Tina Foster turns detective
The annual festival of crime writers and readers is to take place in Bristol at the Marriott hotel between 18th and 21st May. Having attended last year we at the Mature Times are looking forward to attending some interesting panels and meeting some of the nation’s favourite crime writers.
First organised in June 2008, Crimefest is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. It has not only become one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, but is also one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar. The annual convention was featured as one of ‘the best crime writing festivals around the world’ in the Guardian and one of ‘the 50 Best Festivals’ in The Independent. Crimefest draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world and gives delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in a friendly, informal and inclusive atmosphere.
2017 highlights include:
- Gala Dinner
- Interviews with Guest Authors
- Presentations of the eDunnit, Last Laugh and Sounds of Crime Awards
In addition, there will be some forty author panels with more than a hundred participating authors, a crime writing workshop, a pitch-an-agent strand, and much more.
The headliners this year are Anne Cleeves, the prolific writer of such series as Vera and Shetland, Peter Lovesey who is the creator of the ever-popular Supt Diamond, among other detectives and Anthony Horowitz who gave us Alex Rider as well as many other stories and screenplays.
With opportunities to meet and listen to a host of other well recognised and admired authors of crime fiction the weekend is the feast of interaction with fans of the world of crime novels. This genre is becoming increasing popular with psychological thrillers featuring high on the bestsellers lists. One such writer is Sarah Pinborough who has had a huge hit with Behind her Eyes: I am looking forward to catching up with her at the event.
Last year Annie Johnson and I spent a fascinating day at the Crimefest in the elegant surrounding of the Bristol Marriott. The whole ethos of the day was so interesting with the chance to meet and mingle with writers and fans alike. Sitting next to someone listening to famous authors discuss their books and then finding that she was also a much-published author is all part of the fun.
This year we hope to attend on the other days and get more involved with the social events.
If you are a fan of the crime thriller genre I can highly recommend the weekend as well worth attending. Who knows we may meet up with you there.
Full details can be found at www.crimefest.com
