[See Updates under PAST CRIMEFEST WEBSITES for older newsletters.]
Friday, 15 June, 2018.
Hi all,
Welcome to the sixth and final newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2018.
(Visit the website for PAST NEWSLETTERS.)
First of all, we’d like to thank all the delegates and all those who supported CRIMEFEST in making our 10th anniversary event such a success! We couldn’t have done it without you.
Secondly, congratulations to all the winners of the CRIMEFEST awards – see details below.
In this newsletter:
– CRIMEFEST AWARDS
– CRIMEFEST BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS
– THANK YOU TO LIZ AND MYLES
– CRIMEFEST 2019
– UNSUBSCRIBE
CRIMEFEST AWARDS
The winners of the CRIMEFEST awards were announced at the convention gala dinner on 19 May.
Audible Sounds of Crime Award
– J.P. Delaney, The Girl Before (Quercus), read by Emilia Fox, Finty Williams & Lise Aagaard Knudsen
The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the UK in 2017 in both printed and audio formats, and available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks. Courtesy of sponsor Audible UK, the winning author and audiobook reader(s) share the £1,000 prize equally and each receives a Bristol Blue Glasscommemorative award.
eDunnit Award
– Michael Connelly, The Late Show (Orion)
The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
H.R.F. Keating Award
– Mike Ripley, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (HarperCollins)
The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Last Laugh Award
– Mick Herron, Spook Street (John Murray)
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Best Crime Novel for Children (aged 8-12)
– Helena Duggan, A Place Called Perfect (Usborne Publishing)
This award is for the best crime novel for children first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (12-16)
– Patrice Lawrence, Indigo Donut (Hodder Children’s Books)
This award is for the best crime novel for young adults first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Congratulations to all the winners. For details of all the shortlisted authors visit the CRIMEFEST 2018 AWARDS page.
Also presented at CRIMEFEST was the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian crime novel. The winner is:
– Malin Persson Giolito, Quicksand, translated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles (Simon & Schuster)
CRIMEFEST BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS
Having supported twenty local UK libraries by providing them with 4,000 crime novels for our Big Library Crime Book Giveaway, CRIMEFEST now sets its sights on increasing children’s literacy and ‘addicting’ the next generation of readers of the genre by providing free books to school libraries. Publishers submitting titles for the awards for Best Crime Novel for Children and Best Crime Novel for Young Adults were required to provide a number of copies of every title entered. CRIMEFEST has teamed up with Britain’s School Library Association (SLA) to distribute sets of the books to schools throughout the country. (Schools who are members of the SLA will receive an email on how to apply.) Recipient schools will also have the chance to opt into having their pupils review the books, with one lucky reviewer from each participating school receiving a £10 book token.
THANK YOU TO LIZ AND MYLES
In addition to the winners of the awards, a further, much sadder, announcement was made: the retirement of Myles Allfrey and Liz Hatherell. Both were members of the CRIMEFEST team since year one, with Myles as co-host and Liz – as first point of contact for delegates at the registration desk – the ‘face’ of the convention. Both will be much missed, but we look forward to welcoming them back as future delegates! Fortunately co-host Donna Moore, who never fails to do less than an amazing job of programming all the panels, is staying on. No doubt Myles would agree that, as a co-host, Donna deserves more credit than she receives.
CRIMEFEST 2019
CRIMEFEST very much looks forward to returning in 2019 and we are hopeful that we will be able to confirm the dates in the next newsletter. (Note to 2018 delegates: if you haven’t already done so, please complete this year’s survey!)
UNSUBSCRIBE
Recent European legislation required organisations to allow contacts on mailing lists to opt out of receiving further information. We would like to point out that recipients of the CRIMEFEST newsletters have always had – and will continue to have – this facility: at the bottom of this newsletter there is a hyperlinked option to leave the mailing list. (However, should you choose to do so, you may miss out on the option to register for CRIMEFEST 2019!)
Until the next time,
Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-host.
Friday, 20 April, 2018.
Hi all,
Welcome to the fifth and probably last newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2018, the year in which we celebrate our 10th anniversary with Featured Guest Authors Martina Cole, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Peter James, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Gunnar Staalesen, and some 150 other authors! Buy TICKETS or visit our website for more information and to see our festive logo.
(Visit the website for PAST NEWSLETTERS.)
CRIMEFEST delegates will receive an update in the first week of May.
In this newsletter:
– CRIMEFEST AWARDS
– GALA DINNER WITH TOASTMASTER ROBERT THOROGOOD
– PITCH AN AGENT – LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER
– DAY AND INTERVIEW TICKETS – PDF BOOKING FORM
– THURSDAY PUB QUIZ
– SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUEDO – WIN FLIGHT & PASS TO ICELAND NOIR
– NATIONAL CRIME READING MONTH – BIG LIBRARY CRIME BOOK GIVEAWAY
– CAROLE BLAKE OPEN DOORS PROJECT
CRIMEFEST AWARDS
CRIMEFEST is delighted to announce the shortlists for their awards.
– Audible Sounds of Crime Award
– eDunnit Award
– H.R.F. Keating Award
– Last Laugh Award
– Best Crime Novel for Children (aged 8-12)
– Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (12-16)
The winners will be announced at the CRIMEFEST Gala Awards Dinner, with Toastmaster Robert Thorogood, on Saturday, 19 May. For more information see further down.
