMEFEST crime writing workshop? Or fancy the same but in a more luxurious setting? Then Adrian Magson's crime writing workshop - 21-27 April, at Chez Castillon in Castillon La Bataille on the Dordogne - might be for you. Adrian is one of the best crime writers around and the writing knowledge that he will be sharing should prove invaluable. For more information visit the websites of Adrian Magson or Chez Castillon.
• LEFT COAST CRIME IN SACRAMENTO
CRIMEFEST will have a registration booth at Left Coast Crime in Sacramento (29 March - 1 April). So, if you are there, come on by, have some Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry and some British chocolate (yes, the real stuff!) and sign up for CRIMEFEST! It's not to late to register for Left Coast Crime and join the sleuth of delegates headed by this year's Special Guest Authors John Lescroart, Harley Jane Kozak, Howard Rollins and Jacqueline Winspear.

See you in Sacramento or until the next newsletter!

Cheers,
Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.

Thursday, 22 December, 2011.

Hi all,

A final CRIMEFEST newsletter for this year:

- PRICE INCREASE FOR FULL CRIMEFEST PASS COMING UP
- PRICE INCREASE FOR CRIMEFEST TRIPS COMING UP
- HOTEL INFO
- CRIMEFEST PROGRAMME
- PAUL DOHERTY GIVE-AWAY
- LEFT COAST CRIME 2012

PRICE INCREASE FOR FULL CRIMEFEST PASS COMING UP
It is not too late to give someone—or yourself—the gift of crime this Christmas by buying them a CRIMEFEST pass to next year's convention. And if you do so before 7 January 2012 you will beat the next price increase. (It will incrementally go up to £140 ($225)). So book now because where else are you going to see Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Sue Grafton, P.D. James and Roslund & Hellström—and many, many more! - in one location? For a full line-up visit the AUTHORS & DELEGATES page, and to register go to the BUY TICKETS page.

PRICE INCREASE FOR CRIMEFEST TRIPS COMING UP
The price for the CRIMEFEST trips should have gone up on 20 December but, because we forgot to remind you, it has also been extended to 7 January 2012. This year's theme is The Best of the Past because we are revisiting the most popular excursions from past conventions, including: a guided tour of Morse and Peter Wimsey's Oxford including tea with Colin Dexter; see the sites of Jane Austen's Bath and the location of Peter Lovesey's Inspector Diamond series; the quintessential England of the Cotswolds as featured in Rosemary & Thyme and the books of M.C. Beaton, Ann Granger and Betty Rowlands; and last, but certainly not least, a private tour of Greenway, Agatha Christie's Devon home, with John Curran, the leading expert on the Queen of Crime. For more information visit TRIPS/WHAT TO DO and to book tickets go to CRIMEFEST TRIPS.

HOTEL INFO
All registered delegates should now have received their discount code for the CRIMEFEST convention hotel. (Contact us at info@crimefest.com if you have registered but did not received the code.) Please note that there are only a limited number of twin rooms, and that the discount code is only valid until 15 April 2012. Suggested budget hotels are the Travelodge and Ibis, both less than ten minutes’ walk from the convention hotel. For more information visit the WHERE TO STAY page.

CRIMEFEST PROGRAMME
A draft CRIMEFEST programme has been drawn up. An email with panel assignments will be sent to moderators and participating authors in early January and we anticipate putting the itinerary on the CRIMEFEST website in early February. In addition to the Featured Guest Author interviews, CRIMEFEST will once again host the annual CWA Dagger Shortlist Reception, and there will also be an exclusive launch event for David Hewson's novelisation of The Killing with surprise cast and/or crew members.

