RJ Ellory wins 2010 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award
RJ Ellory wins 2010 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year
R.J. Ellory has received one of the most prestigious awards in crime writing after his novel A Simple Act of Violence scooped this year’s Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.
Beating off stiff competition from a shortlist that included genre giants Ian Rankin, Peter James and Mark Billingham R.J. Ellory also beat a number of longlisted heavy-weights from the cream of Britain’s crime writers including Val McDermid, Martina Cole and Peter Robinson.
The Birmingham born author was presented the prize at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster and regular festival goer Mark Lawson on the opening night (Thursday 22 July) of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. He receives a £3,000 cash prize, as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakstons Old Peculier.
Now in its sixth year, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award was created to celebrate the very best in crime writing, and is open to British and Irish authors whose novels were published in paperback in 2009.
The judging panel, which included Jenni Murray, BBC Radio 4 broadcaster and author; John Dugdale, Guardian Associate Media Editor; Natalie Haynes, comedian and journalist; Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston Ltd; and a public online vote that represented a 20% share of the all-new judging process, was very impressed by Ellory’s novel. Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston, said:
“The standard of the shortlist was particularly high this year and our decision was a tough one. However, R.J. Ellory’s A Simple Act of Violence is a most impressive, fascinating and surprising book and a worthy winner of this year’s Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. A fast-paced thriller, each page seems to bring about a new twist and take you deeper into a world that could only have come from a true master of crime fiction. ”
Ellory was completely stunned upon hearing the news:
“I don’t think anyone not in my shoes can understand the definition of speechless. I am utterly speechless. This has really taken me aback. I feel acknowledged for doing something different. Thank you, I’m grateful beyond words.”
The 2010 Shortlist in full
In The Dark – Mark Billingham
The Surrogate – Tania Carver
A Simple Act Of Violence - RJ Ellory (WINNER)
The Crossing Places – Elly Griffiths
Dead Tomorrow – Peter James
Gallows Lane – Brian McGilloway
Doors Open – Ian Rankin
Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith
Asda contributes to rise in crime (reading)
Supermarkets and crime novels are two things destined to get the heart racing. The tackle of trolleys, battle for bread and mayhem over milk: it’s murder – the perfect place to pick up a crime novel! From 8 July to 9 August, you can get chilled to the bone (after the frozen pea aisle) by bagging TWO of the eight 2010 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Shortlist titles at the criminally-low price of £7 from Britain’s most popular supermarket: Asda.
 Reginald Hill with Simon Theakston Theakstons Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution A special presentation was also made on the same night to the winner of the inaugural Theakstons Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award, which this year is awarded to Reginald Hill (pictured right). Hill’s first book, A Clubbable Woman,was published in 1970 and was the first in the hugely successful Dalziel and Pascoe series which went to became a TV hit. Since then, Hill has written over forty books in a variety of genres and is about to publish a brand new thriller this month. Hill’s acceptance speech was warm and witty and full of praise for his editor Julia Wisdom. |
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And the Award Goes to… The Story so Far
Mark Billingham
The first winner of the award in 2005 was Mark Billingham for his novel Lazy Bones. He pipped Simon Kernick, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Minette Walters, Andrew Taylor, Reginald Hill and Alexander McCall Smith to the post.
Mark was dubbed a ‘rising star’; his detective Tom Thorne series has since put him firmly in the crime writing hall of fame. A previous stand-up comic, his charisma has attracted legions of dedicated fans, including the famous ‘Billingham Babes’ – an all-female fan club who have made Mark something of the Tom Jones of the crime writing world.
Of his win at the time, Mark said: “I am absolutely delighted to be the winner of the first Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year … I am incredibly proud to have beaten so many great writers. I am really thrilled that so many people voted.”
Val McDermid
2006 saw a victorious Val McDermid when her novel The Torment of Others won the title. She beat Lindsay Ashford, Stephen Booth, Martin Edwards, Susan Hill and Ian Rankin. McDermid is one of the biggest names in crime fiction today. Her bestsellers have sold over an incredible ten million copies. The clinical psychologist Tony Hill who first appeared in her novel The Mermaids Singing became a household name with the ITV hit Wire in the Blood.
The win was a particularly special moment because of Val’s close association with the Festival. Of her win, Val said: “I was Programming Chair for the first three years of the Festival when it was just a twinkle in our eyes. I’ve been involved with the Festival from the very beginning and it feels very special to be honoured here because of the closeness of my involvement with it.”
Allan Guthrie
The 2007 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year saw Allan Guthrie‘s novel, Two Way Split beat strong competition to scoop the sought after prize.
Allan Guthrie said of his win: “I am stunned, overwhelmed and very pleased. Thank you to everyone who had faith in the book and everyone who voted.”
He beat off strong competition including Stephen Booth, Christopher Brookmyre, Graham Hurley, Michael Jecks and Stuart MacBride.
The win was something of an inspiration for budding crime authors – Allan had faced hundreds of rejection slips before Two-Way Split was picked up by an independent press in America. Two-Way Split was then snatched up by Polygon and his fifth novel Slammer was published in 2009.
Stef Penney
In 2008, the debut novel of Stef Penney, The Tenderness of Wolves conquered crime writing stalwarts Simon Beckett, Mark Billingham, Christopher Brookmyre, Reginald Hill, Graham Hurley, Peter James, Simon Kernick, Stuart MacBride, Alexander McCall Smith, Peter Robinson and CJ Samson.
Stef Penney said of her win: “I feel a bit of a fraud as it is only my first book and I don’t really feel like a proper crime writer, but I am delighted to have won.”
The Tenderness of Wolves also won the Costa prize in 2006.
Mark Billingham with his award-winning novel, Death Message
Mark Billingham’s novel Death Message beat strong competition to scoop this sought after prize on the opening night of the 2009 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
Mark repeated his success from 2005 when he won the very first Crime Novel of the Year award with LazyBones. In total over 5000 votes were cast by the general public in the online poll to decide the winner.
After the announcement Mark Billingham said, ‘To even be on the shortlist with such fantastic authors was amazing and then to win was absolutely amazing!’
