The Organisers of Left Coast Crime 2006 Present:
Crimefest


Crimefest 2010 Site
Links:
Welcome Page
Participants
Awards
Trips
Updates
Workshops
Programme

Return to Main CrimeFest Site

UPDATES

Friday, 9 April 2010.

Hi all,

This is our penultimate update for this year's CRIMEFEST. The headlines are:
- ARIANA FRANKLIN
- WORKSHOPS (AVOID THE SLUSH PILE)
- SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARDS SHORTLISTS
- eDUNNIT AWARD SHORTLIST
- ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BENACQUISTA BOOK)
- GOLDSBORO / BRIAN MCGILLOWAY GIVE-AWAY
- BOUCHERCON (SAN FRANCISCO) / LEFT COAST CRIME (SANTA FE)
- STIEG LARSSON BIOGRAPHY
- HELP PROMOTE CRIMEFEST
- CRIMEFEST HOTEL RATES EXPIRE 12 APRIL
- BRISTOL BLUE GLASS AND DR WHO?

ARIANA FRANKLIN
We're sad to announce that Ariana Franklin will be unable to attend CRIMEFEST this year. We're sad because we'll miss her but more so because her absence is due to poor health. We wish her a full and speedy recovery. The good news is that Ariana has agreed to postpone her appearance until next year, and that we have found an excellent replacement. Laura Wilson will now appear in conversation with Rennie Airth instead.

WORKSHOPS (AVOID THE SLUSH PILE)
A recent article in a publishing magazine mentioned that it not only is impossible for a manuscript to be picked from a slush pile at a publishers any more, it is now virtually impossible with an agent as well! CRIMEFEST is offering aspiring authors two ways to beat the odds: a crime writing workshop and the pitch-an-agent strand.

The crime writing workshop is for those who want to gain some writing tools and tips for the crime novels they wish to write. And as an extra incentive the registration fee includes entry to the Crime Writers' Association's highly successful Debut Dagger Competition. (All previously unpublished authors went on to receive contracts with commercial publishers.)

The pitch-an-agent agent strand is the equivalent of speed-dating for an agent for authors with an unpublished manuscript. All three agents represent a variety of commercially published crime novelists.

Finally there is a fun translation workshop. Despite what you might think, the translation workshop needs no knowledge of a foreign language and will give attendees the opportunity to be active participants rather than passive listeners.

To register, or for more information on the above visit the REGISTER and/or the WORKSHOPS/PITCH AN AGENT pages.

SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARDS SHORTLISTS
We are pleased to announce the shortlists for the Sounds of Crime Awards for best abridged and unabridged crime audiobooks of 2009. The Sounds of Crime Awards are sponsored by Audible UK and the shortlists are:

ABRIDGED
- Dan Brown for The Lost Symbol (abridged by Karen DiMattia). Reader: Paul Michael (Orion)
- Lee Child for Gone Tomorrow (abridged by Carolanne Lyme). Reader: Kerry Shale (Random House)
- Peter James for Dead Tomorrow (abridged by Kati Nicholl). Reader: William Gaminara (Pan Macmillan)
- Stieg Larsson for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (translated by Reg Keeland; abridged by Isabel Morgan). Reader: Martin Wenner (Quercus)
- Stieg Larsson for The Girl Who Played with Fire (translated by Reg Keeland; abridged by Isabel Morgan). Reader: Martin Wenner (Quercus)
- Ian Rankin for The Complaints (abridged by Kati Nicholl). Reader: James Macpherson (Orion)

UNABRIDGED
- Dan Brown for The Lost Symbol. Reader: Paul Michael (Whole Story Audio Books)
- Michael Connelly for The Scarecrow. Reader: Peter Giles (Orion)
- Peter James for Dead Tomorrow. Reader: David Bauckham (Whole Story Audio Books)
- Stieg Larsson for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (translated by Reg Keeland). Reader: Saul Reichlin (Whole Story Audio Books)
- Stieg Larsson for The Girl Who Played with Fire (translated by Reg Keeland). Reader: Saul Reichlin (Whole Story Audio Books)
- Ian Rankin for The Complaints. Reader: Peter Forbes (Whole Story Audio Books)

The awards—provided by Bristol Blue Glass—go to both the author and reader of each category.

eDUNNIT AWARD SHORTLIST
First of all congratulations to Clair Steward for coming up with the new name for the Crime eBook Award. She wins a Sony eReader for her efforts.

We are pleased to announce the shortlist for the inaugural eDunnit Award for best crime ebook of 2009. The award is sponsored by Reader from Sony. Shortlisted are:
- Josh Bazell for Beat The Reaper (Random House)
- Steve Berry for The Charlemagne Pursuit (Hodder & Stoughton)
- Juan Gomez-Jurado for Contract With God (Orion)
- Bernard Knight for Crowner Royal (Simon & Schuster)
- Carol McCleary for The Alchemy of Murder (Hodder & Stoughton)

The winner receives a Bristol Blue Glass award, and £1,000 an Touch eReader provided by Sony.

ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BENACQUISTA BOOK)
The next online reading group title is by Tonino Benacquista, one of this year's Featured Guest Authors at CRIMEFEST. Imagine the Soprano family arriving in France under the FBI's Witness Protection Programme. That is the premise for Badfellas. The story is violent, pacy and full of black humour, and to receive one of the 20 copies—courtesy of Bitter Lemon Press—send an email to read@crimefest.com with 'Badfellas' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message. The deadline is 30 April.

To participate in the discussion of some of the more recent titles visit ONLINE READING GROUPS.

GOLDSBORO / BRIAN MCGILLOWAY GIVE-AWAY
The give-aways which Goldsboro Books so generously provide on a semi-regular basis is back! So, if you’re too lazy to participate in the online reading group but still want a free book here’s your chance. It’s a signed, first edition copy of The Rising, the fourth instalment in Brian McGilloway’s excellent Inspector Benedict Devlin police procedurals. To enter send an email with 'Rising' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is 30 April.

BOUCHERCON (SAN FRANCISCO) / LEFT COAST CRIME (SANTA FE)
Two dates to start planning for! The next Bouchercon—the world mystery convention—will be held in San Francisco, one of the worlds most exciting cities and home to some of the top crime novelists and fictional police and private investigators. Guests of Honour are Lee Child, Laurie King and Denise Mina, and the Tsar of Noir, Eddie Muller, will be the Toastmaster. The dates are 14–17 October and for more information visit www.bcon2010.com.

Equally exciting is Santa Fe, the location for the next Left Coast convention. Yes, a provincial town compared to San Francisco, but anything but sleepy! Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico and the city and surrounding areas have served as the location for some of the most exciting stories in history—both factual and fictional. It was the base for the Los Alamos project (inspiration for Guest Author Martin Cruz Smith's Stallion's Gate) and the Southwestern area was central to the novels by Tony Hillerman. Expect some exciting side-trips associated with with this convention. The dates are 24–27 March 2011 and for more information visit www.leftcoastcrime.org/2011/

STIEG LARSSON BIOGRAPHY
Ahead of a slew of books about Stieg Larsson is Barry Forshaw's The Man Who Left Too Soon: The Biography of Stieg Larsson. The biography was recently a book of the week pick in The Times, and Barry will be discussing Larsson and the rise of translated crime fiction at CRIMEFEST with fellow panellists Ann Cleeves, Giorgio Faletti, Yrsa Sigurdardottir and moderator Marcel Berlins. See the PROGRAMME page for date and time. (Also attending CRIMEFEST will be a BBC4 production team who are preparing for a programme about Italian crime fiction.)