PAUL DOHERTY GIVE-AWAY
The CRIMEFEST programme will also see Paul Doherty and Philip Kerr in conversation. Best known for his Bernie Gunther books—though check out his other novels as well—Philip Kerr was last year's winner of the CRIMEFEST eDunnit Award for Field Grey. Prolific Paul Doherty may soon see one of his series on the small screen as his Mathilde of Westminster books have been optioned by ITV. To celebrate this upcoming event  with these masters of historical crime fiction, Goldsboro Books are providing three signed first editions of Paul Doherty's most recent novel Bloodstone. To enter send an email with 'bloodstone' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline is 31 January 2012.

LEFT COAST CRIME
Can't wait until next May for CRIMEFEST? Then why not check out Left Coast Crime in Sacramento next March? Featured Guest Authors are John Lescroart and Jacqueline Winspear. For the full line-up and more information visit the Left Coast Crime website.

Finally, on behalf of my co-hosts Myles Allfrey and Donna Moore, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cheers,

Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.

Friday, 11 November, 2011.

Hi all,

- PD JAMES JOINS CRIMEFEST FEATURED GUEST AUTHOR LINE-UP
- THE KILLING LAUNCHES AT CRIMEFEST
- PITCH-AN-AGENT (FULL CRIMEFEST PASS NO LONGER REQUIRED)
- CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP
- DEBUT DAGGER
- HOTEL INFO
- AGATHA CHRISTIE GIVE-AWAYS
- MISCELLANEOUS NEWS

PD JAMES JOINS CRIMEFEST FEATURED GUEST AUTHOR LINE-UP
We are still pinching ourselves, but it is true: PD James will be joining the already magnificent line-up of Featured Guest Authors participating at CRIMEFEST's fifth anniversary. Of course the legendary writer, a CWA Diamond Dagger recipient and MWA Grandmaster will be talking about her famous creations Adam Dalgliesh and Cordelia Gray, but she will also be discussing her new novel Death Comes to Pemberley. Set six years after Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Darcy find themselves caught up trying to solve a murder. And having now announced the Baroness' participation, we still don't quite believe it. (Visit AUTHORS & DELEGATES page for a complete and up-do-date list of participating authors.)

THE KILLING LAUNCHES AT CRIMEFEST
The original Scandinavian series of The Killing has become an international award-winning television phenomenon. It won the Bafta for Best International TV Drama and Best Actress and Supporting Actress Daggers for Sofie Gråbøl and Ann Eleonora Jørgensen at the ITV Crime Thriller Awards. Now, after a hotly contested auction, Pan Macmillan has won the novelisation rights. Adapting the drama into a novel is award-winning author David Hewson. In preparation for the book David, best known for his superb Nic Costa crime novels, spent time in Copenhagen immersing himself in the community, absorbing the atmosphere and talking to the scriptwriter, Søren Sveistrup. Pan Macmillan have chosen to launch the novelisation of The Killing at CRIMEFEST with David Hewson and one or more surprise members from the cast and/or the production team.

PITCH-AN-AGENT (FULL CRIMEFEST PASS NO LONGER REQUIRED)
Since we first introduced the highly popular Pitch-an-Agent event at CRIMEFEST three years ago few things have changed: making it through the publisher's slush pile to become a published author is becoming less and less likely. What has changed is that this year aspiring crime writers no longer have to sign up for the whole CRIMEFEST weekend to be able to pitch their manuscript to a top literary agent! For the price of a Day Pass and a £25 fee aspiring authors will have ten minutes with a representative from the Darley Anderson Literary TV & Film Agency,  DHH Literary Agency or the Wade & Doherty Literary Agency. For more information visit theWORKSHOP/PITCH-AN-AGENT page. This unique opportunity to gain representation has sold out each year, so REGISTER early to avoid disappointment.

CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP
The CRIMEFEST crime writing workshop also returns. The intensive Thursday afternoon session not only comes with one-on-one feedback from the tutor on submitted sample chapters but, for those who are eligible, it also includes entry to the Crime Writers' Associations Debut Dagger competition (see below for more information). The workshop is aimed at aspiring authors who need that extra push to take a stab at starting their crime novel, as well as those who have a manuscript but need some tips on how to improve it. For more information visit the WORKSHOP/PITCH-AN-AGENT page. There are limited places and, as with Pitch-an-Agent, the workshop frequently sells out. So, again, REGISTER early to avoid disappointment.

