SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE ANNOUNCES SHORTLIST 2026

WORLD’S LARGEST PRIZE FOR YOUNG WRITERS: SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026 ANNOUNCES SHORTLIST

 

HARRIET ARMSTRONG | COLWILL BROWN | SASHA DEBEVEC-MCKENNEY

SUZANNAH V. EVANS | SEÁN HEWITT | DEREK OWUSU

 

www.swansea.ac.uk/dylan-thomas-prize | #SUDTP26 | @dylanthomprize 

 

Swansea, Thursday 19 March 2026: The shortlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – is announced today featuring six extraordinary, emerging voices, whose writing explores love and beauty, society and gender – with a distinct focus on coming of age stories.

 

Comprising four novels and two poetry collections, the shortlist is:

 

- To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong (Les Fugitives) – novel (UK)

- We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown (Chatto & Windus, Vintage) – novel (UK)

- Joy is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney (Fitzcarraldo Editions) – poetry (US) 

- Under the Blue by Suzannah V. Evans (Bloomsbury Poetry) – poetry (UK)

- Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt (Jonathan Cape, Vintage) – novel (UK)

- Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu (Canongate) – novel (UK)

 

Irenosen Okojie MBE, Chair of Judges, said: “This is a marvellous, galvanising shortlist. We're thrilled by the scope, breadth and depth of these works across forms. These books have profound things to say about the ways we live, what it means to be human and overall are propulsive reads that imbue the writing space with new energies.”

 

The two poetry collections on the shortlist are both by debut writers: American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney, who draws on sex, race, addiction, and pop culture in Joy is My Middle Name (Fitzcarraldo Editions); and Bristol-based Suzannah V. Evans, with her poetry collection Under the Blue (Bloomsbury Poetry), a deeply candid exploration of both the shimmering beauty of life and the realities of care.

 

Two out of the six shortlisted authors have previously been nominated for the award. British-Irish author Seán Hewitt, nominated in 2025, has been chosen again for his heart-breaking novel Open, Heaven (Jonathan Cape), an exhilarating story of hidden desire on the cusp of adulthood. Meanwhile, 2023 prize nominee Derek Owusu is shortlisted for his contemporary tale Borderline Fiction (Canongate), a close-up, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes funny examination of what it means to be a young black man navigating today's world.

 

Coming of age is a big theme throughout all four shortlisted novels: Harriet Armstrong, the youngest shortlisted author at just 25, is in the running with To Rest Our Minds and Bodies (Les Fugitives), her first novel which confronts thorny gender relations, consent, and unravelling mental health within Gen Z. Finally, Colwill Brown is also recognised for her debut novel, We Pretty Pieces of Flesh (Chatto & Windus), which takes you by the hand and leads you through Doncaster’s schoolyards, alleyways and nightclubs in the early noughties.

 

The shortlisted titles were selected by a judging panel chaired by Irenosen Okojie MBE, award-winning Nigerian British author of Curandera, Butterfly Fish, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, and former Women’s Prize for Fiction judge, who is joined by: Joe Dunthorne, award-winningSwansea-born poet and novelist; Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, poet, pacifist and fabulist; Prajwal Parajuly, multi-award nominated author of The Gurkha’s Daughter and Land Where I Flee; Eley Williams, acclaimed author and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

 

Joe Dunthorne on To Rest Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong:

“An electrifying experience, a brilliantly sustained journey into love and obsession – told with a voice that is fresh, funny and completely its own.”

 

Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe on We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown:

“A full-throated, intimate look at girlhood, growing up, what it means and what it takes to feel like you belong. An anthem to first friendships, to the places and people that make us and change us, to the things we can and cannot say, to the selves that we become.”

 

Irenosen Okojie on Joy is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney:

"Glorious. This is a collection teeming with multitudes. Unstoppable, hilarious and incandescent."

 

Eley Williams on Under the Blue by Suzannah V. Evans:

“Alert to the intimacies of caring and keening, of all-too-easy frictions and fraught hard-won joys, Evans’ collection is an intricate and rewarding work of contemporary literature.”