Audible Sounds of Crime Award
The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook first published in the UK in 2017 in both printed and audio formats, and available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks. Courtesy of sponsor Audible UK, the winning author and audiobook reader(s) share the £1,000 prize equally and each receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Nominees for Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
– Fiona Barton, The Child (Audible Studios), read by Clare Corbett, Adjoa Andoh, Finty Williams, Fenella Woolgar & Steven Pacey
– Lee Child, The Midnight Line (Transworld), read by Jeff Harding
– J.P. Delaney, The Girl Before (Quercus), read by Emilia Fox, Finty Williams & Lise Aagaard Knudsen
– Sarah A. Denzil, Silent Child (Audible Studios), read by Joanne Froggatt
– Alice Feeney, Sometimes I Lie (HQ – Harper Collins), read by Stephanie Racine
– Michelle Frances, The Girlfriend (Pan Macmillan Audio), read by Antonia Beamish
– Anthony Horowitz, The Word is Murder (Penguin Random House Audio), read by Rory Kinnear
– David Lagercrantz, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (Quercus), read by Saul Reichlin
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and Audible UK listeners established the shortlist and the winning title.
eDunnit Award
The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Nominees for the eDunnit Award:
– Chris Brookmyre, Want You Gone (Little, Brown Book Group)
– Ken Bruen, The Ghosts of Galway (Head of Zeus)
– Michael Connelly, The Late Show (Orion)
– Joe Ide, IQ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
– Dennis Lehane, Since We Fell (Little, Brown Book Group)
– Steve Mosby, You Can Run (Orion)
– Gunnar Staalesen, Wolves in the Dark (Orenda Books)
– Sarah Stovell, Exquisite (Orenda Books)
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.
H.R.F. Keating Award
The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction first published in the British Isles in 2017. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists, crime reviewers and writer of books about crime fiction. The winning author receives a commemorativeBristol Blue Glass award.
Nominees for the H.R.F. Keating Award:
– Martin Edwards, The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books (British Library)
– Barry Forshaw, American Noir (No Exit Press)
– Sam Naidu, Sherlock Holmes in Context (Palgrave Macmillan)
– Benjamin Poore, Sherlock Holmes from Screen to Stage (Palgrave Macmillan)
– Mike Ripley, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (HarperCollins)
– Christopher Sandford, The Man Who Would Be Sherlock (The History Press)
– Michael Sims, Arthur & Sherlock (Bloomsbury)
– Nick Triplow, Getting Carter (No Exit Press)
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.
Last Laugh Award
The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Nominees for the Last Laugh Award:
– Simon Brett, Blotto, Twinks and the Stars of the Silver Screen (Little, Brown Book Group)
– Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May – Wild Chamber (Doubleday)
– Mick Herron, Spook Street (John Murray)
– Vaseem Khan, The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star (Mullholland Books)
– Khurrum Rahman, East of Hounslow (HQ – HarperCollns)
– C.J. Skuse, Sweetpea (HQ – HarperCollins)
– Antti Tuomainen, The Man Who Died (Orenda Books)
– L.C. Tyler, Herring in the Smoke (Allison & Busby Ltd)
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.
Best Crime Novel for Children (aged 8-12)
This award is for the best crime novel for children first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Nominees for the Best Crime Novel for Children:
– Linwood Barclay, Chase (Orion Children’s Books)
– Kieran Crowley, The Misfits Club (Macmillan Children’s Books)
– Helena Duggan, A Place Called Perfect (Usborne Publishing)
– Santa & Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Royal Rabbits of London: Escape from the Tower (Simon & Schuster)
– Dermot O’Leary, Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape (Hodder Children’s Books)
– Alex T. Smith, Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure (Hodder Children’s Books)
– Harriet Whitehorn, Violet and the Mummy Mystery (Simon & Schuster)
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and booksellers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.
Best Crime Novel for Young Adults (12-16)
This award is for the best crime novel for young adults first published in the British Isles in 2017. The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.
Nominees for the Best Crime Novel for Young Adults:
– Cat Clarke, Girlhood (Quercus Children’s Books)
– Zana Fraillon, The Ones That Disappeared (Orion Children’s Books)
– Will Hill, After the Fire (Usborne Publishing)
– Patrice Lawrence, Indigo Donut (Hodder Children’s Books)
– E. Lockhart, Genuine Fraud (Hot Key Books)
– Sophie McKenzie, SweetFreak (Simon & Schuster)
– Teri Terry, Dark Matter: Contagion (Orchard Books)
– Teresa Toten, Beware That Girl (Hot Key Books)
Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and booksellers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.
GALA DINNER WITH TOASTMASTER ROBERT THOROGOOD
In addition to brief speeches by the Featured Guest Authors, the CRIMEFEST Award winners will be announced at the CRIMEFEST Gala Awards Dinner with Toastmaster Robert Thorogood. Robert is the creator of the highly popular Death in Paradise television series, and he also writes the crime novels based on the series. Also announced at the dinner will be the winner of the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. To attend visit the CRIMEFEST TICKETS page
PITCH AN AGENT – LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER
A few places remain for Pitch an Agent, and the deadline to register is 25 April. Participating are Pitch originator Camilla Wray (from the Darley Anderson Agency), Broo Doherty (from the DHH Literary Agency) and Philip Patterson (from Marjacq Scripts). Some of the authors these agencies represent include Lee Child, Martina Cole, Stuart Macbride, L.C. Tyler, and Luca Veste. The best description for Pitch an Agent is ‘speed dating for an agent meets BBC’s Dragon’s Den’ (or Shark Tank if you are in the US). You make your pitch to all three agents simultaneously (but privately, so no public humiliation – or triumph…) If you are looking for an agent, have not previously participated, and are not commercially published, then this is for you! Pitch an Agent is only open to delegates with a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFESTPass. Visit PITCH AN AGENT for more information or buy TICKETS.