HELP PROMOTE CRIMEFEST
Please help make this the biggest and most successful CRIMEFEST yet by promoting it through a mail-out, on your website or blog, etc. For logos or images of the poster visit CRIMEFEST LOGO & POSTER.

CRIMEFEST HOTEL RATES EXPIRE 12 APRIL
This is a final reminder that the guaranteed block of CRIMEFEST rooms and the convention rate (£80, single occupancy and £100, double occupancy) at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel expires on 12 April. Registered delegates should have received an email with the discount code. If not, please send an email to info@crimefest.com and we will resend the information. (The code is only sent to registered delegates.)

BRISTOL BLUE GLASS AND DR WHO?
And finally a story for Dr Who fans out there. Bristol Blue Glass don't just make the commemorative CRIMEFEST awards and other exquisite glass objects, they recently also helped the timelord with his TARDIS upgrade...

That's it until the final CRIMEFEST 2010 newsletter next month!

Cheers,

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Tuesday, 16 March 2010.

Hi all,

In this newsletter:
- HOTEL DEADLINE
- DRAFT PROGRAMME
- PANEL NAME COMPETITION
- LAST LAUGH AWARD SHORTLIST
- SOUNDS OF CRIME VOTING – WIN AN IPOD
- CRIME EBOOK COMPETITION EXTENDED - WIN A SONY EREADER
- ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE MCDERMID BOOK)
- MORSE IS BACK (FREE BOOKS)
- 10 BEST CRIME NOVELS OF THE DECADE
- UPCOMING EVENTS: MANOTTI/SLEUTHS FESTIVAL

HOTEL DEADLINE
Just a reminder to everyone who has registered – or plans to do so – that the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel is only guaranteeing the convention rate of £80 (single occupancy) and £100 (double occupancy) until 10 April 2010. The CRIMEFEST rates – which include a full buffet breakfast – apply to a limited number of rooms. Registered delegates should have received an email with the discount code. If not, please send an email to info@crimefest.com and we will resend the information.

The recommended budget hotels are the Ibis Bristol Centre and Travelodge Bristol Central, both less than a 10 minute walk-away from the convention hotel.

DRAFT PROGRAMME
A draft programme of all the CRIMEFEST events is now up on the PROGRAMME page. Please note that times, panels and panellists are subject to change.

The venue for the Mike Hodges/Get Carter event – co-presented with the Bristol Festival of Ideas – will be the Arnolfini Contemporary Arts Centre, a five minute walk from the convention hotel. Tickets go on sale on 19 March, but CRIMEFEST delegates may pre-book for the event from 15 March by phoning the Arnolfini box-office on 0117-9172300. (If calling from outside the UK dial +44-117-9172300.)

PANEL NAME COMPETITION
Last year all the panels were themed with classic film noir titles. The 2010 panels again share a common link. If you think you can spot what it is, then email competition@crimefest.com with 'theme' in the subject line and your answer in the body of the message. The deadline for entries is 2 April.

LAST LAUGH AWARD SHORTLIST
This award goes to the best humorous crime novel first published in the British Isles in 2009. CRIMEFEST is pleased to announce the shortlist for the Last Laugh Award:

* Colin Bateman – The Day of the Jack Russell (Headline)
* Josh Bazell – Beat the Reaper (Macmillan)
* Chris Ewan – The Good Thief's Guide to Parisris (Long Barn Books)
* Suzette Hill – Bone Idle (Constable & Robinson)
* Malcolm Pryce – From Aberystwyth with Love (Bloomsbury)
* Len Tyler – Ten Little Herrings (Macmillan)

Goldsboro Books, Britain's book collector's bookseller, is providing a £500 cash prize for the winner. In addition to the cash prize the winner receives a commemorative award provided by Bristol Blue Glass.

Publishers were contacted and asked to submit eligible titles for the Last Laugh Award longlist. Leading British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and winner. The winning title will be announced at the CRIMEFEST Gala Dinner on 22 of May at the Marriott Royal Hotel, Bristol.

CRIMEFEST delegates will soon be invited to vote for their favourite humorous crime novel. Those who vote for the winning title will be entered into a draw for a set of all the shortlisted titles.

SOUNDS OF CRIME VOTING – WIN AN IPOD
Audible UK is once again sponsoring CRIMEFEST's Sounds of Crime Awards for Best Abridged and Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook of 2009. CRIMEFESTnewsletter subscribers have the opportunity to win an iPod and all the Sounds of Crime shortlisted titles.

To enter pick one title from the abridged and the unabridged longlists and email them – clearly stating which is the abridged or unabridged title – to audible@crimefest.com. The closing date for entries is Friday, 2 April 2010. The winner of the iPod and shortlisted titles will be announced at the CRIMEFEST Gala Dinner on 22 of May.

CRIME EBOOK COMPETITION EXTENDED - WIN A SONY EREADER
We've had some great entries for the renaming of the Crime eBook competition, but we think there may be more out there. Therefore, we're extending the deadline for entries until 2 April. For your chance to win a Sony eReader email your suggestion(s) to competition@crimefest.com with 'ebook' in the subject line and your entry in the body of the message.

ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE MCDERMID BOOK)
As mentioned in the last newsletter, the next online reading group title is by Val McDermid, this year's recipient of the Diamond Dagger Award. The Fever of the Bone is the latest in the hugely popular, award-winning series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan. To receive one of the 20 copies – courtesy of Little, Brown – send an email to read@crimefest.com with 'fever' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message. The deadline is Friday 2 April.

To participate in the discussion of some of the more recent titles visit ONLINE READING GROUPS.

MORSE IS BACK – FREE BOOKS
Good news for fans of Endeavour Morse. CRIMEFEST Featured Guest Author Colin Dexter has written a new Inspector Morse story for The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime. Other contributors include Natasha Cooper, Christopher Fowler (last year's Last Laugh Award winner), Sophie Hannah, Alexander McCall Smith and many more. But it is the return of Dexter's inspector that will excite most readers. Courtesy of Constable & Robinson, CRIMEFEST has 20 copies of The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime to give away. For your chance to be the lucky recipient of one of them send an email to competition@crimefest.com with 'morse' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message. The deadline is Friday 2 April.

10 BEST CRIME NOVELS OF THE DECADE
In 1999 the hugely knowledgeable crime writers H.R.F. Keating and Mike Ripley compiled a list of the 100 best crime novels of the 20th century for The Times. With the first decade of the 21st century done and dusted, the newspaper recently commissioned writers and critics Barry Forshaw and Laura Wilson to come up with the ten best titles of this millennium. Their choices were:
2000 - Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace
2001 - Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
2002 - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
2003 - The American Boy by Andrew Taylor
2004 - The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
2005 - No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
2006 - The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
2007 - Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas
2008 - Blood from Stone by Frances Fyfield
2009 - Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason
To find out how they made their choices and who their honourable mentions are visit The Times.

