L-R: (back) Dreda Say Mitchell, Martyn Waites, Jane Gregory, Laura Wilson, Simon Theakston, Selina Walker, Stuart MacBride; (front) NJ Cooper

Some of the biggest names in the crime writing world gathered last night in Harrogate to celebrate the launch of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival programme. Described by Festival Chief Executive Sharon Canavar as “one of the strongest line-ups yet”, the world-famous crime festival will welcome such genre giants as Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, and this year’s Festival Chair, Stuart MacBride.

The murderous mix of events will take place on 22^nd - 25^th July 2010 at The Crown Hotel, Harrogate. Highlights includes a celebration of 120 years of Agatha Christie; special guest appearances from Christopher Brookmyre, Jeffery Deaver and Joanne Harris; a series of debates guaranteed to raise temperatures including: are the Brits the best crime writers in the world?; and the much anticipated introduction to the “new blood” writers - a showcase of the most exciting emerging talent on the scene.

This year, in an exciting new collaboration to mark the programme launch, festival-sponsor Theakstons Old Peculier has teamed up with six of the UK’s leading crime writers to create a series of limited edition labels on bottles of their famous ale. The authors - Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Stuart MacBride, Simon Kernick, NJ Cooper and Simon Beckett - were tasked with writing a brand new crime story for the back of the beer bottle. The twist? They could only use ten words.

Stuart MacBride said: “Write a whole story in ten words? Piece of cake. Or at least that’s what I thought. Turned out to be true too - writing a story in ten words is easy, it’s writing a good one that’s difficult. But with any luck I hope people will pause for a moment in the midst of savouring their drink to take a squint at the wee stories and maybe decide to try a crime novel they wouldn’t have before. Beer and a good book, what could be better?”

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston explained the partnership: “We are immensely proud of our association with Harrogate’s world-class crime fiction festival and the new labels featuring these ten word stories by the cream of UK crime writers are a further demonstration of the innovative nature and ongoing success of our partnership. I hope fans of Old Peculier and fans of crime fiction alike will enjoy collecting the six stories and reading them while appreciating a bottle of fine ale!”

Looking for an opportunity to become the next big name on the crime scene? Here’s your chance.

Crime drama channel Alibi, publisher HarperCollins and the TV Times have teamed up with the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate to unearth some of the country’s hottest new crime-writing talent.

Alibi’s Search for a New Crime Writer competition asks budding writers to submit a short crime fiction story of 2,000 - 5,000 words via the Alibi website www.theperfectalibi.co.uk. The competition closes at midday on Sunday 16th May 2010.

Internationally bestselling crime author and 2010 Festival Chair Stuart MacBride has lent his support to the competition by providing entrants with the story’s opening line, designed to spark your creativity.

‘In my experience, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it’.

The aim of the literary search is to champion emerging crime writers and give them the opportunity for their work to be put in front of leading industry figures. There will be a shortlist of three writers with one eventual winner and two runners-up. All three finalists will win tickets to Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate where they will rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the business as well as having the chance to attend creative workshops. The overall winner will be announced on Thursday 22nd July during a special reception at the beginning of the Festival.

Publisher HarperCollins will create a special e-edition of the winner’s story, this will be made available as a download. The victor will also win a Sony eReader as well as an enviable library of over 100 crime novels.

For full details of the prizes and how to enter visit: www.theperfectalibi.co.uk

Good luck!

Special Guest: Jeff Lindsay

Full details of the 2010 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival programme will be announced at a launch reception on Thursday 11th February.

Details of authors and events will be available on the website soon after, so keep watching this space.

Internationally best-selling author Stuart MacBride, along with the Festival Programming Committee, has put together a programme packed with fresh ideas and new authors alongside firm Festival favourites. The special guest line up has already been announced with Christopher Brookmyre, Jeffery Deaver, Joanne Harris, Jeff Lindsay, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin and Karin Slaughter all taking centre stage over the four days of the Festival, 22-25 July.

They will be joined by over 70 crime writers from the UK and all over the world. Find out which of your favourite authors will be hitting Harrogate for the hottest crime scene of the summer from the 11th February!

