Category: Events

Event Alert: London Book Fair’s Author HQ: Events for Aspiring Authors

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London Book Fair Logo

London Book Fair Logo

This week London Book Fair takes over Earls Court, London. Author HQ has been set up for established and aspiring authors and I hear that they’ve loads of things on offer at this year’s Fair. Sponsored by Kindle Direct Publishing, LBF are hosting a three day seminar programme from Tuesday 8th – Thursday 10th April, with speakers including publishers, authors and agents, all ready to share their advice and experience on how to get published.

Each day of seminars start with an Introduction to Publishing, where four experts will present a whistle-stop tour of publishing in 45 minutes – and a quick fire publishing industry overview, with an editor, literary agent and bookseller talking about their specific areas of expertise. There will also be a daily slot by independent bestselling authors who will discuss using Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace to fuel readership growth.

There’s also the chance of having a free professional photo shoot at Author HQ (sponsored by Kobo Writing Life) and you can book your slot online at https://vrcoordinator.wufoo.eu/forms/book-your-professional-photo-shoot-lbf/

Attendees are  invited to come along and support ten authors taking part in The Write Stuff, a Dragon’s Den-style panel event which will see them pitch their books to a panel of four literary agents. And, after each busy day, there’s the chance to have a drink and network with other authors and publishing professionals.

For more info, and to check out the full Author HQ programme hop on over to: http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/authors

 

Event Alert: Get Writing! conference – Saturday 29th March 2014

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Get Writing

If you’re writing a crime novel (or any genre of novel, in fact) then the annual Get Writing! conference organised by Verulam Writers Circle is well worth a visit. Taking place this year on Saturday 29th March at the University of Hertfordshire at their de Havilland Campus, there’s a jam-packed schedule aimed at everyone with an interest in writing.

The day is packed with talks, panels and practical workshops on all aspects of the creative process from idea to publication.

There’s also the chance to fast-pitch to agents and editors, or have a longer facetime session with them to discuss your work.

Workshops of special interest to aspiring crime writers are:

M R Hall (best selling crime thriller writer of many books including The Coroner, The Flight) and William Ryan (critically acclaimed author of the Captain Korolev crime series including The Holy Thief, and most recently The Twelfth Department) will be running a workshop on Constructing Character and Plot. [I attended a workshop run by them at Goldsboro Books last year – it was fantastic: practical, thought-provoking and lots of fun!]

Screenwriter and thriller writer Max Kinnings (author of fast-paced thrillers Baptism and, in 2014, Sacrifice) is running a workshop on How Studying Screenwriting can make you a Better Novelist, showing how he uses the script development model to shape a novel.

Also, there’s The Crime Panel with M R Hall, William Ryan, Max Kinnings, and fabulous thriller writer Emlyn Rees (author of action packed thrillers including Hunted, and dark psychological thrillers including That Summer He Died). And the Get Writing organisers are going to let me chair the panel!

To find out more about what promises to be a fantastic event hop on over to the Get Writing website …

Website: http://getwritingday.verulamwriterscircle.org.uk/

Events Alert: Iceland Noir Festival of Crime Fiction 2014

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Iceland Noir banner

Iceland Noir banner

After a hugely successful first year, Iceland Noir – the first Icelandic crime writing festival – will be running again in 2014.

This year it will take place on Friday 21st – Saturday 22nd November at the Nordic House in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The lineup  is still under wraps, but registration is open and you can take advantage of the early bird ticket offer right now.

Hop over to the Iceland Noir Facebook page to find out more at: http://www.facebook.com/IcelandNoir

Click on the following link to book: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/iceland-noir-tickets-10220179833

Event Alert: An Evening with Peter May at Waterstones Piccadilly

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Entry Island cover image

Entry Island cover image

Looking for something to do once the party season is over? Well, look no further. Waterstones Piccadilly are hosting ‘An Evening with Peter May’ on 21 January 2014. At the event, Peter will be discussing his new book ‘Entry Island’.

Tickets are £5 (£3 for Waterstones cardholders) and include a glass of wine or soft drink. To book your ticket, either ask in store, call 02078512400 or email events.piccadilly@waterstones.com

Peter May was an award-winning journalist and successful screenwriter before turning his hand to novels. His first book in the Lewis Trilogy ‘The Blackhouse’ was a Richard and Judy summer read and a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller. ‘The Lewis Man’ and ‘The Chessmen’ were also Sunday Times bestsellers. The series has now sold over 1 million copies. Peter’s next novel ‘Entry Island’ will be published by Quercus in January 2014.

I’ll be reviewing ‘Entry Island’ in January, but, until then, here’s a sneaky peep at the blurb: “When Detective Sime Mackenzie boards a light aircraft at Montreal’s St. Hubert airfield, he does so without looking back. For Sime, the 850-mile journey ahead represents an opportunity to escape the bitter blend of loneliness and regret that has come to characterise his life in the city.