UPCOMING EVENTS: MANOTTI/SLEUTHS FESTIVAL

DOMINIQUE MANOTTI & JOAN SMITH DISCUSS THE POLITICAL CRIME NOVEL
Wednesday 17 March
7.30pm, French Institute, 17 Queensberry Place, London.
Affairs of State is Manotti's latest novel and deals with intrigue and corruption at the highest level of government. Her Lorraine Connection won the International Dagger Award and both novels were translated by Amanda Hopkinson and Roz Schwartz. Joan Smith's recent thriller, What Will Survive, is political in a broader sense. Both writers see the world as something far removed from the cosy village life of traditional crime fiction, more in common with Nordic authors such as Stieg Larsson than Agatha Christie. The pair will discuss their influences, their aims, and why the crime novel is pre-eminently a political form.

To book tickets call 0207 073 1350 or visit www.institut-francais.org.uk.

SLEUTHS! ENGLISH RIVIERA FESTIVAL OF CRIME AND THRILLER WRITING
20 - 24 April
Need a convention fix before CRIMEFEST? Then check out Sleuths!. Top authors, fun activities, it may just be the top-up you need before CRIMEFEST in May.

And this just in: To celebrate two year’s of Simon Hall’s TV Detective series, Accent Press are offering – for a limited time only – the first in the series as a free download. Visit the Accent Press website and click on The TV Detective link for this no strings attached offer.

That’s it for this month,

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Thursday, 11 February 2010.

Hi all,

First of all, belated best wishes for 2010 and apologies for the delay in this newsletter. We've been hard at work on the programme and we'll be contacting authors with their panel assignments next week. We anticipate a draft programme being on the website by the end of the month.

In the meantime we have lots of news:
- CONGRATULATIONS
- NEW ADDITIONS TO PARTICIPATING AUTHORS
- WIN A SONY EREADER
- LAST LAUGH AWARD LONGLIST
- ONLINE READING GROUP (FREE BOOKS)
- BLOODY VALENTINE

CONGRATULATIONS
First of all congratulations to Val McDermid who is the recipient of the Crime Writers' Association's 2010 Cartier Diamond Dagger Award. The honour was long overdue! Val has taken chances with her writing by not just sticking to her popular series, and this has resulted in some great novels such as A Place of Execution and A Darker Domain. She has also gone out of her way to promote crime fiction by supporting new authors and being involvement with crime fiction conventions such as Dead on Deansgate and the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Due to scheduling conflicts, Val sadly had to decline our invitation to honour her at CRIMEFEST this year, but she has an open invitation. (Look out for an online reading group title by Val next month!)

And talking about awards, The Herring Seller's Apprentice by L.C. Tyler, a previous CRIMEFEST Last Laugh nominee, is now up for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar award for Best Paperback Original. Congratulations to Len and all the other nominees. For a complete list of nominees visit the MWA website.

NEW ADDITIONS TO PARTICIPATING AUTHORS
Len Tyler is just one of the participating authors at CRIMEFEST this year, and we have some exciting last minute additions. You may not have heard of Giorgio Faletti yet, but that is about to change. Described as the next Stieg Larsson, Faletti is a phenomenon on the continent, where his books sell in the millions. CRIMEFEST will be his first major UK appearance to coincide with the publication of I Kill. Somebody who should be familiar, though not as an author, is Mike Hodges. Mike, who was born in Bristol, has directed – and written the screenplays for – some superb crime movies such as Pulp, Croupier and the original, classic Get Carter. His first novel, Watching the Wheels Come Off, is about to be published, and, not only will Mike be appearing at CRIMEFEST, we are co-presenting a talk with Mike and a screening of Get Carter with the Bristol Festival of Ideas on Friday evening, 21 May. A complete list of all PARTICIPATING AUTHORS is up on the CRIMEFEST website.

WIN A SONY EREADER
Sony is providing one of their eReaders as a prize to rename the rather boringly titled Crime eBook Award. As the title suggests, this award is for the best crime eBook published in both e-format and hardcopy for the first time in the UK in 2009. To win a Sony eReader, email your suggestion for new name for the award to competition@crimefest.com. The deadline is Sunday 28 February.

LAST LAUGH AWARD LONGLIST
All the titles eligible for the Last Laugh Award will be on the website early next week. Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and leading British crime fiction reviewers will vote to establish the shortlist and winner. To view the longlist, visit CRIMEFEST AWARDS.

ONLINE READING GROUP (FREE BOOKS)
The first title for CRIMEFEST's online reading group this year is debut thriller by Tim Weaver. Chasing the Dead is the first in a new series featuring David Raker, a missing persons investigator. Its author Tim Weaver is a major new talent on Penguin's crime list and they promise that he ‘will take you into the darkest corners of the human psyche’. We have twenty copies to give away to people interested in discussing the book online. So, if you dare go there, email us at read@crimefest.com with 'Chasing' in the subject line and your name, postal and email address in the body of the message. The deadline is Sunday 28 February.

To participate in the discussion of some of the more recent titles visit ONLINE READING GROUPS.

BLOODY VALENTINE
What can be more romantic than to ask your loved one to share in your passion for crime fiction? Ask him or her to be your bloody valentine and treat them or yourselves to a CRIMEFEST registration as the perfect Valentines gift! Visit the REGISTRATION page to sign up.

That’s it until next month,

Myles Allfrey & Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Wednesday, 16 December 2009.

Hi all,

Yes, another late newsletter, but we held off in order to announce the exciting news above.

The headlines for the December newsletter are:
- SONY'S READER TO SPONSOR CRIME EBOOK AWARD
- CRIMEFEST AWARDS
- CRIMEFEST PROGRAMME TEASER
- CRIMEFEST TRIPS & MERCHANDISE
- ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BOOKS)
- COMPETITIONS
- CRIMEFEST REGISTRATION FEE GOES UP IN 2010

SONY'S READER TO SPONSOR CRIME EBOOK AWARD
Reader by Sony, manufacturer of the Pocket and Touch Edition eBook Readers, is to sponsor CRIMEFEST's Crime eBook Award. The award for best crime eBook of 2009 will be presented at the Gala Dinner on 22 May. The winning author will receive a cash prize and a Reader Touch Edition. There will also be a number of Sony's Readers available as competition prizes, one of which will be running in The Times, CRIMEFEST's media partner for 2010. Another competition will be to rename the Crime eBook Award, again with a Reader from Sony as the prize. Details on how to enter the latter competition will be announced in a CRIMEFEST newsletter in early 2010. For more information on Reader by Sony please visit www.sony.co.uk/Reader.

CRIMEFEST AWARDS
Earlier this month publishers were notified by email and through an announcement in The Bookseller on how titles could be entered for the following awards:

* Crime eBook Award for best crime eBook of 2009
(Cash prize and Reader Touch Edition sponsored by Sony)
* Last Laugh Award for best humorous crime novel of 2009
(The £500 cash prize is sponsored by Goldsboro Books.)
* Sounds of Crime Award for best abridged and unabridged crime audiobook of 2009
(The award is sponsored by Audible UK.)

