CrimeFest, the UK's leading crime fiction convention hosted at Bristol’s Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel has announced its full programme, with tickets now on sale.
As well as the Full CrimeFest pass, which gives access to the entire event, a limited number of Day Passes for the Friday and Saturday of the four-day convention, have now gone on sale.
CrimeFest, which runs from 9-12 May, opens with a special Murdle live event, hosted by the creator of the international crime puzzle series hit, G.T. Karber, in one of just a handful of UK appearances.
The opening day also sees panels on topics including pace and tension, landscape and setting, plotting, and the appeal of the genre to all ages.
Thursday’s panels feature authors including Ajay Chowdhury, whose first novel in the acclaimed series featuring Detective Kamil Rahman, The Waiter, is being adapted for television, the Welsh-Canadian mystery writer Cathy Ace, the international bestselling author Alex North, and the award-winning, Kate Ellis.
Friday then welcomes 25 author panels, including 2024’s featured guests: Laura Lippman, Denise Mina, and G.T. Karber.
Lippman is best known for her novels set in Baltimore featuring reporter turned investigator, Tess Monaghan. Her novel Lady in the Lake was adapted into a series for Apple. She will appear on a panel of superfans of the iconic TV series, Columbo, alongside chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, Vaseem Khan, and Murdle’s G.T. Karber.
Friday also sees the bestselling authors Holly Jackson and Abir Mukherjee discussing books that take readers on a ‘road trip,’ and former detective turned crime author, Graham Bartlett, exploring misconduct in crime fiction.
There will also be a panel celebrating Alfred Hitchcock moderated by Doctor Who writer, and author of the Hitchcock Murders, Gavin Collinson. He’ll be joined by the seminal Scottish author Denise Mina, and Barry Ryan, MD of Free@LastTV which created the TV hit series, Agatha Raisin.
A homage to PD James will feature the author Frances Fyfield, the Sunday Times chief fiction critic Peter Kemp, playwright and crime author, Simon Brett, and PD James’ granddaughter, Dr Beatrice Groves.
On Saturday 11 May, featured guest events include Denise Mina interviewed by Abir Mukherjee, Laura Lippman interviewed by Ayo Onatade, Lynda La Plante interviewed by Maxim Jakubowski, and James Lee Burke in a live Zoom interview with Vaseem Khan.
Saturday also features panels on debut authors, an exploration of ‘partners in crime’ with Ruth Dudley Edwards, and a focus on historical fiction with Martin Edwards and Abir Mukherjee.
The CrimeFest Awards are also announced at a gala dinner event on Saturday evening.
On Sunday, highlights include an interview with the Welsh-Canadian author Cathy Ace by Free@Last TV’s Barry Ryan, who is currently adapting her Cait Morgan Mysteries for television. It also features the annual Criminal Mastermind quiz, conducted by the literary polymath, Maxim Jakubowski.
Sponsored by Specsavers, CrimeFest has been hosted in buzzing Bristol, which topped Time Out’s Best Places to Visit, since it began in 2008.
For Full Pass, Friday, or Saturday Pass tickets, visit crimefest.com
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