Cole praises 'diverse' Capital Crime line-up as Rankin and Mukherjee join bill

Martina Cole has praised the line-up for London's new crime and thriller festival Capital Crime as organisers reveal further names for the inaugural event, including Cole, Ann Cleeves, Ian Rankin, Abir Mukherjee and Leye Adenle. 

Capital Crime today announces further names for its festival taking place this September at the Connaught Rooms in London. Cole, Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Mark Billingham, Don Winslow, Robert Glenister, Adenle, Denise Mina, Catherine Steadman and Mukherjee are among the guests announced today with further names to be revealed at a later date. 

Speakers previously announced by organisers David Headley and Adam Hamdy include Kate Atkinson, David Baldacci, Ann Cleeves, Robert Harris, Peter James, Lynda La Plante, Simon Mayo, and Kate Mosse. 

Cole said: "We have all been waiting for a London based festival like Capital Crime. It’s fantastic to see such a diverse line up of crime and thriller writers taking part.  David Headley and Adam Hamdy have put together an amazing programme of events for the first crime festival in London and I’m thrilled to be part of it."

Fellow headliner Mukherjee added: "London is one of the world’s great cities, the setting, and often the inspiration, for some most infamous true crimes and some of the world’s best loved fictional detectives. It’s the home of Scotland Yard, Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes and a natural location for a festival bringing together international fans and authors in a celebration of the very best and latest that crime fiction has to offer. It’s long overdue and I hope Capital Crime becomes a regular fixture in the crime fiction calendar."

Dubbed a "diverse, inclusive and socially responsible festival", Capital Crime is running initiatives including social outreach to support students exploring a literary career, an innovative digital festival and the launch of the New Voices Award.  Last month authors including Hamdy, Ali Land and James Swallow were among the speakers addressing school children and their teachers about how to get into publishing as part of the Capital Crime Social Outreach Initiative.

Panels will see Billingham put through his paces by experienced police interrogator Graham Bartlett and Rankin discussing The Human Cost of Crime with Don Winslow. Debut crime and thriller writers will go head to head for quiz panel Whose Crime is it Anyway? while Mina and Cleeve will discuss what makes a great detective and Are We Living in An Espionage Thriller will see Tom Bradby, Charles Cumming, Frank Gardner and Stella Rimington offer their unique insights into events that concern us all.

Goldsboro Books m.d. Headley said: "It is thrilling to announce more fantastic authors and creatives who are attending our first Capital Crime festival. The support and enthusiasm we have received is wonderfully encouraging and we are looking forward to an amazing inaugural event."

Screenwriter Hamdy added: "We’re excited to be able to reveal more of the Capital Crime line-up. We’re very grateful for the support we’ve had from authors and the publishing community and can’t wait to bring our exciting new festival to London."

Tickets for the festival, which will take place at the Grand Connaught Rooms from the 26th to 28th September 2019, are now on sale.