All winners receive a commemorative award courtesy of Bristol Blue Glass.

The award details and submission guidelines are available on the CRIMEFEST AWARDS page. Please note that submissions can ONLY be made by publishers. (There is no charge for doing so.) The longlists will be published on the CRIMEFEST site in early 2010.

CRIMEFEST PROGRAMME TEASER
We anticipate publishing a draft CRIMEFEST programme on the website in February. All of the Featured Guest Author interviews are scheduled for Saturday, as is the interview with Toastmaster Gyles Brandreth. The Pub Quiz is scheduled for Thursday and the Criminal Mastermind Quiz will again conclude CRIMEFEST (with one lucky member of the audience winning an all-inclusive package to CRIMEFEST 2011). The highly popular ‘Forgotten Authors’ panel will also return–date to be announced. We have three two-authors-in-conversation events: Rennie Airth & Ariana Franklin on Friday; John Curran, author of Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks & Mathew Prichard, grandson of Dame Agatha on Saturday; and M. C. Beaton & Lindsey Davis on Sunday. Some of these appearances are rare, so we can’t begin to tell you how pleased we are to have them in addition to our Featured Guest Authors.

CRIMEFEST TRIPS & MERCHANDISE
T-shirts with either the CRIMEFEST or Trips logo are now available at £12.50 each and can be purchased on the REGISTRATION page. T-shirts can be collected at the CRIMEFEST registration desk during the convention, or will be shipped after 24 May with an additional charge of £3.50 per order. (Delegates booking through British Mystery Trips receive a T-shirt as part of their registration fee.) For more information on the CRIMEFEST excursions go to TRIPS.

ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BOOKS)
All of the copies of Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls (published as Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire in the USA.) by R. S. Downie have now been sent out, and the recipients will be contacted shortly. If you weren't lucky enough to receive a copy on this occasion but would still like to discuss it, then why not buy a copy online? Anyone who has read the online reading group titles is welcome to participate!

We hit the ground running in 2010 with a great action thriller that has a wonderful literary twist. January’s online reading group title is Tom Harper’s The Book of Secrets which alternates between a present day international setting and 15th century Germany, and the book is a must-read for anyone who likes fast paced thrillers and/or historical crime fiction. The first twenty people to email us at read@crimefest.com with 'Secrets' in the subject line and their name, postal and email address in the body of the message will receive a free copy of the book. The deadline is Thursday 31 December. Have you already read the book and would like to join the discussion? Then please sign up at ONLINE READING GROUPS.

COMPETITIONS
Talking of fast paced thrillers, last month's Goldsboro Books give-away was a signed first edition of James Twining’s The Geneva Deception. This is a signed first edition hardback of which only a limited number are available. For a copy visit Goldsboro, the book collector’s bookseller.

This month, newsletter recipients are able to enter the draw for another Goldsboro signed hardback: Acts of Violence by Ryan David Jahn. Shocking and compassionate, angry and gripping, Acts of Violence is described as a sprawling, cinematic tour-de-force, a terrifying crime novel unlike any other. For a chance for to receive the free signed first edition, send an email with 'Violence' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is Thursday 31 December.

CRIMEFEST REGISTRATION FEE GOES UP IN 2010
We said it last month and we’ll say it again: with Christmas coming up, why not treat yourself or your loved ones to a Full CRIMEFEST Pass? The registration fee for the Full Pass has gone up to £115, but you can still beat next month’s price hike of £10 if you sign up now. (The price will incrementally go up to £135 in 2010.) The pass admits holders to all the panels and interviews. Tickets are also available for the Guest Author and Toastmaster interviews. To buy tickets visit the REGISTRATION page.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a criminally Happy New Year.

We look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Monday, 16 November 2009.

Hi all,

We have some exiting news: Tonino Benacquista has agreed to be the translated Featured Guest Author! The Times is to be our media partner for CRIMEFEST 2010. And joining the media partnership is the Crime Writers’ Association.

So, the headlines for the November newsletter are:
- TONINO BENACQUISTA TO BE THE TRANSLATED FEATURED GUEST AUTHOR
- THE TIMES/CRIMEFEST MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
- CWA TO ANNOUNCE DAGGER SHORTLISTS AT CRIMEFEST
- NEW CRIMEFEST REFUND POLICY
- CRIME WRITING WORKSHOPS/PITCH-AN-AGENT
- CRIMEFEST TRIPS & MERCHANDISE
- ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BOOKS)
- COMPETITION

TONINO BENACQUISTA TO BE THE TRANSLATED FEATURED GUEST AUTHOR
Tonino Benacquista is a French author with a dark sense of humour and Bitter Lemon Press has so far published four of his crime novels. Tonino has also won a Cesar—the French equivalent of an Oscar—for the script of the highly acclaimed The Beat That My Heart Skipped. We are delighted that he will be attending and we would like to thank the French Institute and Bitter Lemon Press for making his participation possible.

THE TIMES/CRIMEFEST MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
The Times has always been a strong supporter of crime fiction, and we are thrilled about their participation. Their involvement means a considerable increase in media coverage as they will highlight the convention and participating authors in an article in March. On 22 May, the Saturday following the CWA shortlist reception (see next item), The Times will review some of the nominated titles and the week after that, on Saturday 29 May, they will look at the winners of the CRIMEFEST awards.

What does this mean for CRIMEFEST and its delegates? Well, if the spike of registrations following the announcement in The Bookseller is anything to go by, the convention is likely to attract many more readers. So, if you want to be assured of a pass before the anticipated increase of registrations, now is the time to sign up. (Authors signing up after the panel slots have been filled will be offered a refund or a place on the waiting list.) The current cost is £115, but this will incrementally go up to £135 in 2010. For details visit the REGISTRATION page.

CWA TO ANNOUNCE DAGGER SHORTLISTS AT CRIMEFEST
Acknowledging the importance of the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Awards, CRIMEFEST will be hosting a reception for media partner CWA to announce the shortlists for the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction, the Dagger in the Library, the International Dagger, the Short Story Dagger and the Debut Dagger. The reception will be on Friday, 21 May. As with all CRIMEFEST parties, the reception is open to all registered delegates. The event will also be the official launch of the annual CRIMEFEST raffle benefiting the Library Service of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

NEW CRIMEFEST REFUND POLICY
We have had feedback that our 'no refund' policy has put some delegates off registering at the early-bird pass prices. Therefore, with immediate effect, passes and tickets will have the following cancellation fees:
- 15% up to the 15 January 2010
- 25% from 16 January 2010 onwards
- no refund on Gala Dinner tickets after 3 May, 2010
To avoid any cancellation fees tickets may be transferred at no cost (subject to the discretion of the organisers).

CRIME WRITING WORKSHOPS/PITCH-AN-AGENT
With the anticipated increase of registrations we expect a high demand on the limited places that are available for our workshops and Pitch-An-Agent strand. The CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP is perfect for those looking for tips on how to write crime fiction, or those who have already written a manuscript and are wondering how to get it published. It is taught in an intensive afternoon session, and includes a Q&A with a top agent and editor as well as a one-on-one assessment with two published authors who have taught Arvon Foundation Courses. The workshop also includes entry to the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger. (Subject to the CWA's eligibility guidelines.)

