Cleeves, Child, Edwards and Goddard to headline CrimeFest

Ann Cleeves, Andrew Child, Martin Edwards and Robert Goddard are among authors featuring at CrimeFest, one of Europe’s biggest crime fiction conventions, this spring.

Sponsored by Specsavers, the festival will be hosted from 12th to 15th May at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, returning after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The convention first launched in 2008, and draws both readers and fans alongside editors, publishers and reviewers. 

Cleeves, who has written both the Vera and Shetland series, recently saw The Long Call (Pan Macmillan), the first instalment of her detective Two Rivers series, become the latest of her books to be adapted for TV.

Child makes his first UK appearance at CrimeFest since taking over the helm of the Jack Reacher series. An author in his own right as Andrew Grant, the younger brother of Lee Child has been successful as the continuation author, dominating the bestseller lists. The books have also been dramatised for Amazon Prime and were recently commissioned for a second series.

Also featuring are the past two winners of the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest accolade — the CWA Diamond Dagger. Goddard was awarded the Dagger in 2019, while Edwards won in 2020.

Director and co-founder of CrimeFest Adrian Muller said: “We pride ourselves on being open to all authors, which makes it a diverse and democratic celebration of the genre. Behind the scenes there is a team of passionate readers and volunteers, so there’s a friendly and inclusive energy at CrimeFest. Bristol is known for its vibrant, creative and independent spirit, and CrimeFest offers an exciting opportunity for writers and readers alike to meet and mingle.”

Up to 150 authors will descend on Bristol appearing in over 50 panels, discussing topics including division in society today to historical crime, and locked room mysteries to police procedurals.

A "From page to Screen" panel includes the number one bestselling Icelandic writer, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and the "queen of twists", Sarah Pinborough — author behind the Netflix hit "Behind Her Eyes".

Many of the authors who have confirmed attendance have had books recently snapped up for TV or film, including Cathy Ace, whose Cait Morgan Mysteries have been optioned by Free@Last TV, behind the hit Agatha Raisin series.

Vicki Bradley — a detective constable in the Met police, former lawyer Steve Cavanagh and thriller writer, Simon Conway — a former British Army officer and international aid worker, who has cleared landmines in wars across the world, will also be attending. 
Other acclaimed authors attending include Holly Watt, Matt Wesolowski, Lynne Truss, Barry Forshaw, Simon Brett, Vaseem Khan, Helen FitzGerald, Ruth Dudley Edwards and Michael Ridpath.

This year’s Ghost of Honour commemorates Dick Francis, and highlights include the Gala Dinner with  Zoë Sharp, creator of the Charlie Fox series of crime thrillers, and the annual CrimeFest Awards, featuring the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award.