DAY AND INTERVIEW TICKETS – PDF BOOKING FORM
A limited number of Day Passes and Interview tickets are now on sale on the TICKETS page. We’ve had requests for an non-online registration option, so we have added a PDF registration form.
THURSDAY PUB QUIZ FOCUSES ON ATTENDING AUTHORS
CRIMEFEST would not be the same without Thursday evening’s Pub Quiz hosted by Quiz Master Peter Guttridge. Not only has he assured us that the questions will not be as hard as on previous occasions, but to make things easier he has promised that many of them will focus on this year’s participating authors. There will be some great prizes for the three teams with the most correct answers, and participants receive a complimentary drink – while stock lasts – courtesy of the Marriott Hotel.
SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUEDO – WIN FLIGHT & PASS TO ICELAND NOIR
To end our 10th anniversary celebrations with a bang, we are delighted to welcome back Mike Ripley and his fabulous anarchic ‘Sorry I Haven’t A Cluedo’ quiz, which was a highlight of the 2016 convention (scroll down to see clips on CRIMEFEST’s VIDEO CLIPS page). This year’s teams feature Alison Bruce, Ruth Dudley Edwards and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir versus Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver and Andrew Taylor. The quiz has very few rules (those that do exist are rarely abided by) but lots of laughs. Somewhere amongst quiz rounds like ‘Charades’, ‘Lost in Translation’ and ‘Feel the Author’ – yes, you read that correctly – someone will win a pass and flight to this year’s Iceland Noir by taking part in the Twisted Titles competition. What are Twisted Titles? Take the title of a well known crime, thriller or spy novel, and give it a twist. For example: The Silence of the Hams; or The Girl with the Wagon Tattoo. Multiple entries will be allowed, and there could be bonus points for anyone who gets ‘Girl’ in the title.
NATIONAL CRIME READING MONTH – BIG LIBRARY CRIME BOOK GIVEAWAY
The month of May is National Crime Reading Month (NCRM) in the UK and, in association with the Crime Writers’ Association, CRIMEFEST is once again organising its Big Library Crime Book Giveaway. To celebrate our anniversary, we are expanding the promotion beyond Bristol to include libraries in Birmingham, Glasgow and South Tyneside. With thanks to publishers Avon Books, Bonnier, Crime Scene Books, Head of Zeus, Headline, Mirror Books, No Exit Press, Orenda Books, Soho Press,Urbane Publications and specialist bookseller Goldsboro Books, each city will receive up to 1,000 mixed crime titles to give away through PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES on Saturday, 5 May. (One book per reader.)
For information on NCRM events across the country visit www.crimereadingmonth.co.uk
CAROLE BLAKE OPEN DOORS PROJECT
The Carole Blake Open Doors Project is a programme specifically aimed at encouraging candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds to enter the publishing industry. Set up in memory of literary agent Carole Blake, the Blake Friedmann agency is offering ten days of work-shadowing to a selected applicant over a two-week period, including funding for travel and up to twelve nights’ accommodation in London. The programme, which runs twice a year, will include close mentorship with Blake Friedmann’s book agents, the opportunity to attend selected meetings with editors and clients, and the chance to be involved in every aspect of day-to-day life as an agent. It is intended that candidates will come away from the project with varied knowledge of working for a leading literary agency, the beginnings of new and essential relationships in the publishing industry, and some excellent experience to include on their CVs. For more information visit the Open Doors Project website.
We look forward to welcoming you to CRIMEFEST this May.
Best wishes,
Myles Allfrey, Donna Moore and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.
1 March, 2018.
Hi all,
Welcome to the fourth newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2018, the year in which we celebrate its 10th anniversary! (Visit the website for PAST NEWSLETTERS.)
Please note that the Full Weekend Pas goes up to £200 on 5 March. Buy your TICKETS now to beat the price increase.
In this newsletter:
– MARTINA COLE, PETER JAMES, YRSA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR AND GUNNAR STAALESEN
– JOHN BANVILLE & JOHN SIMENON
– OTHER HIGHLIGHTS AND ITINERARY
– HOTELS FILLED AND FILLING UP
– FORENSIC CRIME SCENE EXCURSION
– PITCH AN AGENT / MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE
– TEN YEAR STRETCH: CELEBRATING A DECADE OF CRIMEFEST
MARTINA COLE, PETER JAMES, YRSA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR AND GUNNAR STAALESEN
We are delighted to announce that Martina Cole, Peter James, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Gunnar Staalesen join Lee Child and Jeffery Deaver in finalising our line-up of Featured Guest Authors. Lee and Jeff were our guests at the Bristol visit of US convention Left Coast Crime in 2006, then came back for the fifth anniversary of CRIMEFEST, and we asked them two years ago to pencil the dates in for our tenth. We’re using the occasion to invite some of our other favourite Featured Guests back as well: Peter and Yrsa. New headliners are Martina and Gunnar. As she is one of the most popular and bestselling authors in the UK, we’ve been trying to get Martina as a Featured Guest Author for years, so this is a great birthday present! Of course Gunnar has attended before and in light of his continued excellence in writing, recognised with last year’s Petrona Award, we’ve invited him back as one of our headliners. And to do something different for our celebrations, we’re pairing everyone up for their interviews: ‘anniversary’ guests Lee & Jeff, mates Martina & Peter, and translated guests and former Petrona winners Yrsa & Gunnar. We’re hoping that they do joint speeches at the Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday as well.