Back from a sell-out strand last year is PITCH AN AGENT—or 'speed-dating for an agent' – which gives aspiring authors the opportunity to interest three top professionals in representing their work.

Joining the line-up is the TRANSLATION WORKSHOP. Despite what you might think, the translation workshop needs no knowledge of a foreign language and will give attendees the opportunity to be active participants rather than passive listeners.

REGISTER now to avoid disappointment.

CRIMEFEST TRIPS & MERCHANDISE
Some thirty delegates have now signed up for the CRIMEFEST TRIPS, and it is not too late to turn the weekend into a weeklong crime fiction vacation! Authors central to the excursions are Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Daphne du Maurier. The trips will be based in Torquay, the seaside town in Devon so closely associated with Christie. Day one will include a guided tour of Greenway, Agatha's home and now a National Trust property, by John Curran, Christie expert and author of Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks. Author and Observer crime reviewer Peter Guttridge talks about Conan Doyle on day two, and one of the excursions is to Dartmoor, setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Daphne du Maurier is the focus of day three, and delegates will meet a du Maurier scholar who will discuss her work. Visits include the historic harbour of Fowey, a delightful town on the banks of the River Fowey, and home to Daphne du Maurier. The area provided inspiration for several of her novels including Rebecca. These are just some of the highlights, so visit TRIPS/WHAT TO DO for more detailed information.

American delegates might be interested in the package deal offered by British Mystery Trips in the USA. It includes the full CRIMEFEST registration, all the excursions, accommodation and most meals (including the gala and buffet dinners).

Many of you, including delegates at the wonderful Indianapolis Bouchercon, have been asking about merchandise featuring the great CRIMEFEST 2010 Trips logo. Look out for more info in the next newsletter!

ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BOOKS)
All of the copies of the Gold Dagger nominated The Coroner by M. R. Hall have now been sent out, and the recipients will be contacted shortly. If you weren't lucky enough to receive a copy on this occasion but would still like to discuss it, then why not buy a copy online? Anyone who has read the online reading group titles is welcome to participate!

The next reading group title is the first in a popular and acclaimed series by R. S. Downie: Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls (published as Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire in the USA.) The books are a must for fans of historical crime series sent in ancient Rome. To receive a copy, the first twenty people to email us at read@crimefest.com with 'Ruso' in the subject line and their name, postal and email address in the body of the message will receive a free copy of the book. The deadline is Monday 30 November. Have you already read the book and would like to join the discussion? Then please sign up at ONLINE READING GROUPS.

COMPETITION
Last month's Goldsboro Books give-away was a signed first edition of Fever of the Bone, the latest in Val McDermid's chilling Tony Hill series. Val recently entered the ITV3 Crime Writers Hall of Fame, a well deserved honour.

This month, newsletter recipients are able to win a signed limited hardback of James Twining's The Geneva Deception. This the fourth in the series featuring reformed art-thief Tom Kirk, and all are fast-paced, highly entertaining reads. To enter the draw for the free signed first edition, send an email with 'Geneva' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is Monday 30 November.

Finally, with Christmas coming up, why not treat yourself or your loved ones to a Full CRIMEFEST Pass? The registration fee for the Full Pass has gone up to £115, but you can still beat the full price - which will incrementally go up to £135 in 2010 - if you sign up now. The pass admits holders to all the panels and interviews. Tickets are also available for the Guest Author and Toastmaster interviews. To buy tickets visit the REGISTRATION page.

That's all until next month.

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Wednesday, 21 October 2009.

Hi all,

The next CRIMEFEST newsletter should be with you in a week or two, and it will contain some exciting news. In the meantime here are reminders for two events you might be interested in:

- PP WEBCON, THE WORLD'S FIRST VIRTUAL MYSTERY CONVENTION
- THE 2009 SPECSAVERS CRIME THRILLER AWARDS (INCLUDING CWA DAGGER AWARDS)

PP WEBCON - 24 October
Lee Child and Dana Stabenow are the Featured Guest Authors of the PP WebCon, the world's first virtual mystery convention. A sleuth of other international bestselling authors are also participating. Visit MEET THE AUTHORS for a complete line-up. The registration fee comes with a book voucher and a goody bag containing (electronic) books, short stories and more. Tickets are still available and you can find out more at PP WebCon.

THE 2009 SPECSAVERS CRIME THRILLER AWARDS - 27 OCTOBER
On Tuesday 27 October at 9pm, ITV3 will televise the second Crime Thriller Awards. This year the broadcast includes some of the Crime Writers' Association's prestigious Dagger awards:
- CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year
- CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller
- CWA John Creasey Dagger for a new author of note
Other award presentations include those for best film crime thriller, best television crime thriller, and female and male star of a crime thriller drama. Visit the SHORTLISTS page for full details. For general information go to the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards page.

That's all until next month.

Cheers,

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Tuesday, 6 October 2009.

Hi all,

The following are the topics for the October newsletter:
- REGISTRATION PRICE INCREASE
- CONVENTION HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE
- MORE AUTHORS ADDED TO THE LINE-UP
- WORKSHOPS/PITCH-AN-AGENT
- ONLINE READING GROUPS: GOLD DAGGER NOMINATED MR HALL (FREE BOOKS)
- COMPETITION
- OTHER CRIME FICTION CONVENTIONS

REGISTRATION PRICE INCREASE
The cost of the full CRIMEFEST pass goes up from £105 to £115 on the 15th of October. (It will incrementally rise to £135 in 2010.) However, there will be a Bouchercon 'special' for anyone who signs up at the World Mystery Convention in Indianapolis 15-18 October. Please visit the REGISTRATION page to sign up.

CONVENTION HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE
All registered delegates should by now have received an email with the convention discount codes for the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. Please note that the discount code is only guaranteed until the 10th of April 2010 and that it applies to a limited amount of rooms. The convention rates are £80 (single occupancy) and £100 (double occupancy) and apply to 20-23 October. The pre and post CRIMEFEST rates are £95 (single occupancy) and £115 (double occupancy) for those wanting to arrive a few days earlier or who want to stay on an extra night. Delegates staying at the Marriott Royal receive the hotel's buffet breakfast.

The recommended budget hotels are the Ibis (Bristol Centre) and Travelodge (Bristol Central), both less than a 10 minute walk away from the convention hotel.

Visit the CRIMEFEST HOTELS page for more information.

MORE AUTHORS ADDED TO THE LINE-UP
More authors have registered and they have been added to the PARTICIPANTS page. New names include Michael Stanley, author(s) of the Inspector Kubu series; Jonathan Hayes, born in Bristol, and now a veteran forensic pathologist in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manhattan by day and crime writer (amongst many other things) by night; Dan Waddell; and Laura Wilson. The latter two have just been nominated for a Creasey Dagger and Historical Dagger respectively. Congratulations!

Visit the CWA website for more details about all the shortlisted authors.

WORKSHOPS/PITCH-AN-AGENT
If you are looking for tips on how write crime fiction, or if you have written a manuscript and wonder how to get it published, look no further! The CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP is taught in an intensive afternoon session, and includes a Q&A with a top agent and editor as well as a one-on-one assessment with two published authors who have taught Arvon Foundation Courses. The workshop also includes entry to the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger.

