The full programme for the world’s largest crime writing festival, which will bring household names to Harrogate next month, has been revealed.
Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival will be held at the town’s Old Swan Hotel from July 22 to 25.
The hotel is synonymous with the genre because it is where Agatha Christie disappeared to in 1926.
This year’s lineup Pointless star Richard Osman, espionage expert Mick Herron, mystery maestro Elly Griffiths and fan favourite Ann Cleeves.
The winner of the crime novel of the year award will be revealed on July 22.
Panel discussions will take place on the following days on historical crime fiction, the rise of science and tech and the genius of Agatha Christie.
The programme has been curated by festival programming chair Ian Rankin, who said:
“After nearly a year-and-a-half of successive lockdowns and restrictions, it is going to be absolutely marvellous to be able to safely gather together and celebrate the genre that we all love so dearly.”
The past 18 months have been full of ups and downs for the festival industry. Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“It has been a real journey to bring this year’s festival to life – working in festivals during covid is not for the faint-hearted! Ian Rankin has brought together a killer line-up.
“We are so grateful and proud that – after so many challenges – we are at long last able to share this programme with the public.”
Read more:
Full Festival Programme:
Thursday, July 22
8pm – THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2021 AWARD CEREMONY
The shortlist includes Chris Whitaker with We Begin at The End, Rosamund Lupton with Three Hours, Elly Griffiths with The Lantern Men, Abir Mukherjee with Death in the East, Brian McGilloway with The Last Crossing and Trevor Wood with The Man on the Street.
Friday, July 23
9am – SPECIAL GUEST MICK HERRON INTERVIEWED BY N.J. COOPER
10.30am – GUNG-HO ACTION HERO
Join A.A. Dhand, Holly Watt, Simon Kernick, Steph Broadribb and Charles Cumming as they discuss the rise and fall of the gung-ho action man hero (and heroine). What is next for this well-worn and much beloved crime character?
12pm – HISTORICAL CRIME FICTION
Abir Mukherjee, Antonia Hodgson, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, S.G. MacLean and S.J. Parris join forces to discuss the future of historical crime fiction, taking Philip Kerr’s (alternative) history novels as a starting point.
2pm – PLANNERS VERSUS PANTSERS
Readers are often incredulous when certain crime writers say they do hardly any planning, preferring to see where a story and its characters takes them. Other authors absolutely need to know every twist and turn before starting to write. There are no hard and fast rules of course and this playful panel of Erin Kelly, Helen FitzGerald, Mark Edwards, Sarah Pinborough and Luca Veste will explore the merits and pitfalls of both routes.
3.30pm – WHO KILLED THE POLICE PROCEDURAL?
A panel of Mari Hannah, Olivia Kiernan, Parker Bilal, Will Dean and James Oswald will ask can the police procedural as we’ve known and loved it survive?
5pm – SPECIAL GUEST ANN CLEEVES INTERVIEWED BY STEPH MCGOVERN
8.30pm – SPECIAL GUESTS: CL TAYLOR AND CLARE MACKINTOSH IN CONVERSATION
10pm – TOP OF THE COPS
Elly Griffiths, Ian Rankin OBE, Mark Billingham, Martyn Waites and Abir Mukherjee to debate who’s ‘Top of the Cops’. Once they decide on a shortlist – the audience will crown the winner by show of hands. Who will it be? Marple or Columbo? Morse or Tennyson?
Saturday, July 24
9.00am – SPECIAL GUEST ELLY GRIFFITHS INTERVIEWED BY JOE HADDOW
10.30am – NAPOLEONS OF CRIME
Join C.J. Tudor, Craig Robertson, Liz Nugent, Luca Veste and Barry Forshaw as they consider what makes a great villain.
12.00pm – NEW BLOOD
Val McDermid’s sought-after New Blood panel returns on Saturday 24 July, with this year’s hotly-tipped debut authors including Anna Bailey, Greg Buchanan, Patricia Marques and Lara Thompson.
2.00pm – THE WRITING LIFE SCIENTIFIC
Panellists Fiona Erskine, Lin Anderson, Sarah Vaughan, Lesley Kelly and Professor Niamh Nic Daeid together explore the science behind a good crime novel, forensics to pathology.
3.30pm – WATCHING ME, WATCHING YOU, AHH HA
Join Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Louise Candlish, Matt Wesolowski and Mark Lawson as they explore the impact of new and rapidly evolving technology on the fiction we read.
5.00pm – PLEASURES AND PITFALLS OF THE SHORT STORY
We ask our panellists Cath Staincliff, Jane Casey, Stuart Neville, Susi Holliday and Ian Rankin to share their perspectives of the pleasures and pitfalls of the short story.
8.30pm – SPECIAL GUEST MARK BILLINGHAM INTERVIEWED BY IAN RANKIN
10.00pm – LATE QUIZ NIGHT: VAL MCDERMID AND MARK BILLINGHAM
Sunday, July 25
9.30am – CHRISTIE’S ENDURING ALLURE
We ask Ragnar Jonasson, Ruth Ware, Sarah Phelps, Stuart Turton and Elly Griffiths to discuss the highs and lows of the crime genre’s Grand Dame: Agatha Christie, who famously disappeared from the festival’s home, the Old Swan Hotel.
11.00am – THE POLITICS OF CRIME
Join Brian McGilloway, Doug Johnstone, George Alagiah, Sarah Vaughan and Alan Johnson as they explore the rise and rise of the political drama, asking if uncertain political landscapes increase the desire for Machiavellian novels?
12.30pm – SPECIAL GUEST RICHARD OSMAN INTERVIEWED BY MARK BILLINGHAM