JOHN BANVILLE & JOHN SIMENON
Every year we have one or more pairs of highlighted guests in conversation. This year will see John Banville (aka Benjamin Black) and John Simenon, son of the great Georges Simenon, being interviewed by Maxim Jakubowski. In ‘Maigret and Beyond’, delegates will find out how John S keeps his father’s legacy alive for fans of the legendary Maigret police procedurals. John B is one of those fans but is, of course, a highly respected novelist as well, having written – in the guise of Benjamin Black – the much loved Quirke books and his one-off continuation of Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe series.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS AND ITINERARY
There are lots of other highlights as well. These include a complimentary copy of Ten Year Stretch, an anthology which celebrates a decade of CRIMEFEST (more info further down), as well as a debate on who the better spy novelist is: Ian Fleming or John le Carré. Making their cases are Charlie Higson, author of the young James Bond books, and Adam Sisman, le Carré’s biographer, respectively. There will also be two receptions, one of them to announce the nominees for the Crime Writer Association’s Dagger Awards, which are open to all Full Weekend Pass holders, as well as Thursday’s traditional pub quiz with Peter Guttridge. In addition to many more exciting events, we close the anniversary year by welcoming back Mike Ripley and his ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Cluedo’. This anarchic quiz – a highlight of 2016 – has very few rules (those that do exist are rarely abided by) but lots of laughs (some of them intentional). And somewhere amongst the quiz rounds – will ‘Feel the Author’ be back? (yes, you read that correctly) – one or more members of the audience will win prizes.
All of this leads nicely into the announcement that this year’s itinerary is now up on the website on the PROGRAMME page! Authors, please check that your panels correspond with the details we sent you.
HOTELS FILLED AND FILLING UP
Guest bedrooms in CRIMEFEST’s delegate block at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel are now full for most nights. The suggested four-star overspill hotel is the Radisson Blu, diagonally(ish) across from the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. The Radisson has added further rooms to its CRIMEFEST delegate block, but these are going fast as well, so book soon to avoid disappointment. The other suggested nearby hotels are the Bristol Centre locations of the Ibis and Travelodge. You can find more details on the CRIMEFEST WHERE TO STAY page.
FORENSIC CRIME SCENE EXCURSION
For the second year running the University of the West of England (UWE) are offering delegates special access to their Crime Scene experts who train the police and Forensic Science students. Delegates will be briefed on a crime scene and will identify clues, get hands-on experience of searching for evidence, testing for fingerprints, identifying blood and other substances and getting to use mysterious pieces of forensic kit. Forensics experts will also be on hand to guide you through and answer specific questions, focusing on modern-day procedures in a historic setting. The excursion is based on UWE’s campus and a minibus will pick delegates up at 9.30am outside the Marriott Hotel and deliver them back at 12.30, in plenty of time for the first panel. Spaces are limited, in order to ensure a great experience for all participants. For more information – including details of this year’s special crime scene – visit FORENSIC CRIME SCENE EXCURSION or, to register, visit the TICKETS page.
PITCH AN AGENT / MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE
Pitch an Agent returns again in 2018 with Pitch originator Camilla Wray (from the Darley Anderson Agency), Broo Doherty (from the DHH Literary Agency) and Philip Patterson (from Marjacq Scripts). Some of the authors these agencies represent include Lee Child, Martina Cole, Stuart Macbride, L.C. Tyler, and Luca Veste. The best description for Pitch an Agent is ‘speed dating for an agent meets BBC’s Dragon’s Den (or Shark Tank if you are in the US). You make your pitch to all three agents simultaneously (but privately, so no public humiliation – or triumph…) If you are looking for an agent, have not previously participated, and are not commercially published, then this is for you! Pitch an Agent is only open to delegates with a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFEST Pass. Visit PITCH AN AGENT for more information or buy TICKETS.
Also returning is the One-on-One Manuscript Assessment Service for those who are looking for feedback on a finished (or almost completed) manuscript. Based on a submitted sample of your writing, crime novelist Janet Laurence will provide constructive feedback allowing manuscripts to be submitted in the best possible format to agents and/or editors. Manuscript Assessment slots are only open to delegates who are not commercially published, are without an agent and who have registered for a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFEST Pass. Visit ONE-ON-ONE MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT for more information or buy TICKETS.
And finally…
TEN YEAR STRETCH: CELEBRATING A DECADE OF CRIMEFEST
Thanks to devoted CRIMEFEST delegate Jane Burfield, who wished to sponsor something special to mark CRIMEFEST’s 10th anniversary, we have been able to commission Ten Year Stretch: Celebrating A Decade Of CRIMEFEST. The proceeds of this anthology of twenty new stories go to the convention’s longstanding charity of choice: the reading library of the RNIB. Full Pass holders attending this year receive a complimentary copy of the anthology with a foreword by Peter James and contributions from current and former attending authors Bill Beverley, Simon Brett, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Martin Edwards (also co-editor), Kate Ellis, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Mick Herron, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsay, Ian Rankin, James Sallis, Zoë Sharp, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Maj Sjöwall (translated by Catherine Edwards), Michael Stanley and Andrew Taylor. The anthology is being published in the UK by No Exit Press and in the US by Poisoned Pen Press, and the stories see the return of much-loved series characters, and cover every conceivable category that makes up the rich crime fiction genre. The publication has already been covered by the Kirkus Review and Publishers Weekly, and we can’t be prouder of the collection or more thankful to the contributors and those who made it possible. So, buy TICKETS to CRIMEFEST now to guarantee your complimentary copy.