 

Prajwal Parajuly on Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt:

“A tender exploration of love and desire—heart-rending and deeply lyrical.”

 

Irenosen Okojie on Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu:

“A forensic meditation on complex Black British male identity. Full of heart and tenderness."

 

The British Library will host a shortlist celebratory event on Wednesday 13 May with the winner announced during a ceremony in Swansea onThursday 14 May, marking International Dylan Thomas Day.

 

Worth £20,000, this global accolade recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrating the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. The prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence.

 

Last year’s prize was awarded to Palestinian writer Yasmin Zaher for her novel The Coin, and previous winners include Caleb Azumah Nelson, Arinze Ifeakandu, Patricia Lockwood, Max Porter, Raven Leilani, Bryan Washington, Fiona McFarlane, and Kayo Chingonyi.

Press Release - Jonathan Stroud as FCBG’s Inaugural Patron

Federation of Children’s Book Groups announces Jonathan Stroud as its inaugural patron 

The Federation of Children’s Book Groups is delighted to announce that Jonathan Stroud is to become their inaugural patron. As patron, Jonathan will champion the FCBG and raise awareness of its work bringing children and books together.

Jonathan says “I’m honoured and delighted to become the inaugural patron of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups in this, the National Year of Reading. For almost 60 years, the FCBG has been at the forefront of championing children’s reading in the UK. Its commitment to authors, illustrators, librarians, teachers and – most importantly – to young readers themselves is second to none. I have witnessed this invaluable work throughout my life. My connection to the FCBG started as a child, when my mother was a member of one of the earliest book groups, in St Albans. Ever since, as an author and as a parent, I have benefited from the passion, guidance and commitment of FCBG members across the country. It is a privilege to deepen this connection today and I look forward to working with the FCBG to help share the joy of reading for everyone.”

Jane Etheridge, Chair of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, says “We are thrilled to have Jonathan as our patron. Jonathan shares our aims and has a close personal connection with the FCBG, so he was the perfect choice when we created this role. We look forward to working with Jonathan in this National Year of Reading and beyond to promote reading for pleasure.”

Jonathan is kicking off his patronage via two high-profile appearances: he’ll be presenting a keynote speech at the FCBG’s annual conference in Reading in April and he’ll be doing an author/patron event at the first Wantage Children’s Book Festival in May.

#ReadItForward

 Bookshop.org kicks-off February charitable drive ‘Read It Forward’ to support young readers in the National Year of Reading

 

●        Authors Ben Miller, Gill Sims & Joseph Coelho are the 2026 ambassadors

●        10% of all children’s books sales this month to go towards supporting early access to reading

●        New books by Alice Oseman, Rob Biddulph, Holly Bourne, Alexander Armstrong, Rashmi Sirdeshpande out in 2026 all eligible for the initiative

●        Initiative in partnership with BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust

 

 

London, Monday 2 February 2026. Bookshop.org is bringing back its charitable initiative Read It Forward for a third year in a row, in partnership with BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust. Once again in February 2026, 10% of every children’s book sale (including pre-orders) will be donated to the charities, while also supporting independent bookshops.

 

Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize Longlist 2026 Annoucement

 LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026

HARRIET ARMSTRONG | ISABELLE BAAFI | COLWILL BROWN

SASHA DEBEVEC-MCKENNEY | SUZANNAH V. EVANS | SEÁN HEWITT

KANZA JAVED | ESTHER IFESINACHI OKONKWO | DEREK OWUSU

ISSA QUINCY | SABA SAMS | VANESSA SANTOS

 

www.swansea.ac.uk/dylan-thomas-prize | #SUDTP26 | @dylanthomprize
 

Swansea, 9:00am, Thursday 22 January 2026: The longlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – is announced today, with authors hailing from across the world including UK, US, Ireland, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

 

Worth £20,000, this global accolade recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrating the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. The prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence.

