As fictional crime is celebrated in Harrogate next weekend, one local business is getting in on the fun by staging its own murder mystery.

Imagined Things, the independent bookshop on Montpellier Hill, is inviting people to try to solve the murder of one of its bookseller.

After the crime is discovered in the basement, visitors will be asked to find clues around the shop and at other nearby shops to discover who committed the murder – and win a prize.

It’s all part of the fun brought to town by the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which runs from Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23.

While Imagined Things isn’t an official part of proceedings, owner Georgia Eckert said there is always an extra buzz around the shop during the festival:

“It’s a lovely atmosphere – you never know who you might meet. We even had Nicola Sturgeon just wander in randomly!”

As well as the murder mystery, Imagined Things is hosting five book signings during the festival, alongside a panel event at Harrogate Library with authors Michelle Frances, Ellery Lloyd and Ruth Kelly on Thursday evening.

The shop has also secured four books to sell before the official publication date in August.

Georgia said there are usually dozens of unexpected visitors through the doors too, with a total of 42 authors calling in to sign books during the festival in 2022.

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Imagined Things is among the local businesses benefitting from the thousands of visitors arriving in town for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which this year marks its 20th anniversary.

It begins, as always, with the opening ceremony and announcement of the winner of the crime novel of the year and the outstanding contribution to crime fiction awards.

Over the following three days, workshops, panels and interviews will bring together some of the most established writers in the genre with up-and-coming names in one of the biggest events of its kind.

Its enthusiasts are not the only ones contributing to the success of the independent bookshop, which moved from its first home in the Westminster Arcade last June.

Georgia said:

“Every year, we’ve got a lovely lady who visits from France and orders a big box of books from us, which is amazing.

“Some people don’t have an independent  local bookshop in their town, so they come to support us.

“There’s not as many of us now – although the numbers have been growing since 2017, when we opened. There was an overall increase in the number by one that year, after a 20-year decline, and it has gone up every year since.”

A conversation between Pointless star Richard Osman and author Mark Billingham brought Harrogate’s prestigious crime writing festival to a close last night.

Osman, who wrote the Thursday Murder Club, was one of many leading crime writers to visit Harrogate for the four-day Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

Mr Osman also helped his team win a crime writing-themed quiz hosted by renowned authors Val McDermid and Mr Billingham.

The festival, which didn’t take place last year due to covid, was held at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel and organised by the arts charity Harrogate International Festivals.

Chris Whitaker’s book We Begin at the End was named crime novel of the year on the opening night.

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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:

• Richard Osman to visit Harrogate for Theakston’s Crime Festival
• Take a look at last year’s winner

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

Harrogate’s crime writing festival has announced this years shortlist which includes one debut novelist alongside 5 Theakston award alumni.

The Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, part of the Harrogate International Festival, received a record number of submission this year. 6 books have now made the shortlist.

Organisers say the shortlist takes the reader on an international crime journey, visiting places such as New York, London, Lagos and the Australian outback.

Debut booker nomination – My Sister the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite

The executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston said:

“Seeing the huge variety and originality within this shortlist, it comes as no surprise to hear that crime fiction is dominating our lockdown reading habits. Offering both escapism and resolution, these exceptional titles transport readers around the world and I can’t wait to see where we settle on 23 July when one of these extraordinary authors takes home the 2020 Theakston Old Peculier cask.”

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• See who made it onto the longlist here 
• WATCH: Ripon firefighters rescue horse from river 

The overall winner will be revealed in a virtual awards ceremony on 23 July with the winner receiving £3,000 and an engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

The winner is now down to public vote. If you are a fan of crime fiction you can read them all and cast your vote for your favourite at: www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com.

Here is the shortlist:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Atlantic Books)

Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald (Orenda Books)

The Lost Man by Jane Harper (Little, Brown Book Group, Little, Brown)

Joe Country by Mick Herron (John Murray Press)

The Chain by Adrian McKinty (Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)

Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year has seen a record number of submissions this year as it celebrates the centenary year of Agatha Christie’s first novel. Aptly, 10 of the 18 novels in the long list are written by women.

The award is part of the annual Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival which is managed  by Harrogate International Festivals. Historically, the winner is announced on the opening evening of the festival but this year the event has been cancelled due to coronavirus.

Instead, the winner will be revealed in a virtual awards ceremony on 31 July, where the author will receive £3,000, and an engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith.

Reducing the longlist to a shortlist is now down to a public vote. So if you’re a lover of crime fiction and have time on your hands during lockdown – you can read them all and vote for your favourite on: www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com

Here is the long list:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Atlantic Books)

Fallen Angel by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown Book Group, Abacus)

Nothing Important Happened Today by Will Carver (Orenda Books)

Cruel Acts by Jane Casey (HarperCollins, Harper Fiction)

Blue Moon by Lee Child (Transworld, Bantam)

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Pan Macmillan, Macmillan/Pan)

Red Snow by Will Dean (Oneworld, Point Blank)

Platform Seven by Louise Doughty (Faber & Faber)

Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald (Orenda Books)

The Lost Man by Jane Harper (Little, Brown Book Group, Little, Brown)

Joe Country by Mick Herron (John Murray Press)

How the Dead Speak by Val McDermid (Little, Brown Book Group, Little, Brown)

The Chain by Adrian McKinty (Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)

Conviction by Denise Mina (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

The Whisper Man by Alex North (Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph)

Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Headline Publishing Group, Wildfire)

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce (Pan Macmillan, Mantle/Pan)

The future of one of Harrogate’s leading cultural programmes is in the balance after coronavirus forced organisers to cancel an entire season of events. 

Harrogate International Festivals has called off its renowned Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and popular Spiegeltent, as well as numerous outdoor theatre and community events set to run through the summer. 

Instead, it is setting up an online resource to share some of its work with people at home. 

In a statement, the organisation said: “As a not-for-profit arts charity, we are reliant on our events programme and ticket income, alongside sponsor support and donor philanthropy, and so the cancellation of our main season has huge financial implications that place the future of our Festivals at risk.  

“But despite the unprecedented challenge we now face, our mission to bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible remains unchanged.” 

Although the festivals will not be going ahead, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award will still be announced in July, with nominated authors set to give online interviews. HIF Player, meanwhile, will be a free online hub of archive performances, educational material and activities for families to use at home. 

The statement concluded:

“Art and culture help us understand what it means to be human and how to make sense of life, and festivals are a vital part of this ecology. When this troubling time passes, we will need – more than ever – the transformative power of the arts to bring communities together, to inspire hope, to lift spirits and change lives.”