Newsletter Archive

Friday, 20 December 2024.

Hi all,

Let us start by saying thank you for all the lovely messages we have been receiving following our announcement that next year’s CrimeFest will be the last one.

It was a very difficult and painful decision to make but, as we said, we are now focusing on using all our energy to make 2025’s CrimeFest one of the best!

So with that in mind:

SPECIAL GUESTS
We have already announced that the wonderful Vaseem Khan will be the Toastmaster at next year’s convention; and that we’re honoured by the panel celebrating John le Carré, our Ghost of Honour featuring his two talented sons.

However, a special CrimeFest would not be the same without the legends that are Lee Child and Jeffery Deaver! They were special guests at the Bristol Left Coast Crime (the inspiration for CrimeFest) in 2006; they were there for our fifth anniversary; and they were there for our tenth anniversary.

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce Lee Child makes his return and will be joining brother Andrew next year. Jeff may not be able to make it in person, but we’re doing our best to ensure that he too will be able to participate in some way. And our favourite Scandi author, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, also returns to celebrate CrimeFest’s sixteen years.

In addition, after last year’s rousing, heartfelt, napkin waving, and inclusive speech as Leader of Toasts, we’ve invited the effervescent Cathy Ace back to be the closing speaker at the Gala Dinner. Napkins at the ready!

What’s more, if not mistaken, we’ll also have a record sleuth of Diamond Dagger recipients attending: Simon Brett, Lee Child, Lindsey Davis, Martin Edwards, John Harvey, and, in spirit, obviously, John le Carré and Dick Francis (as represented by son Felix). More to come? We’ll keep you posted.

And, as if all of that wasn’t enough, we very much appreciate the talent and ongoing support of much-loved regulars, along with first-time attendees. For the full, current line-up see our Authors & Delegates page (and see if you have finally been added to the list).

SPECIAL THANK YOU
Donna and I appreciate all the thanks we have received for organising CrimeFest (and those appreciations also include the rest of our wonderful team). But, ‘just organising another convention’ didn’t quite do it for us as a ‘thank you’ to all the delegates who have supported us over the years. So, we are working on something special to show our appreciation to the CrimeFest family. That’s all we’re saying for now…

HOTEL DISCOUNT CODES
Due to a miscommunication between the organisers and the convention hotel, there was a delay in signing the contract for next year. We are pleased to announce this was fully resolved, and the hotel discount codes were sent to the first lot of delegates on the day the contract was signed. As of yesterday, all registered delegates should have received the codes. Please let us know if you did not.

CRIMEFEST GIFT TOKENS AND ‘MERCH’
2025 promises then to be a year to remember. So, if you still have gifts to buy, (and, no, a trip to the local garage will not suffice!) then last-minute shoppers can download CrimeFest gift tokens. Should you be unable to amend the details of the PDF file, let us know and we will do so for you. Just don’t forget to register the lucky recipient!

It’s too late to get any merchandise to you in time, but you can still order something from our MERCH SHOP and say it’s on its way. (If it helps you escape the recipient’s wrath, we won’t even mind if you blame us for the delay.)

YOUR DATA
Finally, we have received a number of details from newsletter subscribers saying they had been contacted with the offer to buy CrimeFest’s mailing list. Apparently, this is a known web crawling/phishing scam that targets exhibitions, conferences, and conventions. Please rest assured: we will never, ever knowingly part with your personal data without obtaining your permission first.

All that is left to do for this newsletter is to wish you season’s greetings and all the best for 2025. Be good to each other and gift (yourself) books.

We look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Have a good one,

Donna and Adrian,
CrimeFest co-hosts.

Monday, 18 November 2024.

Hi all,

It has been a while, but that does not mean we have been making inroads on our to-read-pile! Gremlins have been causing havoc with the CrimeFest phone lines and internet. As a result, we are trawling through the various glitches this caused with the processing of registrations, but this should now be resolved.

All those who registered for CrimeFest 2025 should now be listed on the Authors & Delegates page. Have a look and – don’t panic if you are missing or the info is incorrect – just let us know if amendments are required.

Now, on with the newsletter!

GHOST OF HONOUR
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that CrimeFest’s 2025 Ghost of Honour is to be John le Carré. This event on one of the greatest post-war era novelists will be chaired by regular ‘ghost host’ Simon Brett, and joining him will be none other than le Carré’s sons, Simon Cornwell and Nick Harkaway. (Further guest(s) for the panel are to be announced. Watch this space!)

Following the hugely successful TV adaption (UK / US) of The Night Manager in 2016, CrimeFest approached Simon Cornwell about the possibility of an event at the convention. Simon is CEO and co-founder of The Ink Factory, the studio which adapts his father’s work. It came close, but all involved wanted it to be perfect. So, this year’s event will be all the better for it.

The sequels – yes, season 2 and 3 have been commissioned – are currently in production, with all the main actors, including Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman, returning. And what about Hugh Laurie? He is co-producing, but will he join the cast? And this le Carré adaptation is just one of many in the pipeline. Will we have clips? Too soon to tell, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed!