 

With an average age of 32, and comprising seven novels, three poetry collections, and two short story collections, the longlist is:

 

-          Harriet Armstrong, To Rest Our Minds and Bodies (Les Fugitives) – novel

-          Isabelle Baafi, Chaotic Good (Faber) – poetry

-          Colwill Brown, We Pretty Pieces of Flesh (Chatto & Windus, Vintage) – novel

-          Sasha Debevec-McKenney, Joy Is My Middle Name (Fitzcarraldo Editions) – poetry

-          Suzannah V. Evans, Under the Blue (Bloomsbury Poetry) – poetry

-          Seán Hewitt, Open, Heaven (Jonathan Cape, Vintage) – novel

-          Kanza Javed, What Remains After a Fire (W.W. Norton & Company) – short stories

-          Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo, The Tiny Things Are Heavier (Manilla Press, Bonnier Books) – novel

-          Derek Owusu, Borderline Fiction (Canongate) – novel 

-          Issa Quincy, Absence (Granta) – novel

-          Saba Sams, Gunk (Bloomsbury Circus) – novel

-          Vanessa Santos, Make a Home of Me (Dead Ink Books) – short stories

The Rose Field Press Release

‘And now the final part begins . . .’

 

PHILIP PULLMAN ANNOUNCES EPIC FINALE TO LYRA SILVERTONGUE’S STORY:

THE ROSE FIELD: THE BOOK OF DUST VOLUME THREE

 

* The conclusion of a cultural phenomenon that has captivated readers for thirty years *

 

Oxford, Tuesday 29 April 2025: Today, Philip Pullman has announced the long-awaited and highly anticipated conclusion to his bestselling The Book of Dust sequence. The final volume, titled The Rose Field, will be published on 23^rd October 2025.

 

The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Volume Three will be published simultaneously by David Fickling Books in association with Penguin Random House in the UK, and by Random House in the US.  It will be illustrated by Chris Wormell, and the multi-award winning actor Michael Sheen will return to narrate the audiobook, also released on 23^rd October 2025.

 

Marking thirty years since the world was first introduced to Pullman’s remarkable heroine Lyra Belacqua in Northern Lights (1995), The Rose Field is the culmination of the cultural phenomenon of The Book of Dust and His Dark Materials. 

 

Thirty years ago, Pullman introduced Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pantalaimon in the pages of Northern Lights. Then eleven or twelve, she had already survived a flood – which readers would learn of in La Belle Sauvage, published in 2017 – and through two further books in the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Subtle Knife, published in 1997 and The Amber Spyglass published in 2000, she would go on to travel worlds, fulfilling her destiny as the Second Eve. She battled to bring an end to death. She experienced first love. And her adventures did not end with childhood. When readers last saw Lyra in The Secret Commonwealth, published in 2019, she was a young woman, separated from her daemon. She had travelled, risking everything, halfway across the world – on a dangerous quest.

 

The global cultural impact of Philip Pullman’s legacy as a storyteller cannot be underestimated: His Dark Materials and the first two volumes of The Book of Dust have sold more than 49 million copies in over 35 territories and inspired adaptations across stage and screen. La Belle Sauvage won the Waterstones Book of the Year and saw Pullman receive Author of the Year at both the British Book Awards 2018 and the Specsavers National Book Awards 2018. 

 

The audio editions have similarly captured hearts, minds – and multiple awards. To mark the 30^th anniversary, new audio editions of His Dark Materials have been released, narrated by Ruth Wilson, who starred as Mrs Coulter in the BBC adaptation. Michael Sheen narrated the first two volumes of The Book of Dust with La Belle Sauvage winning ‘Audiobook of the Year’ at the British Book Awards 2018. There are also full cast recordings of His Dark Materials narrated by Philip Pullman himself.

 

Philip Pullman says:

 

“I think of The Rose Field as partly a thriller and partly a bildungsroman: a story of psychological, moral and emotional growth. But it’s also a vision. Lyra’s world is changing, just as ours is. The power over people’s lives once held by old institutions and governments is seeping away and reappearing in another form: that of money, capital, development, commerce, exchange.

 

Over a long and dangerous journey searching for her dæmon Pan and with him her lost imagination, Lyra comes to discover a new understanding of the world: that this change affects everything, from the way roads are built to the relationship people have with their deepest selves.

