The Harrogate festival loved by everyone from Richard Osman to Nicola Sturgeon enjoys a 'storming' 20th anniversary

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate has been hailed as “simply the best” as everyone from 100 million selling author Lee Child to former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon flocked to the town for its 20th anniversary.
By Graham Chalmers
Published 25th Jul 2023, 11:06 BST
Updated 25th Jul 2023, 11:06 BST
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Even the wet weather failed to dampen the atmosphere amid the tented village at the Old Swan Hotel as the world’s greatest crime writers – and numerous up-coming authors – transformed a small part of Harrogate into a literary wonderland for four days last week.

The serious business included a series of sold out, intelligent panel discussions and the announcement of the most coveted Award in Crime Fiction with the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

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The stellar programme put together by multi award-winning crime novelist Vaseem Khan, 2023 Festival Programming Chair, was full of good ideas, capacity audiences and big names, from American crime writing titan Jeffery Deaver and judge Rob Rinder to Vera creator Ann Cleeves and historian Lucy Worsley.

The sold out crowds at Val McDermid's 'New Blood' event in Harrogate at this year's Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival last week. (Picture Harrogate International Festivals)The sold out crowds at Val McDermid's 'New Blood' event in Harrogate at this year's Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival last week. (Picture Harrogate International Festivals)
The sold out crowds at Val McDermid's 'New Blood' event in Harrogate at this year's Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival last week. (Picture Harrogate International Festivals)

Presented by Harrogate International Festivals, the success of the festival since it was first launched in 2003 lies in more than star-pulling power.

It’s the sort of event where rubbing shoulders with the greats at the bar is par for the course, where writers and their audience share their passion for great crime writing and let their hair down.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, hailed this year’s event as a “storming 20th anniversary”.

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Richard Osman, TV presenter and bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club, said how much he loved coming to Harrogate and described Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival as “the most democratic of all festivals.”

Long-time regular participant, the always-entertaining Mark Billingham, said it was “simply the biggest and best there is.”

Fresh from her travails north of the border, long-time Harrogate fan Nicola Sturgeon turned up to meet her crime writing friend Val McDermid, who has played such a key role in the event’s development over the years.

The former First Minister said she was also thinking of becoming an author, if Val would give her a few tips!

Related topics:HarrogateFirst Minister