DEBUT DAGGER
Now in its fourteenth year, the CWA's Debut Dagger competition is for the best manuscript by an unpublished author. And the good news is that it only costs £25 and you don't have to be British to enter. As long as the criteria are met, all submissions written in English are eligible, wherever the writer may live. Whilst winning—or being shortlisted—doesn't guarantee you'll get published, it does mean your work will be seen by leading agents and top editors, who have signed up over two dozen winners and shortlisted Debut Dagger competitors. Previous winners and shortlisted writers include Stephen Booth, Alan Bradley, Barbara Cleverly, Louise Penny, and Ed Wright, and they have all gone on to become commercially published, award-winning authors. For details on how to enter, visit the CWA's Debut Dagger page.

HOTEL INFO
Registered delegates will receive their discount code for the CRIMEFEST convention hotel by 18 November. Newly registered delegates will receive the discount code by email once they have signed up for CRIMEFEST 2012. When booking with the discount code the rates for the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel are £96 single occupancy and £120 double occupancy. This includes the full breakfast buffet (usually costing an additional £17.25). The rates apply for 21-28 May 2012. A limited block of rooms are guaranteed until 15 April 2012. Suggested budget hotels are the Travelodge and Ibis, both less than a ten minute walk away from the convention hotel. For more information visit the WHERE TO STAY page.

AGATHA CHRISTIE GIVE-AWAYS
One of the Best Of The Past CRIMEFEST trips next year is the ever-popular visit to Greenway, the Devon home of Agatha Christie. As always, the exclusive guide will be John Curran, author of Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks and its recent follow-up Agatha Christie's Murder in the Making: Stories and Secrets from Her Archive. (John also returns as a participating author at the convention.) This month we have not one but two give-aways: To celebrate the publication of Agatha Christie's Murder in the Making, HarperCollins have given us five copies to pass on to our newsletter recipients. To enter, send an email with 'Curran' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message to competition@crimefest.com.
AudioGO have provided us with five CDs of The Capture of Cerberus and The Incident of the Dog's Ball read by David Suchet. The  two unpublished Poirot stories were discovered by John Curran during his research for Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks. To enter, send an email with 'Poirot' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message to competition@crimefest.com.
The deadline for both competitions is 30 November.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
Can't wait until next year's CRIMEFEST to see PD James? She is currently making appearances throughout the UK to promote Death Comes To Pemberley. For more information about these events, visit the Faber & Faber site and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Patricia Cornwell is also doing the rounds to publicise her latest Scarpetta novel Red Mist. For event details, and a chance to win a signed copy visit the Little, Brown website.

And CRIMEFEST will be co-presenting an event with Bristol Libraries at the Central Library in—surprise, surprise—Bristol on 1 December. R J Ellory and Adrian Magson will be discussing their new books Bad Signs and Deception. For tickets and more information visit the Bristol Libraries website.

That's it for this newsletter. With the author line-up we have for next year there is no reason not to sign up and celebrate our fifth anniversary with us. You can also give the gift of CRIMEFEST to a friend or family member. Just go to the BUY TICKETS page and register. You'll only regret it if you don't!

Until next time.

Cheers,

Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.

Thursday, 13 October, 2011.

