CrimeFest gives away £5k worth of books to Bristol children

CrimeFest has given away more than £5,000 worth of books to children in inner city schools across Bristol. 

These include Anthony Kessel’s The Five Clues (Crown House Publishing) and Ella Risbridger’s The Secret Detectives (Nosy Crow), which are both in contention for CrimeFest’s Best Crime Novel for Children award. Books were distributed to nine primary and five secondary schools across Bristol with help from independent bookshop Max Minerva’s.  

Max Minerva’s has also collaborated with CrimeFest to host Kessel at two school events on 13th May. There will be an additional panel event at the convention with Kessel and Risbridger. 

Adrian Muller, co-host of CrimeFest, said: “Children and young people have had a torrid time in the last two years, particularly with disruptions to their social life and school, and now with the anxieties of war in Ukraine. Reading offers escapism, solace, comfort and connection. The crime fiction genre is a popular gateway into reading as it’s so accessible and popular. We want to celebrate the role of these books encouraging reading for young people; these authors deserve critical acclaim, just as equally as those writing for adults.” 

Sam Taylor, co-founder of Max Minerva’s, added: “We’re really proud to support CrimeFest in their incredibly generous donation of £5,000 of books to Bristol schools. With thrillers and mysteries having such strong appeal to young readers, these books will be very gratefully received by the librarians and eagerly read by the pupils. We love how this genre helps children and teenagers face their fears and find in themselves the bravery, independence and resilience they see in the characters." 

This year’s CrimeFest runs from 12th to 15th May at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, with around 60 panel events and 150 authors.