 

It may be other things too, but I hope that fundamentally and permanently The Rose Field will be read as a story. I think of myself a storyteller rather than a novelist or a writer of literary fiction, belonging among the tellers of folk tales, fairy tales, ballads and myths.”

 

Francesca Dow, Managing Director, Penguin Random House Children’s (UK):

 

“In the six years since The Secret Commonwealth was published, we know that hundreds of thousands of readers have been desperate to return - for the final time - to Lyra and her world. That wait will soon be over and from the first pages of The Rose Field, those readers will find that this world, and Lyra herself, are changing. This is storytelling at its most brilliant, set against a vast, extraordinary canvas, an intricate and most magical story about what it is to be human. It is also a gripping quest that surprises and delights at every twist and turn, a true page-turner. I could not put it down and I could not bear for it to end. Fans will love it, and new fans too, as they finally discover the answers to Lyra’s questions, on Dust, imagination, and love, as we meet old friends and make new ones along the way.

 

Readers around the globe will share in my belief: that we owe Philip Pullman - the storyteller of storytellers - our heartfelt thanks for giving us the opportunity to meet Lyra, and journey with her, and see her grow up into a fearless, and endlessly fascinating woman."

 

David Fickling, Publisher and Editor, David Fickling Books:

 

“’What do you want to write next?’ I asked Philip Pullman over a bangers and mash editorial lunch in 1995. Well, he said, I was thinking of setting a novel in the universe of John Milton author of Paradise Lost. I nodded as if that was perfectly normal and then he began quoting effortlessly, gloriously, from that great poem. I joined in as best I could and realised quickly that he wasn’t making a pitch or telling me about a mere book. He was showing me a vision, a vision of a universe.

 

Three thousand pages and thirty years later I realise without fear of contradiction that the publication of The Rose Field this autumn is a moment of cultural importance that reaches far beyond books. Pullman is a poet of story. He shows us a world brimming with wonder and possibility and what it is to be a human being. He gives us hope.”

 

Bea Carvalho, Head of Books at Waterstones, says:

 

“The arrival of the concluding volume of The Book of Dust is a highly momentous occasion for booksellers, bookshops, and readers everywhere: the highlight of our bookselling year and a moment which has been longed for since the release of The Secret Commonwealth six years ago. One would be hard pressed to dream up a publication which could be met with such anticipation. Across two trilogies and thirty years, Pullman has built an immense creative legacy, and the global cultural significance of this event extends far beyond the usual reach of book publishing.”

 

A first glimpse at The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Volume Three:

 

‘Lyra: what will you do when you find this place in the desert, the opening to the world of the roses?’

‘Defend it,’ Lyra said. ‘Die defending it.’

 

When readers left Lyra in The Secret Commonwealth she was alone, in the ruins of a deserted city. Pantalaimon had run from her – part of himself – in search of her imagination, which he believed she had lost. Lyra travelled across the world from her Oxford home in search of her dæmon. And Malcolm, loyal Malcolm, too journeyed far from home, towards the Silk Roads in search of Lyra…

 

In The Rose Field, their quests converge in the most dangerous, breathtaking and world-changing ways. They must take help from spies and thieves, gryphons and witches, old friends and new, learning all the while the depth and surprising truths of the alethiometer. All around them, the world is aflame – made terrifying by fear, power and greed.

 

As they move East, towards the red building that will reunite them and give them answers – on Dust, on the special roses, on imagination – so too does the Magisterium, at war against all that Lyra holds dear.

 

The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Volume Three will be published in hardback, trade paperback, ebook and audiobook on Thursday 23 October 2025 by David Fickling Books in association with Penguin Random House in the UK, featuring original new illustrations from Chris Wormell.

Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2025 Longlist

Sorry for being MIA over the past month. Like I said in one of my earlier post (my last of 2024?), I’m not going to use my blog as much as I kinda fell out of love with it due to possible burnout. Plus, I am reading/audiobooking LONG stories (as it stands, I am about 46% into Eye of the World by Robert Jordan audiobook [which is under 33 hours long!], 60% into The Magician’s Guild ebook by Trudi Canavan and dipping in and out of my hardback copy of Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld by Paul Kidby). So, no updating on the blog (though if you keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram, Goodreads or StoryGraph, you will be more up-to-date). 

