In the past I have written my top 10 crime festival posts so I thought I would do so again this year as it has always been a popular post. I’m not sure if I can keep it down to 10 though as more and more festivals pop up every year. The world of crime fiction is getting ever more popular with festivals giving readers more and more choice every year. There are your large well-known festivals as usual and your smaller, but growing festivals.
Let’s have a look at them here. I’ll provide a date and a link to the festival website.
February
Granite Noir 22 – 24th
Created in 2017, Granite Noir delivers a rich programme of author conversations, family events, workshops, late night noir, exhibitions and much more. Events take place across Aberdeen over the last weekend in February, transforming the city into a hub for crime fiction lovers of all ages.
March
Noirland 8 – 10th
Featuring some of the biggest names in crime: Ann Cleeves, Anthony Horowitz, Belinda Bauer, James Swallow, Denise Mina and Stuart MacBride.
And we will be welcoming some fantastic names from television crime drama, including the team behind RTE’s hit series Taken Down and Love/Hate.
Quais Du Polar 29 – 31st
The festival is for all audiences: from bulimic crime fiction readers, amateur detectives, crime column fans and thrill-seeking moviegoers to curious passers-by, citizens well-informed in world affairs, party goers who love meeting people, and graphics and comic book enthusiasts… Whatever your age, whatever your gang, day and night, Quais du Polar is the place to be!
May
Newcastle Noir 3 – 5th
Newcastle Noir 2019 will be held at Newcastle City Library as organisers bid to widen the appeal of the annual crime lovers’ weekend.
Crimefest 9 – 12th
CRIMEFEST is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. Drawing top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world, it gives all delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in a friendly, informal and inclusive atmosphere.
July
True Crime Podcast Festival 13th
So many of your favourite true crime podcasters all in one place! (Chicago)
Theakston’s Old Peculier (Harrogate) 18 – 21st
Celebrating the very best in crime fiction, the Festival is a firm date in the literary calendar and has achieved international acclaim for the programming, organisation and atmosphere.
September
Noirwich 12 – 15th
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival is the region’s largest annual celebration of crime writing and one of the fastest growing literary festivals in the UK.
Bloody Scotland 20 – 22nd
Bloody Scotland established itself at Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival in 2012 with Lin Anderson and Alex Gray at the helm.
Capital Crime 26 – 28th
CAPITAL CRIME PRESENTS PANELS AND EVENTS
THAT ENTERTAIN AND ENGAGE CRIME AND THRILLER FANS.
Will you be attending any of these? Which ones catch your eye?
You know I love Quais du Polar but this year it coincides a little too neatly with the Brexit deadline, so I’m afraid I might get stuck in an airport forever. I am going to Crimefest and I’ll try to pop over to Newcastle Noir to support the Romanian crime writers’ panel. Any chance of seeing you at either?
Always such great things going on in the world of crime fiction, aren’t there, Rebecca? It all sounds terrific!
More importantly, are you going, Rebecca?
Seriously, I’d love to go to them all. Harrogate is 95% certain, if only because I’ve been before. I fancy CrimeFest and Capital Crime, but I may have to put off those decisions for a short while yet.