Enjoy a 5% discount on 2010 Weekend Break packages and receive free signed book!

Fancy a weekend in the company of some of the world’s best selling authors? Delighted by Deaver? Love a little Lindsay? Ravenous for Rankin? Then why not treat yourself to a whole four days at the biggest and best crime fiction Festival in Europe.

Book a Weekend Break package before 31 January 2010 and receive 5% off standard 2010 package prices. Or book before 23 December 2009 to beat the VAT rate rise and save even more money!

Book your weekend package before 31st Jan receive 5% off and a copy of Moscow Sting

On top of the great discount, everyone who books by the 31 January will also receive a special free gift courtesy of our friends at Headline, a signed copy of Alex Dryden’s chilling spy thriller Moscow Sting (subject to availability).

Weekend Break packages include 3 nights bed and breakfast hotel accommodation and tickets to all Festival events from the Award & Opening Party on Thursday 22 July to the last event on Sunday 25 July, excluding the Dinner event on Saturday evening.

Weekend Break packages for the 2010 Festival start from as little as £349 per person based on twin or double accommodation (£325 if you book before 23 Dec, £332 before 31 Jan*) or from £399 per person for single accommodation (£371 before 23 Dec, £379 before 31 Jan*). *Due to VAT increase.

To book or for information, please call 01423 562303 or email: crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk

NB: The Festival Office will be closed from 23rd December, reopening on the 4th January

We know from talking to crime readers at the Festival and at library events throughout the year, that while everyone has their trusted favourite writers, the ones that you can rely on to deliver the goods time after time, nothing is more satisfying than discovering a brand new voice that hits all the marks.

This Christmas the Festival has got together with publishers Headline to bring you a taste of some of the talent to look out for over the next twelve months. Click the link below to download a copy of a sampler containing sneak previews of four brand new novels being published in 2010.

Download your free sampler

The sampler contains chapters from:

-       Bequest by A.K. Shevchenko, international intrigue as a modern day London solicitor finds herself involved in a two hundred year old Russian mystery.

-        American Devil by Oliver Stark, join New York homicide detective Tom Harper on the trail of a serial murderer.

-        Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson, a exhilarating debut drawing comparisons with du Maurier.

-        The Levels by Sean Cregan, a dark, urban gothic thriller for fans of Child, Coben, Billingham and Kernick.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year from the Festival Team … and happy reading!

Joanne Harris will be appearing at the 2010 Festival

Ahead of the launch of the full Festival programme in the New Year we are delighted to announce that the 2010 Special Guest line up just got a little bit more special. Joining the already impressive line up of Ian Rankin, Karin Slaughter and Christopher Brookmyre, are three heavyweight talents, two from across the pond and one from much nearer to home. It’s our great pleasure to reveal that Jeffery Deaver, Jeff Lindsay and Joanne Harris will also be appearing at the 2010 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate.

Keep an eye on the website for more information on events and authors coming over the next few months.

Simon Theakston presents winner Mark Billingham with the Award

The brightest and best of Britain’s crime writing fraternity flocked to Harrogate this weekend for the announcement of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. As 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 is repeating his success from 2005 when he won the very first award with LazyBones. He is a prolific and extremely popular writer, and Bloodline, the newest Tom Thorne novel is out on August 6^th. Open to British crime novels published in paperback in 2008, this is the only award of its kind to be voted for by the general public and this year over 5000 votes were cast online.

Mark Billingham today said ‘To even be on the shortlist with such fantastic authors was amazing and then to win was absolutely amazing!’

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals today said: ‘The Award is a fantastic opening to the best crime writing festival around, and I am delighted that Mark won, I remember thoroughly enjoying Death Message when I first read it. A very worthy winner.’

