Spring Crime Fiction Festivals in the UK

Oh to be in England... Lots of great crime fiction/mystery conventions and festivals this Spring in England

April 23-May 2: Hexham Book Festival. Hexham, Northumberland.
For the program, go HERE. Some of the crime writers on the program: P.D. James, Val McDermid, Laura Wilson, Ann Cleeves.

April 20-24: Sleuths: English Riviera Festival of Crime and Thriller Writing. Torquay.
Author participants: Simon Brett, Diane James, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, M.C. Beaton, Mike Holgate, Ann Cleeves. Greenway House Sea & River Voyage, Theatre and more.

April 25: Murder at the Manor.
Hosted by the Chilworth Crime Convention. Martin Edwards, Meg Gardiner, Pauline Rowson, Rebbeca Tope. More info to come. Go here for location.

"The scene is set for a delightfully devious celebration of crime and thriller writing on the English Riviera, as some of the country's most scheming criminal minds descend on South Devon's beautiful bay. Over four days the festival will host talks from eminent authors, murder mystery plays and crime writing workshops, in the birthplace of the greatest selling crime writer of all time, Dame Agatha Christie."

May 20-23, 2010: CrimeFest, Bristol. "Where the Pen is Bloodier Than the Sword"

Guest Authors: Tonino Benacquista, Colin Dexter. Toastmaster: Gyles Brandreth. Other highlighted authors include M.C. Beaton & Ariana Franklin.  First organized in June 2008 by Myles Allfrey and Adrian Muller, CrimeFest has become one of the most popular dates in the crime fiction calendar. This fantastic  annual convention draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world and gives delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in an informal atmosphere
2010 Highlights include: Gala Dinner on Saturday, 22nd of May, Interviews with the featured Guest Authors and Toastmaster, Awards,  author panels and crime writing workshops. To register, go HERE.

June 14-20: CWA (Crime Writers Association) has put together a plan for their first National Crime Fiction Week. CWA members will take part in readings, discussions, readers’ group events and workshops all over the country. Murders in Libraries, Bodies in Bookshops and Strawberries and Crime at Village Fetes. For the full schedule, go HERE.  This will be updated, so check back.

Be sure and check with local bookstores and libraries for signings and talks throughout the Spring.