Karen's blog: Norwich Crime Writing Festival 12

The full programme is now available for booking:

Noirwich Crime Writing Festival

12 - 15 September 2019

THE PERFECT CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL RETURNS

12 - 15 September 2019

Join us for the sixth Noirwich Crime Writing Festival; the region's largest celebration of crime writing and one of the fastest growing literary festivals in the UK.

Last few season passes still available!

Thursday launch event
Friday evening triple-bill
All weekend events
Complimentary Bloody Mary at the Bloody Brunch
20% saving over individual tickets
Exclusive collector’s lanyard and Noirwich tote bag!

Thursday 12 September

FESTIVAL LAUNCH

James Runcie – The Road to Grantchester

7pm, The Pantry, Jarrold, £11 / £10 conc / £8 student

Join us for the 2019 Festival launch with James Runcie, the acclaimed writer and director whose much-loved Grantchester Mysteries series has captured the nation’s imagination. Perfect for readers and writers drawn to fiction which strongly evokes the look and feel of the past.

'A tremendous novel - shrewd, compelling and full of insight' - William Boyd

Postmortem – Launch of the UEA Creative Writing MA Crime Fiction Anthology 2019

8.30pm, The Birdcage, free entry - please book in advance

Come and meet future stars of the genre at the launch of Postmortem, a gripping anthology of crime fiction from this year’s UEA Creative Writing MA graduates, with a foreword by Mick Herron.

Creative writing workshops

Friday 13 September, 11am - 1pm or 2 - 4pm, The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia, £40 / £35 conc

Purchase a combined package of both workshops for £70!

Creating Memorable Characters with Claire McGowan

Delve deep into the psyche of your heroes and villains, and gain practical advice on how to construct scenes with emotional depth and range.

How to Craft a Gripping Spy Thriller with Mick Herron

Mick Herron, author of the Jackson Lamb series, will share his incomparable insights into crafting a compelling plot that will keep your reader hooked from the first page.

Friday 13 September

One evening. One venue. The perfect triple bill.

Crimes Against Nature

with Corinne Le Quéré CBE and Ben Smith

5pm, The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 student

Our expert panel will discuss the threat of nature, the growing popularity of ‘eco-crime’ fiction and how the debate around environmental degradation could open up new creative avenues in your writing.

A Birder Murder

with Steve Burrows and James Henry

6.30pm, The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 student

Our fascinating evening of ‘eco crime’ continues with Steve Burrows and James Henry, two acclaimed crime writers with a passion for ornithology and criminology.

HEADLINE EVENT

Noirwich Lecture – George Alagiah

8pm, The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia, £11 / £10 conc / £8 student

We are delighted to welcome George Alagiah for the annual Noirwich Lecture, in which he will explore violence, greed and corruption in relation to his highly anticipated crime novel The Burning Land. A chance to enjoy an evening in the company of one of the nation’s foremost journalists who has genuine insight on the state we find ourselves in.

Saturday 14 September

First Offenders

with Sara Collins, Nicola Rayner and Kate Weinberg

10.30am, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 students Limited availability

Discover your next favourite book from our selection of the best debut crime novels. Sara Collins, Nicola Rayner and Kate Weinberg will reveal where to find inspiration, how to write an attention-grabbing debut, and what gave them their big break.

The Next Twist

with Julia Crouch, Lisa Jewell and Erin Kelly

Noon, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 students Limited availability

Three pioneers of Domestic Noir take us on a journey through their latest thrilling novels and offer insight into how they cook up the surprise twists you never see coming.

HEADLINE EVENT

Louise Doughty – Platform Seven

2pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, £9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Limited availability

The multi award-winning writer of Apple Tree Yard and UEA alumna returns to Norwich for the launch of her latest book Platform Seven; a gripping, brilliant, original and eerily-timely story set at night in an empty railway station.

Scandal in the City

with Leye Adenle, Sarah Hilary and Vaseem Khan

3.30pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Join Leye Adenle, Sarah Hilary and Vaseem Khan as they probe the dirty underbelly of big cities and examine why built-up landscapes, such as Mumbai, Lagos, and London, make for such compelling criminal settings.

Dissecting Euro Noir

with Simone Buchholz and Antti Tuomainen

5pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Simone and Antti will dissect their latest novels in translation, their use of grisly detail or dark humour, and why they think European crime fiction is one of the most electrifying and successful genres in the world.

HEADLINE EVENT

Denise Mina – Conviction

7pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, £9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Denise Mina has been described as ‘one of the most talented, most daring, most humane writers of the past 20 years’. Join us for a dissection of her latest novel Conviction; a fast-paced and compulsive tale of a true crime podcast, a sunken yacht and a murder in the Mediterranean, which showcases her discerning eye for great fictional and true crime stories.

Noirwich Live

8pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

free entry - please book in advance

Join us after hours at Dragon Hall for some drinks, micro readings, and crime fiction-flavoured chat. An ideal chance to meet and mingle with the writers, readers and fans who all make Noirwich such a special festival.

Sunday 15 September

The Bloody Brunch returns! Celebrate the weekend in style with a ticket to both Sunday morning events at the Festival, plus a complimentary Bloody Mary from Big Tom and Ghost Vodka.

The Bloody Brunch: Dark Pasts

10.30am, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Join E C Fremantle, Alex Reeve and Laura Shepherd-Robinson for a discussion on what drew them to historical crime fiction, the discoveries made through research, and how important plausibility and authenticity are when writing a good story.

The Bloody Brunch: A Taste of Murder

Noon, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall,

£9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Take a seat at the chef’s table as M. J. Carter and Martin Walker embark on a palatable journey through crime fiction with a tasty twist: focusing on Walker’s Inspector Bruno, Chief of Police and gourmet cook.

HEADLINE EVENT

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

2pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, £9 / £8 conc / £6 students

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is an international writing sensation and ‘Iceland’s crime queen’ (The Scotsman). We are delighted to welcome Yrsa to Norwich for the first time as the inaugural UNESCO Noirwich Writer in Residence, to discuss the relationship between place and environment in her writing.