Hi all,

It’s been a while, but we have been busy trying to secure some great names to complete our already impressive author line-up. So here goes:

- SUE GRAFTON AND ROSLUND & HELLSTRÖM
- AUTHOR LINE-UP
- CRIMEFEST TRIPS
- SEE JO NESBØ'S HEADHUNTERS - FREE TICKETS!
- CWA DAGGER WINNERS ANNOUNCED
- MISCELLANEOUS NEWS

SUE GRAFTON AND ROSLUND & HELLSTRÖM
Sue Grafton and Roslund & Hellström join Lee Child and Toastmaster Jeffery Deaver to complete CRIMEFEST 2012's headliners. We are incredibly honoured to have such a crime writing legend—Sue is both a Diamond Dagger recipient as well as a Grand Master—attend next year's convention. Having started with A is for Alibi in 1982, by next year Sue will have just published V is for Vengeance and we look forward to hearing what she has to say about her international bestselling series. Talking about international bestsellers, for next year we don't just have one, but two, Translated Featured Guest Authors. Anders Roslund & Börge Hellström—winners of this year's International Dagger for best translated crime novel with Three Seconds—have taken the international crime writing community by storm.

AUTHOR LINE-UP
And if the above wasn't enough, Paul Doherty  will be joining Philip Kerr as another of our Highlighted Authors. The hugely popular and prolific historical crime writer will be interviewed with another—still to be announced—author. Visit the AUTHORS & DELEGATES page to see which other authors will be attending.

CRIMEFEST TRIPS
The CRIMEFEST trips are back and, as part of the anniversary celebrations, the excursions are a mix of the best from the five past years. So if you missed one, or would like to revisit one of your favourites, there will be another chance to visit Oxford and have tea with Colin Dexter; drive through the Cotswolds that inspired M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin novels and provided the location for Rosemary & Thyme; and, of course, visiting Greenway—Agatha Christie's home—with Christie expert extraordinaire John Curran is back again as well. Delegates can sign up for an all-inclusive itinerary or for individual day-trips. Visit the TRIPS/WHAT TO DO page for more information.

SEE JO NESBØ'S HEADHUNTERS
Courtesy of the Norwegian Embassy, one lucky newsletter subscriber will win two tickets to the sold-out London Film Festival screenings of Headhunters on Tuesday evening, 18 October. The movie is based on the novel with the same name by Jo Nesbø. To enter, send an email with 'headhunters' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message to competition@crimefest.com. The deadline to enter is this coming Sunday, 16 October. (Please only enter if you are able to attend the 8:30pm screening at the VUE cinema on Leicester Square, London.)

CWA DAGGER WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The winners of three of the Crime Writers’ Associations prestigious Daggers were revealed at the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards held on 7th October at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. And on 13 October the shortlists for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award were announced. To see who the nominated authors are, and who won the Gold, Creasey and Steel Daggers visit the CWA website.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
- Lee Child ebook exclusive
- Murder Squad: Best Eaten Cold
- Festival of Romance

Lee Child ebook exclusive
Featured Guest Author Lee Child recently released a short story about a thirteen year old Jack Reacher exclusively in various ebook formats. In Second Son, Child looks back at an incident in Reacher's teenage years on a faraway military base in the Pacific. For more information visit Lee's website.
 
Murder Squad: Best Eaten Cold
The Murder Squad—the collective of writers that include CRIMEFEST regulars Anne Cleeves and Martin Edwards—have recently published a collection of short stories called Best Eaten Cold and Other Short Stories. For a free sampler, visit The History Press.

Festival of Romance
If your taste in crime fiction is towards the romantic kind, then the first ever Festival of Romance will have something to cater to your tastes. It is being held at Hunton Park, near Watford, Hertfordshire and runs from 21-22 October.

In the next newsletter we will have news about the CRIMEFEST Awards and the Pitch-an-Agent strand. In the meantime, don't hold off until tomorrow what you can do today, and REGISTER for CRIMEFEST!

That is it until next time.

Cheers,

Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.

Tuesday, 12 July, 2011.