Travelling as part of an eight-officer investigation team, Sime’s destination lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Only two kilometres wide and three long, Entry Island is home to a population of around 130 inhabitants – the wealthiest of which has just been discovered murdered in his home.

The investigation itself appears little more than a formality. The evidence points to a crime of passion: the victim’s wife the vengeful culprit. But for Sime the investigation is turned on its head when he comes face to face with the prime suspect, and is convinced that he knows her – even though they have never met.

Haunted by this certainty his insomnia becomes punctuated by dreams of a distant past on a Scottish island 3,000 miles away. Dreams in which the widow plays a leading role. Sime’s conviction becomes an obsession. And in spite of mounting evidence of her guilt he finds himself convinced of her innocence, leading to a conflict between the professional duty he must fulfil, and the personal destiny that awaits him.”

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Events Alert: Jakob Arjouni book launch & Pancreatic Cancer UK Fundraiser

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No Exit Press, in conjunction with Pancreatic Cancer UK, are holding a crime fiction event on Tuesday 26th November at Daunts in Holland Park, London, to raise funds and awareness for the disease and to celebrate the life of author Jakob Arjouni. The event will also mark the publication of his final novel: Brother Kemal.
Author Barry Forshaw will be hosting the event, and there will be German food and drinks in honour of Jakob’s nationality.
If you’re free on Tuesday night, why not pop over to Daunts to celebrate Jakob Arjouni’s literature, and help raise some money for a great cause. Here are all the details …
Crime Event Invite

Crime Event Invite

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Event Alert: Iceland Noir Festival of Crime Fiction

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Iceland Noir Poster

Iceland Noir Poster

Fancy a weekend away?

Love crime fiction?

If the answer to both those questions is YES then this is the perfect event for you: the first Iceland Noir Festival of Crime Fiction is taking place from the 21st – 24th November in Reykjavik, Iceland.

As well as a stellar line-up of fabulous crime writers appearing in the interviews and panels including Zoe Sharp, Quentin Bates, Ragnar Jonasson and Nick Quantrill, there’s a special screening of Ann Cleeves’ Shetland TV series pilot, a crime writing workshop hosted by author William Ryan, and the chance to go on a whole bunch of tours to some of the stunningly beautiful Icelandic locations nearby including whale watching trips and a hunt for the Northern Lights.

It sounds amazing.

For more information, pop over to the Iceland Noir website at www.icelandnoir.com 

Event Report: CWA 60th Anniversary Event

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Barry Forshaw at CWA

Barry Forshaw at CWA

Last night I trotted into London for the CWA 60th Anniversary event. Held on the third floor of the fabulous Foyles flagship bookstore on Charing Cross Road, the celebrations began at 6.30pm with the announcement of the CWA’s recent polls to find the greatest crime writer, crime series and crime novel of all time.

The packed room fell silent as the winners were announced. And the winners are …

Best Ever Novel: THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD – AGATHA CHRISTIE 

Best Ever Author – AGATHA CHRISTIE

Best Ever Crime Series – SHERLOCK HOLMES

Following the announcement, an expert panel of crime thriller writers – Barry Forshaw, Belinda Bauer, Zoe Sharp and David Stuart Davies – debated the shortlist choices and winners, with panel chair, Barry Forshaw, playing ‘devils advocate’.

A lively discussion was had – with topics ranging from plot-holes in classic crime novels, what can an author do when they get sick of writing their protagonist (as Agatha Christie did famously with Poirot), and who is the best Sherlock Holmes?

Congratulations to the winners and Happy Anniversary CWA.

 

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Event Report: CSI Portsmouth

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Ticket, Book & Fingerprint Key-ring!

Ticket, Book & Fingerprint Key-ring!

On Saturday I made the trip to Portsmouth to attend CSI Portsmouth. Organised by crime writer Pauline Rowson, and one of many events taking place as part of the Portsmouth BookFest 2013, CSI Portsmouth was held at the fabulous Royal Naval Museum in the Historic Dockyard.

Now in its fourth year, the event brought together crime writers and crime solving experts.

The morning panel paired crime authors Pauline Rowson and Kerry Wilkinson, with real-life crime experts Michael Ellis of Hampshire Police and Dr Alex Allan, a Forensic Scientist specialising in Toxicology. The afternoon panel paired crime authors SJ Bolton and NJ Cooper with  real-life crime experts Brian Chappell, MBE, former DCI with the MET and Scotland Yard, and Sergeant Tony Birr from Hampshire Police Marine Unit.

Both panels made for some interesting discussions. For example, the debate in the morning panel around ‘legal highs’ and how the use of these unregulated and seemingly untested drugs are impacting on the police and other emergency services, and the conversation in the afternoon panel between NJ Cooper and SJ Bolton on whether provoking fear in themselves whilst writing helped them portray a scary and tension filled scene.