That’s it until the next newsletter.
Best wishes,
Myles Allfrey, Donna Moore and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.
Saturday, 25 November 2017.
Hi all,
Welcome to the third newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2018, the year in which we celebrate its 10th anniversary! (Visit the website for PAST NEWSLETTERS.)
In this newsletter:
– GIVE CRIMEFEST FOR CHRISTMAS
– GALA DINNER PRICE INCREASE
– CRIMEFEST AWARDS
– CHRISTMAS READING
– CRIME BOOK GIVEAWAY
GIVE CRIMEFEST FOR CHRISTMAS
Do you give or receive crime novels for Christmas? If so, why not do something novel and give the gift of CRIMEFEST to your nearest and dearest (or yourself) as a festive present this year! We are planning some special events and there is a wonderful line-up of PARTICIPATING AUTHORS. (More Highlighted and Feature Guests to be announced). Also, to celebrate our 10th anniversary, all full pass holders receive a celebratory anthology of new stories by (past) CRIMEFEST authors Bill Beverly, Simon Brett, Lee Child, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Mick Herron, Donna Moore, Caro Ramsey, Ian Rankin, James Sallis, Zoë Sharp, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Maj Sjöwall, Michael Stanley and Andrew Taylor. The price goes up in the new year, so buy TICKETS now to avoid the price increase.
GALA DINNER PRICE INCREASE
The price of the Gala Dinner tickets goes up to £55 on 1 January, so there’s another price increase to beat. As always we’ll be announcing the winners of the CRIMEFEST Awards (as well as the Petrona), and our Featured Guests will make a brief after-dinner speech. To register visit our TICKETS page.
CRIMEFEST AWARDS
And talking about the CRIMEFEST Awards, publishers have been invited to submit entries for the following awards:
– Audible Sounds of Crime Award
for best unabridged crime audiobook
– eDunnit Award
for best crime eNovel
– Last Laugh Award
for best humorous crime novel
– H.R.F. Keating Award
for best non-fiction book or (auto)biography related to crime fiction
– Best Crime Novel for Children
for ages 8-12
– Best Crime Novel for Young Adults
for ages 12-16
There is no cost for submitting titles, so all eligible authors can be nominated. Only publishers are eligible to submit, so if you are an eligible author, then please contact your publisher to ensure that they do. Visit the CRIMEFEST AWARDS or SUBMISSION GUIDELINES pages for more information.
CHRISTMAS READING
Are you looking for some inspiration for Christmas crime fiction? We asked some of the best reviewers to recommend a new and a classic title:
BARRY FORSHAW
New: The Force by Don Winslow
Winslow is regarded by the au courant as one of the best in the field; his drug crime novel The Power of the Dog is equalled in ambition by this similarly weighty study of police corruption. Sprawling and visceral, it has already been described (by Lee Child) as the ‘best cop novel ever written’.
Classic: The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene
Which novel is the best of Greene’s thrillers? Brighton Rock, with its brilliantly realised picture of a violent seaside underworld, is as strong a starting point for those new to Greene as anything he wrote, but my personal choice, on balance, is the superbly honed thriller The Ministry of Fear (1943), which demonstrates an authority and mastery of the narrative form that makes most practitioners look mere journeymen. London in the Blitz is brilliantly conjured by the author in this dazzling piece. This is an ‘entertainment’, but the moral issues here are as rigorously handled as anything tackled by Greene in his more ambitious novels.
(Barry Forshaw reviews crime fiction for a number of national publications, and he is the author of American Noir, Brit Noir and the upcoming Historical Noir.)
MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI
New: All The Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker
(Chris Whitaker will be a participating author at next year’s CRIMEFEST.)
Whitaker’s second novel, published shortly before his debut Tall Oaks won the CWA John Creasey New Blood award, confirms him as a crime writer with a unique voice and tone. Again, we are in middle America, confronted by a case of missing persons, and with characters in turn quirky and possessed by demons. But where a Coben or a Linwood Barclay stick to classic tropes and well-engineered plotting, Whitaker prefers the detours and bizarros to bring his book and characters alive. Gripping, bleak and fascinating.
Classic: Saint Mudd by Steve Thayer
Thayer is an American author who with half a dozen or so powerful novels made a strong impact in the 1990s and then somehow faded from the scene (though his major titles have all been reissued since). Saint Mudd, his debut novel of gangsters and saints, is certainly his most memorable, the tale of a journalist inveigling the help of the fledgling FBI in Depression-era Saint Louis to combat a ring of gangsters and crooked cops. As hardboiled as your heart’s desire but also streaked with compassion and emotions, this feels like F. Scott Fitzgerald working in the pulp magazines, tough, uncompromising, characters in all shades of grey, and a compulsive plot that keeps you hooked, breathless, from beginning to end. Steve Thayer, where are you now?
(Maxim Jakubowski, the former owner of the Murder One bookshop, writes and edits fiction and non-fiction, and also reviews for Crime Time. His first crime novel in six years, The Louisiana Republic, is published next May.)
JAKE KERRIDGE
New: The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne
‘If anyone is going to catch my father and return him to prison, it’s me. No one is my father’s equal when it comes to navigating the wilderness, but I’m close.’ Helen Pelletier was twelve by the time she realised that she and her mother were not living a normal life, but were the captives of her father. Dionne’s splendid UK debut novel follows the grown-up Helen’s pursuit of her father across rural Michigan in a book that combines visceral action with a beguiling fairytale quality.