Back from a sell-out strand last year is PITCH AN AGENT - or ‘speed-dating for an agent’ - giving aspiring authors the opportunity to interest three top professional in representing their work.

Joining the line-up is the TRANSLATION WORKSHOP. Despite what you might think, the translation workshop needs no knowledge of a foreign language and will give attendees the opportunity to be active participants rather than passive listeners.

ONLINE READING GROUPS: GOLD DAGGER NOMINATED MR HALL (FREE BOOKS)
Subscribers lucky enough to receive one of twenty copies of Anne Zouroudi's The Messenger of Athens will be contacted shortly. And contrary to last month's description, Anne's books are very much set in modern not ancient Greece!

The next online reading group title is an excellent debut crime novel that has just been nominated for a Gold Dagger: M.R. Hall's The Coroner. The novel is set in Bristol and the Wye Valley, and not only does it catch the atmosphere of CRIMEFEST's home base, it is a great psychological suspense novel as well.. To receive a copy, the first twenty people to email us at read@crimefest.com with 'Coroner' in the subject line and their postal and email address in the body of the message will receive a free copy of the book. The deadline is October 30. Have you already read the book and would like to join the discussion? Then please sign up at ONLINE READING GROUPS.

COMPETITION
Following on from last month’s Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran, this month's Goldsboro give-away is a signed first edition of Fever of the Bone, the latest in Val McDermid's chilling Tony Hill series. To enter the draw for the free signed first edition, send an email with 'Bone' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is October 30.

OTHER CRIME FICTION CONVENTIONS
We'll be promoting CRIMEFEST at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, in Indianapolis later this month. The Featured Guests include Michael Connelly, but a whole sleuth of other authors will be attending as well. Tickets are still available and, if you're going, be sure to come by the CRIMEFEST registration table to say hello. Visit the Bouchercon website for more information.

Is Indianapolis a bit far to go? Do you want to stay in the comfort of your own home and still attend a convention? Look no further, Poisoned Pen's WebCon, the world's first virtual mystery convention is just the thing you're looking for! Featured Guest Authors are Lee Child and Dana Stabenow (shamefully unpublished in the UK!). Also highlighted are Kate Stine, editor of Mystery Scene Magazine and Tom & Enid Schantz of the Rue Morgue Press who publish great 'forgotten' authors. And for full disclosure we should point out that CRIMEFEST co-host Adrian Muller is chuffed to bits to be included in the line-up as well! Details of how to attend can be found at PPWebCon.

That's all until next month.

Cheers,

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Thursday, 3 September 2009.

Hi all,

The following are the topics for the September newsletter:
- CRIME E-BOOK AWARD
- SIMON BRETT
- CONVENTION HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE IMMINENT
- 2009 PANELS AVAILABLE AS MP3 DOWNLOADS
- CRIMEFEST 2009 SURVEY RESULTS
- ONLINE READING GROUP: ANNE ZOUROUDI (FREE BOOKS)
- CRIMEFEST TRIPS LOGO
- COMPETITION & WINNERS
- READING CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL

CRIME E-BOOK AWARD
Following the announcement that CRIMEFEST would be inaugurating a Best Crime E-book Award we received a number of queries asking us why. How often have you read a book and wondered what a setting looked like, where it was, or what a certain piece of music sounded like? We think such information will be available as an option in e-books on e-readers, and that the text of future e-books will be 'embedded' with maps, photographs, and sound, etc. This extra content is what will make e-books different and unique from the books we are currently used to. This uniqueness is what we hope the e-book will come to recognise.

SIMON BRETT
Simon was one of the Featured Guest Authors at this year's CRIMEFEST and we are delighted to announce that he will be back as the after-dinner speaker for the 2010 Buffet Dinner on Sunday, 23 May. As in previous years this may well be his only CRIMEFEST appearance, so REGISTER early to avoid disappointment.

CONVENTION HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE IMMINENT
Some delegates have been asking us for the discount code to the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. We are awaiting this information and anticipate sending this out to those who have registered shortly.

2009 PANELS AVAILABLE AS MP3 DOWNLOADS
Were you unable to attend CRIMEFEST 2009 but would like to discover what you missed? Or did you have a favourite panel and would like to hear it again? We have made most of the panels available as MP3 files. (Sadly the second strand of panels on Friday and Sunday did not record correctly.) To listen to them go to the 2009 PROGRAMME and left-click your mouse on the blue hyperlinked titles. Or you can download them: right-click the title to save them to your computer and listen to them at your leisure.

CRIMEFEST 2009 SURVEY RESULTS
Over 35% of delegates completed the survey on this year's CRIMEFEST, and details can be found at SURVEY RESULTS.

There were numerous constructive comments and suggestions, but three of the best came from Maxine Clarke, Jennifer Palmer and Rik Shepherd. We intended to offer complimentary 2010 CRIMEFEST passes for the best two but, despite the fact that Maxine won last year as well, it was decided that each of them would receive a complimentary pass for next year. Congratulations! Maxine pointed out that the possibility to make comments and suggestions through a textbox or email link throughout the year might be helpful; Jennifer provided us with some options on how to improve the online reading groups; and Rik highlighted some ways to avoid duplicating contents of convention bags for couples. We are not sure that we will be able to implement all of the suggestions, but we will certainly try!

If you have any suggestions for panels or even something different, please let us know at suggestions@crimefest.com. (Ideally suggestions for panels/events accommodates the participation of four or five authors.)

ONLINE READING GROUP: ANNE ZOUROUDI (FREE BOOKS)
This month's online reading group title is another historical crime novel which takes us to the ancient Greece of Anne Zouroudi. Shortlisted for the 2008 ITV Crime Thriller Awards for Breakthrough Author of the Year, Zouroudi has written three novels featuring enigmatic Hermes Diaktoros. Hermes - also known as the Fat Man - is tasked with bringing justice where there is none, but on whose authority he acts is never quite clear.

We highly recommend the compelling series, and to give you a taste Bloomsbury has kindly provided us with twenty copies of the first instalment, The Messenger of Athens. To receive a copy, the first twenty people to email us at read@crimefest.com with 'Messenger' in the subject line and their postal and email address in the body of the message will receive a free copy of the book. The deadline is September 30.

Have you already read the book and would like to join the discussion? Then please sign up at ONLINE READING GROUPS.

CRIMEFEST TRIPS LOGO
The Torquay-based 2010 CRIMEFEST TRIPS focusing on Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Daphne du Maurier are proving to be very popular. In addition to delegates registering, British Mystery Trips have so far signed 20 delegates from the States for the complete CRIMEFEST package.

We will be promoting CRIMEFEST at upcoming conventions and, to highlight the excursions, we have a fabulous logo. For a peek at the 'Elementary, dear Poirot: it's Rebecca' logo* go to TRIPS/WHAT TO DO.

COMPETITION & WINNERS
The recipient of last month's signed first edition of Len Tyler's Ten Little Red Herrings - courtesy of Goldsboro Books - is Jan Boyett. Congratulations.

