Specsavers renews sponsorship of CrimeFest until 2025

Specsavers has renewed its title sponsorship of CrimeFest, the UK’s largest crime fiction convention, until 2025.

The convention, which takes place in Bristol, has grown to be one of the biggest crime fiction conventions in Europe.

The CrimeFest brand and website is also undergoing a refresh as 2023 marks its 15th anniversary since it was founded. Last year, after two fallow years with Covid, it welcomed more than 400 delegates to 50 author panel events across four days.

The brand supports new writers with the CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, with a £1,000 prize, while the annual CrimeFest awards honour the best crime books released in the UK that year.

Next year also sees the return of the CrimeFest bursary for a crime fiction author of colour. The bursary will cover the cost of a full weekend pass to the convention, a night’s accommodation at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, and a guaranteed panel appearance. The winning author is chosen by a panel including author Vaseem Khan, crime blogger and critic Ayo Onatade, and CrimeFest organisers. This year’s winner was Saima Mir for her debut novel, The Khan (Point Blank).

CrimeFest also organises outreach events for children and young adults in local schools, and offer discounts for librarians, students, and delegates who are on benefits or disabled.

Next year’s convention will be hosted at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 11th to 14th May 2023, and headline authors will be announced in the new year.

Adrian Muller, co-founder and organiser, said: “CrimeFest is going from strength to strength. We pride ourselves as being the UK’s friendliest and most accessible crime writing events. There’s an 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.”