Classic: A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon
(Subject to confirmation, John Simenon, Georges’ son, will be a guest at next year’s CRIMEFEST.)
A brand new translation of three stories that Simenon first published together in 1951. All three of them are set at Christmas time and although in most of his work Simenon often seemed to have not so much a sliver of ice in his heart as a sliver of heart in his ice, there is seasonal warmth in these tales alongside the murder and mayhem.
(Jake Kerridge is the crime fiction reviewer for the Telegraph.)
KAREN ROBINSON
New: The Pictures by Guy Bolton
An impressive new take on a well-worn noir location: 1930s Los Angeles. Detective Jonathan Craine is Hollywood’s favourite cop, always willing to sweep scandal away from the movie industry. But his latest case, which links top showbiz names (some real) with prostitution, racketeering and murder, won’t be cleaned up so easily.
Rather than a classic title, Karen suggested a book about a classic author…
Getting Carter: Ted Lewis and the Birth of Brit Noir by Nick Triplow
(Nick Triplow will be a participating author at next year’s CRIMEFEST.)
Lively appreciation of Lewis, who may well be one of the most important noir writers you’ve never heard of – possibly because his career was prematurely ended by booze and bitterness. He loved the American hard-boiled style but focused on shabby, downtrodden English provincial locations, and his Jack’s Return Home became the film Get Carter, giving Michael Caine the role of his career. Triplow chooses GBH, published in 1980, as his greatest book.
(Karen Robinson is editor of the Times/Sunday Times Crime Club, a great monthly bulletin for crime and thriller fans.)
LAURA WILSON
New: Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
It begins at closing time in a zoo in an unnamed American city, where Joan is trying to hurry her four-year-old son, Lincoln, towards the exit. When she spots the dead bodies and realises that the ‘fireworks’ she heard earlier were actually gunshots, her focus shifts from trying not to be locked in overnight to keeping herself and her child alive. Over the next few hours, a deadly game of hide and seek is played out, seen from a kaleidoscope of viewpoints that include both the predators and their potential (human) prey. Tense and harrowing scenes make for some extraordinary haunting moments in this powerful, unsettling book.
Classic: The Wooden Overcoat by Pamela Branch
Christopher Fowler described this extraordinary caper as ‘PG Wodehouse meets The Ladykillers’, which is about right, although I’d say there’s a dash of Hitchcock’s black comedy The Trouble with Harry in there as well, as a cast of grotesque characters wrestle (often literally) with the problem of how to dispose of a corpse. Delightfully potty, with wonderful set pieces – the ‘picnic’ is especially enjoyable.
(Laura Wilson is an author and the crime fiction reviewer for the Guardian. Her latest novel is The Other Woman.)
CRIME BOOK GIVEAWAY
Following his excellent books about John Marquez, head of the special operations unit of the California Department of Fish and Game, and veteran San Francisco homicide inspector Ben Raveneau, Kirk Russell introduces a new series featuring FBI bomb expert John Grale. We have three signed advance reading copies of the first Grale novel, Signature Wounds, to give away. To enter send an email to competition@crimefest.com with ‘signaturewounds’ in the subject title and your address in the body of the message before 10 December.
That’s it until the next newsletter.
Best wishes for the Festive Season,
Myles Allfrey, Donna Moore and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.
Friday, 06 October 2017.
Hi all,
Welcome to the second newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2018, the year in which we celebrate its 10th anniversary!
Other than making you aware of an upcoming price increase, this newsletter is more a reminder of various points. Having said that, we do have an exciting Shoestring competition at the close of the newsletter:
– REGISTER BEFORE 1 NOVEMBER AND BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE
– HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE
– PITCH AN AGENT / MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE
– OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
– SHOESTRING COMPETITION
REGISTER BEFORE 1 NOVEMBER AND BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE
Please be aware that the price for a Full CRIMEFEST Pass goes up to £180 (approximately $235) on 1 November. The full pass covers entry to all panels and interviews, quizzes and one or two receptions. Visit our PARTICIPATING AUTHORS for an up-to-date line-up. To avoid the increase buy TICKETS as soon as possible and we will send you the hotel discount code.
(Alternatively, if you’re attending Bouchercon – the world mystery convention (see further down) – in Toronto, then you can sign up at the CRIMEFEST registration desk, or just say ‘hello’ and have a Quality Street chocolate and/or some Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry.)
HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE
To ensure that the hotel rooms are solely released to delegates, the discount codes are only sent on completion of registration. The rooms at the convention hotel – the Bristol Marriott Royal – (as well as the Bristol Radisson Blu, the four-star overspill hotel) tend to sell out quickly. (If you are unsure about the length of your stay next year, then we recommend you reserve a room for the full weekend as the Marriott allows you to cancel up to 48 hours prior to arrival.) So if you wish to stay at the convention hotel, register as soon as possible to receive the discount codes and reserve your room.
Please contact us as soon as possible if you are registered but have not yet received the hotel discount email.