In addition to the panels, Haling Island Bookshop was on-hand for all your bookish shopping needs, and I was able to get my fingerprint (well, thumbprint) taken by Hampshire Constabulary and have it put into a key-ring!

If you’re interested in how crime is investigated both in real life and in crime fiction, CSI Portsmouth 2014 could be worth a visit.

CTG reports from Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival: Day 3

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the big screen in the Albert Halls

the big screen in the Albert Halls

Onto Sunday, and it was hard to believe that the festival was almost over. But there wasn’t time to feel sad as I was booked into a full day of sessions.

The morning started with So You Want to Be a Crime Novelist? A bunch of eight brave writers pitched their novels to the panel – agent Mark Stanton, editor Alison Hennessey, and last year’s winner (and bookseller) Joseph Knobbs. All the participants pitched brilliantly and showed nerves of steel. Massive congratulations to the winners – Alex Cox and Dan Stewart – who both won a gorgeous Toshiba tablet.

Next was the Masters of the Dark session with Mark Billingham and Stewart Neville (chaired by Peter Guttridge). Both writers talked about how freeing it could be to write a standalone novel after focusing on a series, and touched on their research methods (like going out in a patrol car with a couple of Police Officers for the night shift). They also discussed the art of the plot twist – when it works, when it doesn’t, and when there are just too many of the damn things.

After lunch I headed to the Craig Robertson & Chris Carter session (again chaired by Peter Guttridge) entitled Chasing Serial Killers. They discussed where their ideas for stories begin – a murder scene, a motivation, or a character – and the strange places they can suddenly get ideas. Chris Carter talked about being on the beach when one of his story ideas popped into his mind.

In the final session of the day, At the Top of his Game, the ever-sparkling Peter Guttridge chatted to the ever-charismatic Lee Child with an audience packed to the rafters listening in. Peter focused the interview more on Lee than on Reacher, asking him about his own experience growing up, whether Reacher’s fighting techniques, including the head-butts,  are skills Lee himself honed (answer:  yes!), and what his plans are for the series (answer: three more books agreed, after that he’ll see if people want more – I expect that we will!). Of course Lee’s new book NEVER GO BACK was discussed, but as to whether Reacher finally gets to visit with ‘the woman with the great voice’ that he’s been travelling to meet for the past couple of books, well, I guess you’ll just have to read the story to find out! [No spoilers here!]

And then it was over.

All that remains is to say a huge thank you to Dom Hastings and his amazing festival team. Their friendliness, great festive spirit and endlessly positive responses to queries both before and during the festival made for a warm and welcoming atmosphere that I’m sure will bring people back to Bloody Scotland for 2014 and beyond.

[hop on over to www.bloodyscotland.com to check out the early bird offers for Bloody Scotland 2014]

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CTG reports from Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival: Day 2

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Queue for Jo Nesbo

Queue for Jo Nesbo

Now queuing might normally be viewed as an annoying if not frustrating aspect of festival going, but not at Bloody Scotland. The buzz in the queue for the sold out sessions at the Albert Halls was tremendous, and it was great to strike up conversations with fellow fans of crime fiction and find out what their highlights of the festival had been and which sessions and authors they were looking forward to seeing. In the process I managed to add a few more authors to my ever growing ‘must read’ list.

As for the sessions I attended, the highlights of my day were:

The Fresh Blood panel. Chaired by Michael Malone, the panel of Matt Bendoris, Lisa Ballantyne and Malcolm Mackay talked about their debut novels and their experiences of getting to publication. They talked of the challenges (and need for dogged determination) when juggling home, work and writing, with Matt Bendoris admitting that he wrote his debut (and second novel) on his Blackberry while standing on a packed commuter train en-route (and back) to his day job!

Thrilling Tales and Psychological Twists saw Professor David Wilson in conversation with Zoe Sharp and Julia Crouch. Professor Wilson asked Zoe and Julia to first read excerpts from their books – Julia from her most recent novel Tarnished, and Zoe from her new standalone novel The Blood Whisperer – and then invited the audience to say how the narrative had made them feel. It was fascinating stuff, and so interesting to hear the impact both the writers’ narrative had.

Professor Wilson was keen to learn what had prompted the authors to write crime thrillers and prompted Zoe Sharp speak of her real life experience of receiving death threats when working as a photo journalist. In a rather unconventional departure from the standard interview format he then turned a question to the audience – why do you read the crime genre? An overriding theme from the discussion was that readers enjoy the sense of justice and resolution in crime novels – something that you don’t always get in real life crimes.

So, by the end of these two sessions, I’d added five more books to my reading pile:

The Blood Whisperer by Zoe Sharp

Tarnished by Julia Crouch

The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne

Killing with Confidence by Matt Bendoris

The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm Mackey

 

I just hoped that there would be enough room in my case for all the books I wanted to buy, especially as there was still one more day to go …

 

[hop on over to www.bloodyscotland.com to check out the early bird offers for Bloody Scotland 2014]

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