Goldsboro is providing another signed, first edition book for September: Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran. Besides including two previously unpublished Poirot stories, it gives a fascinating insight into the Queen of Crime's work. To enter the draw for the free signed first edition, send an email with 'Notebooks' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is September 30.

READING CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL
If you can't wait until next year's CRIMEFEST to get your convention fix, you may want to consider Reading Festival of Crime Writing. It runs 11-13 September and a slew of crime novelists are participating. For more information visit www.readingfestivalofcrimewriting.org.uk.

Finally, the registration fee for the Full CRIMEFEST Pass is still at £105, but will increase next month. (It will incrementally go up to £135.) The full pass admits holders to all the panels and interviews. Day passes and tickets for the Guest Author and Toastmaster interviews are also available. For more information visit the REGISTRATION page.

That's all until next month.

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

* CRIMEFEST 2010 trips logo by Katherine Smith at Byte Size Media.

 

Monday, 3 August 2009.

Hi all,

CRIMEFEST TO LAUNCH NEW CRIME FICTION WEBSITE AND E-BOOK AWARD

The above and following are the topics for the August newsletter:
- CRIMEFEST ONLINE
- CRIME E-BOOK AWARD
- PARTICIPANTS
- ONLINE READING GROUPS - FREE BOOKS
- WORKSHOPS - WIN A FULL CRIMEFEST PASS
- BRITISH MYSTERY TRIPS' CRIMEFEST PACKAGE DEAL
- COMPETITION & WINNERS
- READING CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL

CRIMEFEST ONLINE
We are excited to announce that, in addition to the website dedicated to the convention, CRIMEFEST is to launch a second, general crime fiction site later this year. It will include information on upcoming publications, competitions, interviews, reviews, competitions and news about the best in British crime fiction and drama. Look out for more details in future newsletters.

CRIME E-BOOK AWARD
Having highlighted the increasing popularity of audiobooks with its Sounds of Crime Awards, CRIMEFEST will be celebrating the latest development in publishing: e-books. E-books and e-readers are creating a revolution in publishing in the way that MP3s and the iPod did for music. Amazon, Blackwell, Borders, Samsung and Sony have all announced new or updated e-readers which will allow owners to carry hundreds of books on an electronic device the size of a thin paperback book. The new CRIMEFEST award will go to the Best Crime e-book of the year. Expect more announcements about sponsors and competitions in newsletters to come.

PARTICIPANTS
Among the recently registered authors is Kerry Greenwood. Kerry, author of the Phryne Fisher series, has a cult following in her native Australia as well as the USA. Since she doesn't travel much we are thrilled that she is attending. She is not yet published in the UK, but we hope to include one of Kerry's crime novels in a future online reading group. As previously announced, Colin Dexter—one of Britain's masters of crime fiction—will be one of the Featured Guest Authors at next year's convention. The Toastmaster is Gyles Brandreth, and highlighted authors will include MC Beaton and Ariana Franklin. For the full line-up of authors visit PARTICIPANTS.

ONLINE READING GROUPS
We were thrilled to honour Andrew Taylor, the 2009 Cartier Diamond Dagger recipient, as a Featured Guest Author at this year's convention. The Diamond Dagger presentation has always been something of a small and exclusive affair, and we wanted to provide a more public celebration as well. (CRIMEFEST will, of course, extend an invitation to next year's Diamond Dagger recipient also.) To remind readers why Andrew's outstanding contribution to crime fiction was acknowledged, Penguin has kindly provided us with 20 copies of Bleeding Heart Square as the next title for the online reading group. Bleeding Heart Square was nominated for this year's CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award, an award that Andrew has won twice previously. The first twenty people to email us at read@crimefest.com with 'Bleeding Heart’ in the subject line and their postal and email address in the body of the message will receive a free copy of the book. The deadline is August 28.

WORKSHOPS
Delegates are already registering for CRIMEFEST 's limited CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP and the PITCH AN AGENT strands. There are only limited places available, so if you are interested be sure to book soon. The first past or future participant of either of these events to obtain a contract with a commercial publisher for a crime novel will receive a complimentary CRIMEFEST pass and a slot on a panel. Joining the line-up is a TRANSLATION WORKSHOP. The translation workshop will not require any knowledge of a foreign language and will give attendees the opportunity to be active participants rather than passive listeners. For more information on any of these strands go to WORKSHOPS/PITCH AN AGENT.

BRITISH MYSTERY TRIPS' CRIMEFEST PACKAGE DEAL
Next year's pre-convention CRIMEFEST trips spotlight Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Daphne du Maurier. British Mystery Trips in the USA are offering a full CRIMEFEST registration and all its excursions as a package deal. This means that the outings will book up fast. So, if you wish to have an exclusive guided tour of Greenway, Agatha Christie's home, by John Curran, Christie expert and author of Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks, you should register soon. Visit TRIPS/WHAT TO DO for more detailed information.

COMPETITION & WINNERS
The recipient of last month's signed first edition of Tom Cain's Assassin–courtesy of Goldsboro Books—is Ruth Slater. The bookstore is providing another signed, first edition crime novel for August: Ten Little Herrings by L.C. Tyler. Tyler's debut novel, The Herring Seller's Apprentice, was a nominated for CRIMEFEST’s 2007 Last Laugh Award. To enter the draw for the free signed first edition send an email with 'Herring draw' in the subject line, and your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is August 28.

Last month we asked for the name of the director of three Daphne du Maurier film adaptations, as well as the name of another director of a du Maurier based feature starring Donald Sutherland. The answers are Alfred Hitchcock who filmed The Birds, Jamaica Inn and Rebecca; and Nicholas Roeg who directed Don't Look Now. The winner who will receive three Daphne du Maurier books courtesy of Little,Brown is Keith Osborne.

READING CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL
If you can't wait until next year's CRIMEFEST to get your convention fix, you may want to consider Reading Festival of Crime Writing. It runs 11 - 13 September and a sleuth of crime novelists are participating. For more information visit www.readingfestivalofcrimewriting.org.uk

Finally, the registration fee for the Full CRIMEFEST Pass is still at £105, but an increase is imminent. (It will incrementally go up to £135.) The full pass admits holders to all the panels and interviews. Tickets are also available for the Guest Author and Toastmaster interviews. To buy tickets visit the REGISTRATION page.

That's all until next month.

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Friday, 10 July 2009.

Hi all,

We hope this email finds you well!

Here is the first newsletter for CRIMEFEST 2010. The dates are 20-23 May, and the location will once again be the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel.

The CRIMEFEST 2010 website is now up and running. The sites for 2008 and 2009 can still be viewed via the MEDIA/HISTORY page.

In this email:
- REGISTRATION
- PARTICIPANTS
- WORKSHOPS
- TRIPS
- COMPETITION
- ONLINE READING GROUPS (FREE BOOKS)
- ATTEND THE CWA AWARDS
- TOM CAIN INSPIRED BY CRIMEFEST (WELL, BRISTOL)
- BBC'S ONE SHOW FOCUSES ON CRIME FICTION
- BODIES IN THE BOOKSHOP & HARROGATE CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL
- CRIMEFEST ORGANISER HONOURED

REGISTRATION
The registration fee for the Full CRIMEFEST Pass is currently £105 - the price will incrementally go up to £135 - and includes admission to all the panels and interviews. Tickets are also available for the Guest Author and Toastmaster interviews. To buy tickets visit the REGISTRATION page.