Following this year's very successful CRIMEFEST—an increase in delegates and book sales!—this is the first newsletter for 2012. It's brief but it has some major author announcements:

- CRIMEFEST 2012 FEATURED GUEST AUTHORS: LEE CHILD & JEFFERY DEAVER
- £100 EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
- 2011 CRIMEFEST AWARD WINNERS
- BODIES IN THE BOOKSHOP
- HARROGATE CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL

CRIMEFEST 2012 FEATURED GUEST AUTHORS: LEE CHILD & JEFFERY DEAVER
CRIMEFEST celebrates its fifth anniversary next year. Since it came into existence as a spinoff from the Bristol Left Coast Crime convention in 2006, we thought we'd acknowledge that by inviting two LCC06 Featured Guest Authors back: Lee Child and Jeffery Deaver (as the Toastmaster). We also have a confirmed Highlighted Author: Philip Kerr, this year's CRIMEFEST eDunnit Award winner for Best Crime eBook. We can't think of a better way to start CRIMEFEST 2012 than by announcing the participation of these authors! (For a list of all authors registered to date visit the AUTHORS & DELEGATES page.)

£100 EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
The £100 early bird registration for a full CRIMEFEST pass ends on 31 July. The fee will incrementally go up to £140. If you sign up at the bargain rate before the end of July, the savings will pay for a ticket to next year's Gala Dinner. So don't wait and REGISTER now!

2011 CRIMEFEST AWARD WINNERS
The winners of this year's CRIMEFEST awards were announced at the Gala Dinner:

eDunnit Award
Philip Kerr - Field Grey
for Best Crime eBook of 2010

Last Laugh Award
L.C. Tyler - The Herring in the Library
for Best Humorous Crime Novel of 2010

Sounds of Crime Awards
John le Carre - Our Kind of Traitor (author and reader)
for Best Abridged Crime Audiobook of 2010

Peter James - Dead Like You (David Bauckman, reader)
for Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook of 2010

Congratulations to all the winners! (For the shortlists visit the 2011 AWARDS page)

BODIES IN THE BOOKSHOP
Can't wait until next year's CRIMEFEST? In that case the next big date in the crime calendar is 19 July when Heffers once again hosts Bodies in the Bookshop. Make murder your business and join a sleuth of crime writers and readers for a glass of wine to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Heffers' and Richard Reynold's annual crime fiction extravaganza! Tickets cost £7.50 and can be obtained from Heffers Bookshop, 20 Trinity Street, Cambridge or by contacting Richard Reynolds: Tel: 01223-568532 (email: literature@heffers.co.uk). Participating authors include: Michael Arnold, Richard Blake, C.J. Box, Alison Bruce, Will Carver, Jane Casey, Barbara Cleverly, Charles Cumming, Ruth Downie, Patrick Easter, Kate Ellis, Mark Ellis, Jane Finnis, Meg Gardiner, Elly Griffiths, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, Tarquin Hall, Oliver Harris, Suzette Hill, Lis Howell, Rebecca Jenkins, Ben Kane, Jim Kelly, Deryn Lake, Patrick Lennon, Katia Lief, Andrew Martin, Rose Melikan, D. E. Meredith, Roger Morris, Martin O'Brien, Christine Poulson, Ann Purser, Philip Purser, Sheila Quigley, Linda Regan, Imogen Robertson, Andrew Rosenheim, Leigh Russell, Zoë Sharp, Harry Sidebottom, Michelle Spring, Lyndon Stacey, Frank Tallis, Simon Toyne, L.C. Tyler, S.J. Watson, Jason Webster, Emily Winslow and many more.

HARROGATE CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL
And if that isn't enough to satisfy your lust for crime (fiction), just two days later sees the start of Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (21-24 July) in Harrogate. This year's line-up includes David Baldacci, Linwood Barclay, Lee Child, Martina Cole, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Dennis Lehane and Howard Marks. For more details visit the Harrogate website.

Finally, Myles and I have been co-hosting CRIMEFEST since it was Left Coast Crime 2006. However, we would never have been able to do so if it had not been for Donna Moore. Donna has always been responsible for the bulk of the programming and, since this is one of the vital aspects of the convention, we are delighted to say that Donna has accepted our invitation to join as a co-host.

That is it until next time.

Cheers,

Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.