AGATHA Christie once put a body in the library, but Harrogate’s crime festival went one better on Thursday night – filling the British Library in London with bodies.

The bodies were still living, but there were a lot of them and death was not far from their minds.

Highlights of this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which runs from July 18 to 21 at the Old Swan Hotel, include Ruth Rendell, one of the great names of British crime fiction, being interviewed by the writer Jeanette Winterson, who is a long-time personal friend, and an appearance by the York-born writer Kate Atkinson, who will talk about her Jackson Brodie novels.

The leading crime writer Val McDermid, who is chairing this year’s festival, gave an amusing speech in the echoing space at the library, putting the lie to her comment that crime writers were funny, even if she wasn’t.

Val, who is more or less the patron saint of this Yorkshire festival, said: “When I was ‘persuaded’ to chair the programme committee for the first festival all those years ago, what tempted me to take it on was the prospect of helping to showcase the range and quality of contemporary crime writing.

“I know that my passion for this genre is shared by the thousands of readers who have attended our events over the years.”

She pointed to a perhaps surprising event featuring the best-selling writer Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher novels, who is to be interviewed by the comedian Sarah Millican (yes, you really did just read that).

Another notable event includes a panel on TV’s Vera, featuring the author of the books, Ann Cleeves, and actress Brenda Blethyn, who plays the character on television.

Susan Hill, author of The Woman In Black, will be a special guest, shortly before her most famous story will be given new life. Crime writer Martyn Waites is writing a sequel to that famed horror story, called The Woman In Black: Angel of Death. The book is due out in November.

Martin, who also writes with his wife, Linda, as Tania Carver, told me during the reception that he had managed another 1,000 words that day.

Also of note this year will be an interview with Charlaine Harris, whose Southern Vampire Mysteries inspired the TV series True Blood. Val promised that Charlaine was one of the most amusing and entertaining people you could hope to meet.

The author Ian Rankin, a regular at the festival, will this year interview the Scottish poet and crime novelist William McIlvanney, whose Laidlaw novels were first published in the 1970s and influenced a generation of Scottish crime writers, including Rankin.

Before Val McDermid’s speech, Simon Theakston, executor director of T&R Theakston, made a surprising reference to the booming acoustic in the British Library foyer, saying that the echo reminded him of Armley Jail, which he had visited recently.

The Masham-based brewer has sponsored the festival for ten years. Mr Theakston said: “We’re so proud and privileged to have sponsored the event from the very early days and see it grow to such tremendous heights.”

He also promised a new beer for this year’s festival, inspired by all those Nordic crime dramas on television. It will be called A Shot In The Dark.

For tickets to the festival phone 01423 562203


Travel to London was courtesy of East Coast and the swift 8.55am train to King’s Cross. East Coast operates 72 services each weekday between York and London King’s Cross.

Customers travelling first class can enjoy complimentary food and drinks offer plus unlimited Wi-Fi. Advanced return fares, booked online at eastcoast.co.uk start from £26 standard class or £79 first class.

Times and fares can also be found at eastcoast.co.uk, via 08457 225225 or from any staffed stations.