PITCH AN AGENT / MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE
Pitch an Agent again returns in 2018 with Pitch originator Camilla Wray (from the Darley Anderson Agency), Broo Doherty (from the DHH Literary Agency) and Philip Patterson (from Marjacq Scripts). Some of the authors these agencies represent include Lee Child, Martina Cole, Stuart Macbride, L.C. Tyler, and Luca Veste. The best description for Pitch an Agent is ‘speed dating for an agent meets BBC’s Dragon’s Den’ (or Shark Tank if you are in the US). You make your pitch to all three agents simultaneously (but privately, so no public humiliation – or triumph…) If you are looking for an agent, have not previously participated, and are not commercially published, then this is for you! (Pitch an Agent is only open to delegates with a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFEST Pass.) Visit PITCH AN AGENT for more information or buy TICKETS.
Also returning is the One-on-One Manuscript Assessment Service for those who are looking for feedback on a finished (or almost completed) manuscript. Based on a submitted sample of your writing, crime novelist Janet Laurence will provide constructive feedback allowing manuscripts to be submitted in the best possible format to agents and/or editors. (Manuscript Assessment slots are only open to delegates who are not commercially published, are without an agent and who have registered for a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFEST Pass.) Visit ONE-ON-ONE MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE for more information or buy TICKETS.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
There are a sleuth of crime fiction events coming up, from big to wee:
Bouchercon, 12-15 October, Toronto, Canada
The World Mystery Convention is the biggest of its kind, with hundreds of participating authors. Featured Guests include Megan Abbott, Christopher Brookmyre and Louise Penny.
For more info visit www.bouchercon2017.com
Noireland, 27-29 October, Belfast, Northern Ireland
No Alibis Bookstore, Ireland’s premier crime fiction bookshop is hosting its debut festival with a variety of crime writers from around the world.
For more info visit www.noireland.com
Killer Women Weekend, 28-29 October, London, UK
The author collective’s annual weekend of practical workshops, exclusive masterclasses and pitch sessions given by top crime writers, publishers and agents.
For more info visit the Killer Women website.
Heffers Bookshop, 31 October & 1 November, Cambridge, UK
– 31 October, Deadly Women with Alison Bruce, Sophie Hannah & Emily Waters
Book through Eventbrite, by calling 01223 463200 or in person at Heffers bookshop.
– 1 November, Nicola Upson discusses her latest Josephine Tey crime novel with Alison Graham
Book through Eventbrite, by calling 01223 463200 or in person at Heffers bookshop
The Wee Crime Fest, 3-5 November, Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland
No relation to CRIMEFEST, but wee can be beautiful.
For more info visit their Facebook page.
First Monday Crime, 6 November, College Building, Room A130, City University London, UK
A gathering for authors, publicists, agents, editors, students, and avid readers of crime fiction with Stuart McBride, Vaseem Khan, Simon Booker, Elodie Harper, and chaired by Barry Forshaw.
For more info visit the First Monday Crime website.
SHOESTRING COMPETITION
For some of us it is a petrifying thought that the last new episode of Shoestring was shown in 1980. Now, 37 (!) years later the complete series featuring Trevor Eve as Eddie Shoestring, the West Country based radio-phone-in-detective, is being released as a box set. Courtesy of Network we have two of the complete box sets to give away to two of you who can answer the following question:
– Which city do CRIMEFEST and Shoestring have in common?
Please email your answer by 31 October to competition@crimefest.com with your answer in the subject line.
That’s it until the next newsletter.
Best wishes,
Myles Allfrey, Donna Moore and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.
Thursday, 19 July 2017.
Hi all,
Welcome to the first newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2018, the year in which we celebrate its 10th anniversary! We hope to be organising some special events as part of the festivities, and weekend pass holders will receive the anniversary anthology as a gift to commemorate the occasion.
In this newsletter:
– LEE CHILD AND JEFFERY DEAVER RETURN AS ANNIVERSARY FEATURED GUESTS
– REGISTER BEFORE 1 AUGUST AND BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE
– ORIGIN TICKETS IS CRIMEFEST’S NEW TICKET SELLER
– HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE RELEASED
– ARE YOU REGISTERED?
– CRIMEFEST AWARDS WINNERS
– PITCH AN AGENT
– ONE-ON-ONE MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE
– INDIE ALTERNATIVE PANEL
– 10TH ANNIVERSARY CRIMEFEST ANTHOLOGY
– GOLDSBORO BOOKS UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE
LEE CHILD AND JEFFERY DEAVER RETURN AS ANNIVERSARY FEATURED GUESTS
They were there for the Bristol Left Coast Crime – CRIMEFEST’s precursor – they were there for CRIMEFEST’s 5th anniversary, and now Lee Child and Jeffery Deaver return for CRIMEFEST’s 10th anniversary. The two international bestselling authors need no introduction – immediately go to their websites and start reading their books if they do! – and we look forward to welcoming them back and featuring them in some special events. Lee and Jeff have also contributed new stories for CRIMEFEST’s 10th anniversary anthology. (See further down for more information.)
We look forward to announcing more Featured Guests soon. In the meantime, visit PARTICIPATING AUTHORS for the full line-up.
REGISTER BEFORE 1 AUGUST AND BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE
The current early bird registration fee for a Full Weekend CRIMEFEST pass is £140. However, as in previous years the rate will incrementally go up, and the first increase will occur on 1 August when the price will become £160. Tickets for the Gala Awards Dinner are currently £50, but this will increase to £55 at the end of the year. So, beat the price increases and BUY TICKETS now!
ORIGIN TICKETS IS CRIMEFEST’S NEW TICKET SELLER
Due to increasing issues with Eventbrite, CRIMEFEST’s new ticket selling platform is Origin Tickets. This new British company are pulling all the stops out to make the ticket-buying process as smooth as possible. However, no company is perfect so if you do experience any difficulties, then please feel free to contact us.
HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE RELEASED
Earlier this week we sent out an email to all registered delegates with the hotel discount codes for next year’s CRIMEFEST. (Please contact us as soon as possible if you have not yet received the hotel info email.) To ensure that the hotel rooms are only released to delegates, the discount codes are only sent on completion of registration. The rooms at the convention hotel – the Bristol Marriott Royal – (as well as the Bristol Radisson Blu – the four-star overspill hotel) tend to sell out quickly. Details of BUDGET HOTELS are listed on the website. (If you are unsure about the length of your stay next year, then we recommend you reserve a room for the full weekend as the Marriott allows you to cancel up to 48 hours prior to arrival.) So, if you wish to stay at the convention hotel, BUY TICKETS as soon as possible to receive the discount codes and reserve your room.
ARE YOU REGISTERED?
Did you register at this year’s CRIMEFEST? Then please check the website to see if you are listed and are happy that the name is shown in the way you wish it to appear on your delegate pass. If you have registered and your name does not appear, then please contact us.
CRIMEFEST AWARDS WINNERS
Once again the CRIMEFEST awards shortlists featured some fabulous names – many of which have subsequently appeared as nominees for recently announced awards! The winners of this year’s awards – who received a Bristol Blue Glass Award, a complimentary pass and panel at next year’s convention – are:
AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD
for best crime audiobook
– Clare Mackintosh for I See You, read by Rachel Atkins (Hachette Audio / Isis)
eDUNNIT AWARD
for best crime ebook
– Laura Lippman for Wilde Lake (Faber & Faber)
LAST LAUGH AWARD
for best humorous crime novel
– Mick Herron for Real Tigers (John Murray)
H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction
– Barry Forshaw for Brit Noir (No Exit Press)
BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (AGES 8–12)
– Robin Stevens for Murder Most Unladylike: Mistletoe and Murder (Puffin)
BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (AGES 12–16)
– Simon Mason for Kid Got Shot (David Fickling Books)
For details of all the nominees visit CRIMEFEST 2017 AWARDS.
Also awarded at CRIMEFEST were:
CRIMEFEST FLASHBANG
150 word short story competition
Winner: Louise Mangos for Blind Love
PETRONA AWARD
for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year
Winner: Gunnar Staalesen for Where Roses Never Die
Congratulations to the winners as well as all the nominees!
PITCH AN AGENT
After another sell-out year, Pitch an Agent returns in 2018 with Pitch originator Camilla Wray (from the Darley Anderson Literary, TV & Film Agency), Broo Doherty (from the DHH Literary Agency) and Philip Patterson (from Marjacq Scripts). Some of the authors these agencies represent include Lee Child, Martina Cole, Stuart Macbride, L.C. Tyler, and Luca Veste. Consider Pitch an Agent ‘speed dating for an agent meets BBC’s Dragon’s Den’ (or Shark Tank if you are in the US). You make your pitch to all three agents simultaneously (but privately – so no viewers!) If you are looking for an agent, have not previously participated, and are not commercially published, then this is for you! (Pitch an Agent is only open to delegates with a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFEST Pass.) Visit PITCH AN AGENT for more information or BUY TICKETS.
ONE-ON-ONE MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE
Also returning is the One-on-One Manuscript Assessment Service for those who are looking for feedback on a finished (or almost completed) manuscript. Based on a submitted sample of your writing, crime novelist Janet Laurence will provide constructive feedback allowing manuscripts to be submitted in the best possible format to agents and/or editors. (Manuscript Assessment slots are only open to delegates who are not commercially published, are without an agent and who have registered for a Full, Friday or Saturday CRIMEFEST Pass.) Visit ONE-ON-ONE MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT SERVICE for more information or BUY TICKETS.
INDIE ALTERNATIVE PANEL
Acknowledging the increasing success of self/independently published authors, one of CRIMEFEST’s panels will feature four of them. If you are a self/independently published author and would like to appear on a panel, then please visit THE INDIE ALTERNATIVE for more details on how to sign up.
10TH ANNIVERSARY CRIMEFEST ANTHOLOGY
Thanks to devoted CRIMEFEST delegate Jane Burfield, who wished to sponsor something special to mark the CRIMEFEST’s 10th anniversary, we have been able to commission an anthology of new stories, with all the proceeds going to CRIMEFEST’s longstanding charity of choice: the reading library of the RNIB. Full Pass holders attending next year receive (on a first-registered-first-serve basis) a complimentary copy of the anthology with a foreword by Peter James and contributions from:
- Bill Beverley
- Simon Brett
- Lee Child
- Ann Cleeves
- Jeffery Deaver
- Martin Edwards (editor)
- Kate Ellis
- Peter Guttridge
- Sophie Hannah
- John Harvey
- Mick Herron
- Donna Moore
- Caro Ramsay
- Ian Rankin
- James Sallis (TBC)
- Zoë Sharp
- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
- Maj Sjöwall (translated by Catherine Edwards)
- Michael Stanley
- Andrew Taylor
So, BUY TICKETS now to guarantee your complimentary copy.
GOLDSBORO BOOKS UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE
And finally, Goldsboro Books – the book collector’s bookseller – have unveiled their new website. Visitors to the site will find a fresh blog and news section and an expanded range, all responsive to mobile devices as well as tablets. So, if you are looking for a signed book by your favourite author, then be sure to visit Goldsboro Books!
That’s it until the next newsletter.
Best wishes,
Myles Allfrey, Donna Moore and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.