Nick Harkaway, who also writes as Aidan Truhen, is an acclaimed novelist in his own right, and no stranger to genre fiction. His Titanium Noir thrillers and stand-alone (futuristic) crime novels have earned him lots of plaudits. In the already acclaimed Karla’s Choice he takes on his father’s most famous creation – with the first of hopefully many George Smiley continuation novels.

The Ghost of Honour panels are always one of CrimeFest highlights, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming its participants.

Courtesy of publisher Viking, we have a hardback copy of Karla’s Choice as a prize draw for one lucky winner who can tell us who played this book’s title character in the BBC series. Please send your entries to competition@crimefest.com with Karla in the subject line and your answer in the body of the email. The deadline to do so is 29 November.

HOTEL DISCOUNT CODES
We have them! Both the Mercure Grand (the convention hotel) and the Clayton (the overspill hotel – less than a minute’s walk down the road), have provided discounts for delegate hotel stays. The codes will be emailed to registered delegates next week. So, if you want to stay at one of the ‘official’ CrimeFest hotels, but haven’t yet booked your TICKETS, do so now! (It will also let you avoid the upcoming price increases. See further down.)

Details of suggested budget hotels are already up on the CrimeFest WHERE TO STAY page.

PUBLISHERS CONTACTED FOR CRIMEFEST AWARD SUBMISSIONS
Last week British publishers were contacted and invited to submit titles for the CrimeFest Awards. Any commercially published author with books meeting the eligibility criteria can be entered, but only by their UK publisher. To avoid only the usual suspects being nominated, there is no cost for titles to be submitted, shortlisted or winning! We will be listing the submitted titles on the website. So, authors: check the eligibility guidelines, and nudge your publisher to enter your title!

THALIA PROCTOR MEMORIAL AWARD
But wait, there is also the Thalia Proctor Memorial Award For Best Adapted TV Crime Drama. Named in honour of crime fiction champion and all-round good person Thalia Proctor, this award is for the best television crime drama based on a book, and first screened in the UK in 2024. Eligible titles are collated from the Radio Times, and CrimeFest newsletter readers establish the shortlist and the winning title.

Of course 2024 isn’t quite over (yet!), and there is still the bumper Christmas edition to plow through, but this is the opportunity for you to point out any titles we may have accidentally overlooked and omitted. Check the list of titles to date, and please let us know if there are any missing.

If you do think we have missed an eligible entry, then contact us before 29 November with Crime Drama in the subject of your email, and the relevant title(s) in the body. There will be a draw from correct entries, with the sender being sent a selection of crime drama DVDs.

Again: this award is for the best television crime drama based on a book, and first screened in the UK in 2024.

FINAL CALL FOR INDIE AUTHORS AND BURSARY APPLICANTS
CrimeFest prides itself on the diversity of both its delegates and the representation of the nominees for our awards.

Introduced in 2022, CrimeFest’s 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 were Saima Mir, Elizabeth Chakrabarty and Christie Newport.

To apply, send an email with ‘BURSARY’ in the subject line, and a brief description of what you hope to gain by applying. The deadline to apply is 29 November, so get your skates on!

We are proud to annually schedule the Indie Alternative panel. If not the first, then CrimeFest was one of the first major fiction events to recognise the high-quality of writing by many self-published authors.

The deadline to be considered as one of our four panellists is 29 November. So, again: skates! For more information visit the Indie Alternative info page.

PRICE INCREASES
December 1st will see the next Full Pass price increase from £165 to £185 (before the final rise to £200, early next year).

Also going up in price are the Gala Dinner tickets: from £60 to £65 for a three-course meal. We will be contacting those who have registered for the Gala Dinner with three options for the main course (meat, fish and vegan). Both the starter and dessert are suitable for vegans and, as always, we aim to accommodate dietary requirements.

Delegates attending the dinner will be contacted shortly before the convention, offering them the option of nominating two people they would like to sit with. (The organisers aim to pair diners with one of them.)

So, once more: beat the price increases, and REGISTER now!

CRIMEFEST GIFT TOKENS
What can be more heart-warming, romantic and/or seasonal than to gift someone the joy of crime? Or CrimeFest to be precise! Available for both organised and last-minute gifters, you can download gift tokens. Should you be unable to amend the details of the PDF file, let us know and we will do so for you. Just don’t forget to register the lucky recipient!

CRIMEFEST ‘MERCH’ SHOP
A Full CrimeFest Pass to big a stab in your wallet? For shame… But worry not, we have gifts for most budgets. Just have a look in our MERCH SHOP.

FAREWELL CRIMINAL MASTERMIND; HALLO…
At this year’s convention closing event Criminal Mastermind inquizitor Maxim Jakubowski announced the (temporary?) retirement of the quiz. It was retired before when, as now, potential victims participants realised how hard it was. So, we’re letting it rest for another while, waiting for the next generation of unwitting contestants. (Ominous ‘Dun, dun, duuun’ sound!)

