Tickets on sale for Harrogate's crime writing festival

Tickets are now on sale for this year's Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.
The cover of Jeffrey Deaver's new book, The Steel Kiss.The cover of Jeffrey Deaver's new book, The Steel Kiss.
The cover of Jeffrey Deaver's new book, The Steel Kiss.

Star authors appearing from July 21 to 24 at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate include Jeffery Deaver, Martina Cole and Val McDermid.Presented by Harrogate International Festivals, what is probably Europe's greatest crime writing event will also feature the 12th Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Awards.Tickets went on sale for all the events for the first time today at www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

As part of the build-up to the festival, readers across the North are also being invited to celebrate the life and work of one of the world’s greatest writers, PD James.In partnership with Faber & Faber and libraries and reading groups in the North of England, the 2016’s Big Read is James’ An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.The Big Read initiative aims to encourage as many people as possible to celebrate great crime writing by reading the same novel at the same time.The Big Read begins on Monday, May 9 and runs until Friday, May 13, with free events in libraries across the North with Festival Reader in Residence and bestselling crime author, Mari Hannah. Hannah is the award-winning author of the Kate Daniels crime fiction series.PD James was the Grande dame of mystery, linked with the golden age of detective writing and the successor to Agatha Christie. After Christie’s death she was called the new Queen of Crime.Made famous by her most iconic character, detective Adam Dalgliesh, James began writing aged 40 and went on to write over 18 novels and has collected numerous awards and honours. Aged 91, she received the Theakstons Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award in 2011. She died in 2014, aged 94.Events in the Harrogate district will take place on Tuesday May 10, 11am at Ripon library and 7.30pm at Skipton library.

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