But I’m here not to talk about me. I’m here to share a press release of the longlist for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize!

Tansy Bloom: Monster Hunter Press Release

 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 ON THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2024

AUDIBLE RELEASES NEW ORIGINAL, TANSY BLOOM, MONSTER HUNTER, BY DEBUT AUTHOR L.J. WELLER

NARRATED BY TANYA REYNOLDS

Launching exclusively on Audible 27^th June 2024

27 June 2024, London. Audible, a leading provider of spoken word entertainment, has announced Sex Education star Tanya Reynolds will narrate a new and exciting Audible Original title from debut novelist L.J. Weller. 

 

Three months ago, twenty-eight-year-old Tansy Bloom quit monster hunting. Since then, she’s been trying to live a normal life (whatever that means), but ending up single, unemployed, and living on a boat outside her godfather’s pub definitely wasn’t part of the plan. So, when Tansy’s ex-husband – fellow monster hunter Rex Barclay – turns up like a bad penny and asks for her help with his latest investigation, Tansy reluctantly agrees.

 

At first, the job appears to be a straightforward monster hunt – following a spate of large creature sightings, Rex believes a werewolf is on the loose in Norfolk, and he intends to capture it. But Tansy’s not convinced. For one thing, the mysterious black dog Rex is hunting is able to vanish into thin air. For another, everyone who’s encountered the black dog is dying in a series of freak accidents.

 

Bad news for Tansy, who’s just come face-to-face with the creature herself.

 

L.J. Weller, author of Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter, said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Audible to bring my debut novel to life. From day one, Audible has championed this book with enthusiasm and excitement, and collaborating with the team has been a wonderful experience. I hope everyone enjoys listening to Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter as much as I enjoyed writing it!”

 

Tanya Reynolds, narrator and actor, said: “Recording audiobooks can be quite challenging, but when you can totally lose yourself in the world that you're reading, it is such a joy, and this was indeed a joy. All the characters were so vibrant on the page and so fun to read, and the story itself is a joyful journey into mythical folklore with a wicked sense of humour. I had so much fun recording this.”

 

Tanya Reynolds landed her first major role as a series regular on the Sky 1 comedy-drama Delicious. She is also well known for playing Lily Iglehart in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education where she was a part of the main cast in the first three seasons. Other credits include Outlanders, Death in Paradise, Emma, Dodger, The Baby, I Hate You and The Decameron.

 

Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter will be available exclusively on Audible from 27^th June and out now from Audible at http://www.audible.co.uk.

 

Alongside Tansy Bloom: Monster Hunter, Audible has released an array of incredible titles this year including The Shouts Beneath by Paige Cowan-Hall, The River Man by R.B. Croft and Iris is More than Okay by Natalie Cooper. Audible Original list has spawned several bestsellers in the fantasy genre recently, including Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch and Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson.

About L.J. Weller

L. J. Weller is an author of quirky, contemporary fantasy fiction. Originally from London, she now lives in Norfolk with her family and an ever-growing collection of books and jigsaw puzzles. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found attending pub quizzes or feeding the local wildlife (including a cheeky grey heron named Herbert).​

Her debut novel, Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter, is a Norfolk-set supernatural mystery inspired by her lifelong interest in folktales, ghost stories and urban legends. An Audible Original, it will be released exclusively on Audible and Amazon from 27th June 2024. Find out more at www.ljweller.com.

Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival 2023 - Press Release

THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 20^THANNIVERSARY FULL PROGRAMME

 

RICHARD ARMITAGE | MARK BILLINGHAM | CHRIS BROOKMYRE |

LOUISE CANDLISH | JANE CASEY | STEVE CAVANAGH | ANDREW CHILD |

LEE CHILD | ANN CLEEVES | REV RICHARD COLES | S.A. COSBY |

FIONA CUMMINS | WILL DEAN | JEFFERY DEAVER | A.A. DHAND |

LOUISE DOUGHTY | CLAIRE DOUGLAS | MARK EDWARDS | HELEN FIELDS |

ELLY GRIFFITHS | JANICE HALLETT | CHRIS HAMMER | MICK HERRON |

SARAH HILARY | CARA HUNTER | LISA JEWELL | DOUG JOHNSTONE |

RAGNAR JÓNASSON | FEMI KAYODE | ERIN KELLY | VASEEM KHAN |

DOROTHY KOOMSON | SHARI LAPENA | MARK LAWSON | T.M. LOGAN |

CLARE MACKINTOSH | IMRAN MAHMOOD | VAL MCDERMID |

CLAIRE MCGOWAN | GREG MOSSE | ABIR MUKHERJEE | STUART NEVILLE |

LIZ NUGENT | S.J. PARRIS | ROB RINDER | LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON |

C.L. TAYLOR | C.J. TUDOR | SARAH VAUGHAN | LUCA VESTE | RUTH WARE | LUCY WORSLEY

 

20-23 July 2023 | Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

harrogateinternationalfestivals.com | #TheakstonsCrime 

 

 

 

Harrogate, Tuesday 28 March 2023. Harrogate International Festivals has today announced the programme for this year’s 20^th anniversary Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest celebration of crime fiction and thriller writing, which runs from 20 – 23 July 2023 at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel.

 

The 2023 Festival Chair, award winning crime and thriller author Vaseem Khan, has curated a ground-breaking programme. Alongside the special guests headlining the Festival, including literary legends Lee Child, Andrew Child, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver, Lucy Worsley, S. A. Cosby, Val McDermid, and Chris Hammer, the full programme includes some of the biggest names in crime fiction.

 

Exploring everything from the perfect murderous opening, police procedurals and dark obsessions to legal thrillers and the golden age of crime, this year’s 20^th anniversary programme will see a variety of acclaimed crime and thriller authors discussing the genre and influences on their writing, including Janice Hallett, Shari Lapena, Louise Candlish, Abir Mukherjee, Steve Cavanagh, Elly Griffiths, Ragnar Jónasson, Clare Mackintosh, Mick Herron, Will Dean, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Chris Brookmyre, and many more!

 

The Festival will start with Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award ceremony, where the winner of crime writing’s most prestigious accolade will be revealed alongside the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award.

 

This year’s Festival also includes two ‘who dunnit?’ themed author dinners, giving a unique opportunity for crime fans to get to know authors in a fun and informal environment. Richard Armitage, Stuart Neville, David Hewson, Emma Christie, Steph Broadribb, Alex Dahl, Greg Mosse, Leigh Russell, S.E. Lynes and many others will partake in a murder mystery with a twist!

 

The all-star line-up of events includes the return of Val McDermid’s New Blood panel, celebrating four brilliant debut crime writers, and the popularLate-Night Quiz, hosted by McDermid and Mark Billingham, armed with trivia, titles and tricks to test the knowledge of crime fiction fanatics. 

 

Vaseem Khan, award winning author and 2023 Festival Chair, said: “It’s a privilege to chair this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. My late father and I watched Poirot together and we’d never imagined that decades later I would chair a Festival so closely connected to Agatha Christie. It feels special to be the first British Asian crime writer to chair the Festival, and even more special for the monumental 20^th anniversary. The Festival team have pulled together an Avengers Assemble line-up of crime writers to celebrate the monumental anniversary. You’d be (criminally) insane to miss it."

 

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, added: “This year marks 20 years since the Festival launched in Harrogate, and what wonderful two decades we’ve had celebrating the world of crime fiction. In that time, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has welcomed some of the biggest names in crime fiction and this year is no exception. In collaboration with our 2023 Festival Chair, Vaseem Khan, we are delighted to announce this year’s full programme for what will be the best Festival yet!”

 

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of Theakston, commented: “This year’s Festival will be another monumental event for the world of crime fiction. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the Festival over the past 20 years and following the full programme announcement, I am thoroughly looking forward to celebrating once again at the world’s best crime writing Festival over a pint of Old Peculier!”