But how to bring the convention to a satisfying close? Well, you can’t put a good inquizitor down, and certainly not one as devilishly determined as Maxim! So Farewell Criminal Mastermind, hallo Criminal Challenge!

With more than a little resemblance to University Challenge, and trusting that vi contestants will feel safer in numbers, Maxim will now pitch two teams against each other. There is even talk that it may be the CrimeFest vs the CWA! Starter for ten anyone?

That is it for now. With the delegate list (mostly?) sorted, be sure to logon later this week for an updated home page!

Cheers,

Donna and Adrian,
CrimeFest co-hosts.

Friday, 2 August 2024.

Hi all,

Apologies for the extended radio silence. The organisers took a longer than usual break, but we are now raring to go!

Before we look forward we have to thank the Featured Guest Authors, authors, readers and industry professionals who helped make this year’s CrimeFest such a successful one! Thanks especially to Cathy Ace. Cathy was a truly fabulous Leader of Toasts. Her outstanding after-dinner speech beautifully encapsulated the inclusiveness we strive for when we organise CrimeFest!

 So, this is the first newsletter for CrimeFest 2025!

CRIMEFEST AWARD WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s CrimeFest Awards!

Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award:
– Stig Abell for Death Under a Little Sky (Hemlock Press/HarperCollins)
With thanks to headline sponsor Specsavers, who provided the £1,000 in prize money.

eDunnit Award:
Laura Lippman for Prom Mom (Faber & Faber)

Last Laugh Award:
– Mick Herron for The Secret Hours (Baskerville)

H.R.F. Keating Award:
– Adam Sisman for The Secret Life of John Le Carré (Profile Books)

Thalia Proctor Memorial Award for Best Adapted TV Crime Drama:
– Slow Horses (series 3), based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron (Apple)

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Children:
– J.T. Williams for The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Portraits and Poison, illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore)

Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults:
– Elizabeth Wein for Stateless (Bloomsbury YA)

Congratulations to all the winners. (See details for the nominees here.)

CRIMEFEST REGISTRATION (BOOK AND SAVE)
Unlike most other major crime writing events, our full pass prices have not gone up since 2018. Eight years on, and we are committed to keeping the cost of the full pass at £200 for as long as possible! However, the earlier you book, the lower the price, and you have until midnight 16 August to register for the Early Bird rate of £155. After that the price will incrementally go up to £200. The Gala dinner is currently £60 but will also go up later this year.

AND THE FIRST FEATURED GUEST TO BE ANNOUNCED IS…
We are thrilled to announce that our first Featured Guest and Toastmaster is the fabulous Vaseem Khan! Vas must be one of the UK’s hardest working crime writers, juggling his role of Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association with two series: the Baby Ganesh Agency Investigations (featuring an elephant – surely a first in the crime fiction world!); and the historical Malabar House books, set in India. Next year will also see a stand-alone novel, The Girl in Cell A, and a new series that will expand the ‘00’ universe that will see gadget-master ‘Q’ take centre stage. We can’t wait to hear all the details!

CRIMEFEST BURSARY FOR A CRIME FICTION AUTHOR OF COLOUR
CrimeFest prides itself on the diversity of both its delegates and the representation of the nominees for our awards.

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, Elizabeth Chakrabarty and Christie Newport. To apply, send an email with ‘BURSARY’ in the subject line, and a brief description of what you hope to gain by applying. The deadline to apply is 30 November, so get your skates on!

We’re thankful for the input of Ayo Onatade and Vaseem Khan, who help judge all applications. And to Ayo for her insightful comment on why bursaries are still important today. Read it here: The Bookseller – Comment – Why we need bursaries.

INDIE ALTERNATIVE PANEL
If not the first, then CrimeFest was one of the first major fiction events to recognise the high-quality of writing by many self-published authors. We are proud to annually schedule the Indie Alternative panel. The deadline to be considered as one of our four panellists is 30 November. So, again: skates! For more information visit the Indie Alternative info page.

RICHARD REYNOLDS – BOOKSELLER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Over the years crime readers have become increasingly aware of specialist booksellers. Maxim Jakubowski reigned over the first at Murder One on Charing Cross Road; then there was Crime in Store, in Covent Garden. Still going strong are David Headley, Daniel Gedeon and crew at Goldsboro Books. (The wonderful Thalia Proctor having worked at all three of these landmark shops!)

Heffers in Cambridge may not have been a specialist store, but its crime fiction buyer (and organiser of its ‘Bodies in the Bookshop’ event) Richard Reynolds was. Many readers were dealt a blow when he announced his retirement in 2022. But you can’t keep a good man down!

Richard, together with Oleander Press publisher Jon Gifford, have taken the ‘Bodies’ event and turned it into their own independent store: Bodies in the Bookshop. Located at 1A Botolph Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3RD, Bodies in the Bookshop can be contacted at info@bodiesinthebookshop.co.uk.

Please do support our highly valued Indie booksellers!

That’s it until the next newsletter!

Cheers,

Adrian & Donna,
CrimeFest Co-Hosts.