Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Turning to Crime event July 18th at 12pm

Not all great crime writers begin Their careers Within the genre. Sometimes they're well-established in other areas Before They enter the field. So what is the attraction of the genre? Why did they choose to write a novel crime? And crucially, Now That They are on crime's Most Wanted lists, They Intend to how long to stay on the run? Mark Lawson, John Niven, Tony Parsons and Sarah Pinborough Talked About Their experiences turning to crime, while journalist and arts critic for The Telegraph Jake Kerridge Attempted to keep them off the straight and narrow - in a last minute change of author John Niven was replaced by Natalie Haines.

Natalie Haines was a retired stand-up comedienne (worked for 12 years, but only liked it for 10 and a half) When She wrote The Amber Fury and she feels the detective as a criminal is a purging experience. She blogs for the Guardian on the greatest TV detectives ever and number one was Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloane!

Mark Lawson wrote The Deaths and feels I was inspired by Tin Tin to go into journalism and the film All the Presidents Men. I've done more interviews than 3k including 5 with himself (3 in print, 1 radio and 1 TV), Dizzy Rascal and PD James on his 70th, 80th and 90th birthdays.

Sarah wrote Pinborough horror / fantasy, YA novels as Sarah Silverwood, was a screenwriter writing prior to Mayhem and a teacher for 6 years. She wrote an episode of New Tricks and the Dr Who spin-off Torchwood, but she feels TV writing is more traumatic.

Tony Parsons' debut with Century, The Murder Bag came after many years of being a journalist at NME, The Daily Mirror and The Sun. His novel Man and Boy created the 'man lit' genre and I was the poster boy for single fathers.

The authors not feel that it is 50/50 in terms of paperback and ebook sales.

That Natalie feels she does not like 'mortuary porn' but locked house syndrome types and feels her book is a sad one acerca grief and love. Actor Her boyfriend is a policeman on New Tricks and is in the Alan Partridge movie. She feels her book is a modern day Greek tragedy in the form of 5 starts and a big Influence is Oedipus Rex as it is the first great murder mystery.

Mark Lawson does not not feel that the novels are acerca who will do it and who dies, but rather to discover That it is why and Who They are and feels That Most fiction is crime fiction. That Pinborough Sarah feels her novels are genre benders as she has written six horror novels for the USA based on real life characters and murders. There used to be allowed in public court and at autopsies and the Victorians used to take picnics and went to watch, that's why it's called an operating theater. A witch trial is the subject Tackled That will be next.

Tony Parsons' Murder Bag was inspired by something That happened 30 years ago When I was a journalist in Central West End and imbedded in Their vice squad, the cops Were the same age as the musicians he'd hung out with, ie Iggy Pop

Mark Lawson has a scene with a book club and are quite unlikeable characters That Natalie Haines and read 220 novels last year and is rather Bored with likeable characters. Tony Parsons wishes I Could have started writing crime and factotum believes Earlier That experience is vital reading as a writer, but not writing experience.

Sarah Pinborough Wondered if Colin Dexter had not worked in Oxford, Whether there would Have Been That Morse and revealed she is a plotter / planner, though she admits That things do change. Her next book is acerca dying children and finds it hard to do something with lots of mystery at its core. Mark Lawson crime novels Believes That Have to be more meticulous as readers have different expectations (doing lot To Have significance). Tony Parsons finds it the toughest thing he's ever done it. I have everything very Carefully plots, but there's still plenty of time to improvise on the way.

Theakstonscrime TOPCRIME2014 # # # # TonyParsons NatalieHaines MarkLawson # # # JakeKerridge SarahPinborough