Events

Author events, book festivals, podcasts and other such things the might interest a book fan… If you have details of an event you think I should post here, get in touch.

I post this information in good faith but please check dates and times with the venue or organiser as things can change. This is not an exhaustive list – check local press and bookshops for your area too!

The weekly Virtual Noir at the Bar hosted by Vic Watson (of the Newcastle chapter of NATB) is on hiatus, but check out Bay Tales, their latest venture: Website: https://baytales.com/ Twitter: @bay_tales

Jacky “Dr Noir” Collins and Kelly Lacey run Noir at the Bar (Edinburgh chapter), follow them on social media for updates: Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoirattheBarEd/ Twitter: @NoirBarEdin They also run Honey & Stag Literary Events, including interviews and book launches (Twitter: @HoneyandStag).

Dr Noir also organises Newcastle Noir, with the 2020 online panels available on the festival’s YouTube channel, where you’ll also find a series of fab author interviews under the banner “The Doctor will see you now…”

If you fancy an online book club, pop over to Facebook and join the Bloody Scotland Book Club (www.facebook.com/groups/bloodyscotlandbookclub). Three books per month are chosen by a panel of bloggers, booksellers and authors on the festival’s board. You can read along, or just chat with other readers and see if you fancy each book from what others are saying. At the end of the month the panel gets together (on Zoom) for a conversation about the books which goes out on Facebook Live. Catch up with previous episodes on the festival’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/BloodyScotland2012

If you are a podcast fan, here’s a few for your ears:
Blood Brothers – three crime writers from the north of England, Rob Parker, Chris McDonald and M Sean Coleman plus guests. Twitter: @bloodbrospod
The Northern Crime Writing Syndicate – Hosted by AM Peacock and other writers in the group, this sees writers and book world figures gently grilled. Twitter: @northern_crime
RedHotChilliWriters – “Six British Asian writers talk books, writing, the creative arts, pop culture, risqué humour and Big Fat Asian weddings”. Hosted mostly by Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan. Twitter: @RHChilliWriters Website: www.redhotchilliwriters.com/
Read All About It – Writer and journalist Paul Cuddihy takes his guests (mostly authors) on the literary journey of their lives, choosing books from formative moments amid discussions about their lives and their writing. https://shows.acast.com/read-all-about-it
Sbooks – hosted by Scottish crime writers Denzil Meyrick and Douglas Skelton, who talk about books, TV and films amid large doses of banter. Twitter: @Sbooks15
Two Crime Writers And A Microphone – Hosted by Steve Cavanagh and Luca Veste. Usually hilarious to the point of actual pain. Twitter: @TwoCrimeWriters (NB: Luca is planning some new solo-host episodes!)

Events diary

2023

Note: I include some of the biggest UK crime fiction festivals and some of my personal favourites – if you want a truly encyclopaedic list of book festivals, check out Alan Jones’ website where he is aiming to list every one in the UK and Ireland: www.alanjonesbooks.co.uk/festival_list.html

Events diary

2023

MAY

11th-14th CrimeFest Bristol welcomes all-comers to this convention – panels yet to be announced but there’s sure to be something to whet the appetite, and it’s a really lovely city too. Website: www.crimefest.com/ Twitter: @CrimeFest

JUNE

15th-17th Lyme Crime returns for another year of crime fiction by the sea, with Noir At The Bar and a series of fabulous-sounding panels. Website: www.lymecrime.co.uk/ Twitter: @CrimeLyme

16th-18th Blood Brothers Big Book Blowout is back for a third year, with the podcasters sure to assemble a great programme of guests once more. Online, so you can join the fun from anywhere!

AUGUST

4th-6th Bute Noir is one of my favourite festivals, in part due to the setting, in lovely Rothesay, and in part due to the atmosphere, which is even by the standards of crime fiction festivals hugely warm and welcoming.

SEPTEMBER

15th-17th Bloody Scotland is back to just a three-day festival after its tenth birthday four-day blowout, but it’s sure to cram in a huge amount of great panels and all the other things that make it a unique festival – hopefully they will repeat the hybrid festival of 2021 and 2022, so you can watch from wherever you are in the world. Website: bloodyscotland.com Twitter: @BloodyScotland