PARTICIPANTS
As you may already know, one of the Featured Guest Authors will be the great Colin Dexter. Gala Dinner Toastmaster is to be Gyles Brandreth, Renaissance Man. Highlighted authors will include MC Beaton, who will be celebrating 25 years of Hamish Macbeth, and Ariana Franklin, author of the highly enjoyable 'Mistress of the Art of Death' historical series. Quite a few authors and readers have already registered. Visit the PARTICIPANTS page for more information.

WORKSHOPS
The CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP is becoming increasingly popular and may soon go the way of PITCH AN AGENT which sold out this year. Both are returning for CRIMEFEST 2010 and joining the line-up will be a TRANSLATION WORKSHOP. The CRIME WRITING WORKSHOP will include the usual one-on-one assessment and entry to the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger competition. PITCH AN AGENT - or speed-dating for an agent - is an opportunity for aspiring authors to try and woo a professional representative. Surprisingly the TRANSLATION WORKSHOP needs no knowledge of a foreign language and will give attendees the opportunity to be active participants rather than passive listeners.

Go to WORKSHOPS/PITCH AN AGENT page for more information on any of the above.

TRIPS
CRIMEFEST is offering some very exciting and unique trips next year. The three day pre-convention trip will focus on two crime writing legends and - perhaps - a less obvious name: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Daphne du Maurier. (Daphne du Maurier? Yes, see below for a related competition.) The trips will be based in Torquay, the seaside town in Devon so closely associated with Christie. Day one will include a guided tour of Greenway, Agatha's home and now a National Trust property, by John Curran, Christie expert and author of Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks. Daphne du Maurier is the focus of day two, and delegates will meet a du Maurier scholar who will discuss her work. Day three is set on the moors and will see Peter Guttridge talk about Conan Doyle.

These are just some of the highlights, so visit TRIPS/WHAT TO DO for more detailed information.

COMPETITION
Daphne du Maurier a crime writer? Yes, very much so! She provided one of the greatest directors of suspense with three excellent plots, as well as an unforgettable role for Donald Sutherland in a film by another British director. Name the titles and directors of the movies and send your answers in an email to competition@crimefest.com by 31 July and win a collection of the four du Maurier titles courtesy of Little Brown.

ONLINE READING GROUPS
In honour of this year's CRIMEFEST panel 'Eric Ambler and Who - Forgotten Authors', the next online reading group title will be Ambler's Journey into Fear. Courtesy of Penguin, this is one of Eric Ambler's best novels. The influential author who in the 30s and 40s brought a new realism to spy novels was until recently out of print, but Penguin is reissuing some of his best known titles. The first 20 people to email us at read@crimefest.com with their postal and email address before July 31 will receive a free copy of Journey into Fear for discussion in the ONLINE READING GROUPS.

ATTEND THE CWA AWARDS
The Crime Writers' Association recently announced the shortlists for their International, Short Story, Library and Debut Daggers. Tickets are still available for the presentation ceremony on Wednesday 15 July at Tiger Tiger in the Haymarket, London. The incomparable Master of Ceremonies is Mark Billingham.

TOM CAIN INSPIRED BY CRIMEFEST (WELL, BRISTOL)
It is not often a crime convention that inspires a crime writer for the climactic conclusion to his novel, but that is exactly what CRIMEFEST (or at least Bristol) did do. Over to Tom:

"This is the first time I've ever sent a thank you letter to a crime-writing convention. But then, this is the first time that a convention has given me the ending for a book - or at least the location for it. You see, I was hard at work on Assassin, my third book (just out and available, I sincerely hope, in all good bookstores), and I needed a place where a US President might give an outdoor speech. Since people-trafficking forms one of the sub-plots to the book, this place also had to have some kind of connection to the slave-trade, past or present. Oh, and it helped if I'd actually been there and could give it a vaguely accurate description. Well, I thought about this a while and after I'd discounted Istanbul, Moscow and Kuala Lumpur for numerous excellent reasons, most prominent of which was, 'I can't afford to go there,' I remembered attending last year's CRIMEFEST in Bristol ... Hmmm ... Here was city (in)famous for its part in the 17th and 18th century slave-trade. An added bonus was the West Country's less well-known history as a place from which white slaves were forcibly taken by Arab traders, to be sold in North Africa. That resonated with other storylines in the book. Then I thought about the wide-open spaces of Broad Quay as a possible venue for a presidential speech, give or take a little poetic, geographic and architectural license. I thought about the course of the Avon from Bristol to the sea ... And gradually I found myself putting together a series of chapters, set in Bristol, that form the culminating action sequence of Assassin. I think they rock. Well, I would. And I thank CRIMEFEST very much indeed for being in Bristol and giving me the idea. I couldn't have done it without you."

Assassin by Tom Cain is published by Bantam Press, £12.99. For a signed first edition go to Goldsboro Books. (The Goldsboro website is currently experiencing a few difficulties. Please try again in twenty-four hours if the site is down.)

To enter a draw for a free signed first edition send an email with 'Assassin draw' in the subject line, your name, postal and email addresses in the body of the message to enquiries@goldsborobooks.com. The deadline to enter is July 31.

BBC'S ONE SHOW FOCUSES ON CRIME FICTION
On Friday, 10 July, BBC 1's One Show will have a segment focusing on crime fiction. As part of the One Show Sandi Toksvig investigates the appeal of crime fiction and assisting her with her enquiries is award winning crime novelist Andrew Taylor, the distinguished critic Barry Forshaw, and readers Lizzie Hayes, Adrian Muller (that is if they don't have the sense to cut him), Ayo Onatade and Sharon Wheeler. The One Show crime special, Friday 10 July, 7 - 7.30pm, BBC 1.

(If you miss it, follow the link to watch or download the episode to BBC iPlayer during the following week.)

BODIES IN THE BOOKSHOP & HARROGATE CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL
If you can't wait until next year's CRIMEFEST to get your convention fix, you may want to consider Bodies in the Bookshop at Heffers bookshop in Cambridge (21 July) or Harrogate's Crime Writing Festival (23 - 26 July). You'll find a slew - or should that be a 'sleuth' - of crime writers at both.

CRIMEFEST ORGANISER HONOURED
CRIMEFEST co-host Adrian Muller has been attending crime fiction conventions since the Nottingham Bouchercon in 1995, but never to a virtual one and never ever as a Fan Guest. Adrian could not have been more flabbergasted and honoured to be invited in that capacity by the organisers of the Poisoned Pen WebCon. Guest Authors are Lee Child and Dana Stabenow, and Behind the Scenes Guests are Kate Miciak, Editor to crime writing greats; Kate Stine, Editor-in-Chief of Mystery Scene; and Tom and Enid Schantz of the Rue Morgue Press and the Left Coast Crime Standing Committee. WebCon is coming to a computer near you on 24 October 2009.

That’s all until next month.

Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller,
CRIMEFEST co-hosts.

 

Web site by interbridge | Skeleton Bob logo by Bill Selby