Mark Billingham with his award-winning novel, Death Message

The short list was:

Death Message (Mark Billingham)

The Accident Man (Tom Cain)

Bad Luck and Trouble (Lee Child)

Gone to Ground (John Harvey)

Ritual (Mo Hayder)

Garden of Evil (David Hewson)

A Cure for all Diseases (Reginald Hill)

The Colour of Blood (Declan Hughes)

Dead Man’s Footsteps (Peter James)

Broken Skin (Stuart MacBride)

Beneath the Bleeding (Val McDermid)

Exit Music (Ian Rankin)

Friend of the Devil (Peter Robinson)

Savage Moon (Chris Simms)

The only award of its kind to be voted for by the reading public, it does represent the reading tastes of the nation. This has been demonstrated by past winners who have ranged from best sellers including Mark Billingham (2005) and Val McDermid (2006) Allan Guthrie (2007) though to Stef Penney for The Tenderness of Wolves in 2008. Mark received £3000 and a hand made Theakstons cask.

T&R Theakstons Executive Director Simon Theakston today said: ““It has been a remarkably strong shortlist representing the very best that the crime writing world has to offer. Once again, the public have chosen a deserving winner.’

The winning book will also have a prominent chart position in most Asda stores though the summer.

A delighted Mark accepts the award from sponsor Simon Theakston

Did you vote for Mark? Did your favourite author win? Tell us what you think by posting a comment below…

Countdown begins!

The Festival is fast approaching, and we are counting down the hours until the party on opening night, when we’ll at last find out the winner of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

If you’re coming to the Festival, then we can’t wait to see you! If you’re not already coming, then this is your last chance to get tickets. So what are you waiting for? Our special event ‘The Wire’ is completely sold out, so if you’ve already got a place, then you’re one of the lucky ones.

If you weren’t so lucky, though, there are still plenty of brilliant events to tickle your crime-writing taste buds. Why not find out how crime fiction is adapted for TV and film in Shoot the Book? Or how childhood reading can shape the adult writer in Nursery Crimes? Or meet the latest names to enter the crime scene in New Blood?

Val McDermid and Chris Simms battle for the prize

Award Shortlist On Special Offer In Asda Stores

Holmes and Watson, Morse and Lewis, Daziel and Pascoe - great things often come in pairs. And the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year is thrilled to announce a brand new partnership with Britain’s most popular supermarket: Asda.

Supermarkets and crime novels are two things destined to get the heart racing. The tackle of trolleys, battle for bread and milk mayhem: it’s murder. And now customers can also be gripped and thrilled by some of the best crime novels of the year.

Peter James

After the frozen pea aisle, get chilled to the bone by bagging a Mark Billingham with your beer, a Val McDermid with your McVities or a bit of Daziel and Pascoe with the Tabasco.

Now in its fifth year, the Theakstons Old Peculier award is open to British and Irish paperbacks published in 2008.

Supermarkets can be inspirational to crime authors - and not just because the queues fill them with criminal intent. One of the shortlisted authors is the bestselling (and tall) Lee Child who named his hero Jack Reacher after his wife told him if the novels didn’t sell he could get a job reaching things down from supermarket shelves.

The novels will be promoted in selected stores nationwide from the 7 - 27 July.
Steph Bateson, Books Buying Manager for Asda said: ‘Asda are thrilled to be working with the Festival to promote the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Crime is our biggest selling genre and the award represents the best novels within that genre.  We are very much looking forward to working with the festival to drive voting and raise national consumer awareness of the Asda book offer.’

Simon Theakston Executive Director of T&R Theakston said:  ‘The award is going from strength to strength and we are delighted to welcome Asda on board, they have fast become a force to be reckoned within book selling, bringing books to an ever wider audience, and I am looking forward to another exciting award.’

Peter Robinson and the Asda book buying team

The shortlist in full:

Death Message (Mark Billingham)
The Accident Man (Tom Cain)
Bad Luck and Trouble (Lee Child)
Gone to Ground (John Harvey)
Ritual (Mo Hayder)
The Garden of Evil (David Hewson)
A Cure for all Diseases (Reginald Hill)
The Colour of Blood (Declan Hughes)
Dead Man’s Footsteps  (Peter James)
Broken Skin (Stuart MacBride)
Beneath the Bleeding (Val McDermid)
Exit Music (Ian Rankin)
Friend of the Devil (Peter Robinson)
Savage Moon (Chris Simms).

Mark Billingham and John Harvey battle it out