2015 crime event final

Plotted by

#TOPCRIME2015

16 - 19 July 2015

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Featuring:

M.C. BEATON | MARK BILLINGHAM LEE CHILD | ANN CLEEVES LISA GARDNER | ARNALDUR INDRIDASON EDDIE IZZARD | VAL MCDERMID SARA PARETSKY | SALLY WAINWRIGHT and the 11th Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year

Box Office: 01423 562303 www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com Harrogate International Festivals is a registered charity no. 244861.

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Programme at a glance Thursday 16 July 9.00am – 5.30pm

Creative Thursday: Crime Fiction Writing Workshop (see P26) 3.00pm NEW FOR 2015 - Just Add Readers 8.00pm Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year

& Festival Opening Party

Friday 17 July 9.00am 10.30am 12.00pm 2.00pm 3.30pm 5.00pm 6.30pm 7.00pm 8.30pm 10.00pm

Special Guests: Sara Paretsky In Conversation with Val McDermid They Do Things Differently There…

Irish Noir Your Perfect Match The Morality of Murder Millennium – She’s Back!

Yorkshire Pride NEW FOR 2015 - Dead Good Reader Awards Special Guests: Mark Billingham In Conversation with Eddie Izzard The Black Art of Criticism

Saturday 18 July 9.00am 10.30am 12.00pm FREE 1.00pm 2.00pm 3.30pm 5.00pm 6.15pm 8.30pm 10.00pm

Special Guests: Lisa Gardner In Conversation with Ann Cleeves Special Guests: M.C. Beaton In Conversation with Fred MacAuley New Blood Readers’ Book Group. See p24 for details.

Strange Lands Forensics TV Panel Author Dinner: Murder in the Lemon Grove Special Guest: Lee Child interviewed by Rory Bremner Late Night Quiz

Sunday 19 July 10.00am Celebrating Patricia Highsmith 11.30am Special Guest: Arnaldur Indridason interviewed by Barry Forshaw Key:

= event included in Weekend Rover ticket,

= event included in Friday Rover ticket,

= event included in Saturday Rover ticket. See p7 for Rover ticket details. *All events take place at the Old Swan Hotel, Swan Road, Harrogate

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Sponsors & Supporters Title Sponsor

Crime Novel of the Year Partners:

Event Sponsors:

Premier Partners:

Cultural Partners: Regular Funders:

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Media Partners:

Special Projects

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Welcome Everyone who comes to the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is a reader. The Festival proves that reading is creative, inspiring and wonderfully social. Throughout the weekend we’ll be sharing our passion for the best crime writing around. There’ll be intense debate during the panels and special guest conversations, arguments late into the night in the bar and fascinating discussions at a new innovation for 2015: our Thursday afternoon Readers’ Tea. This year we focus on crime fiction’s ability to take us to strange lands and to see familiar places in a new and unsettling way. From our comfortable base in North Yorkshire we’ll be travelling the globe. Come and join us for the trip of a lifetime!

Ann Cleeves, 2015 Festival Programming Chair

A hearty ‘hello’ to returning friends, and a warm welcome to new friends to be…

The 2015 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has, once more, a murderously good line-up.

Each year, I wonder how this unique celebration of the crime genre can throw up a new plot twist or bigger revelation than the previous year’s killer line-up.

It’s a bit like the expectations we had around Broadchurch 2. Can it really get better?

One woman who truly knows how to sustain a crime series as the author behind ITV’s sensational Vera, and BBC’s brooding Shetland, is this year’s Programming Chair, Ann Cleeves.

It’s a huge honour and delight for us all to have Ann at the helm. Not only because of her talent and passion for the genre, but because of her strong connection with our Festivals, developing our ‘Big Read’ initiative as our original Reader-in-Residence.

It’s seems counter-intuitive that a festival celebrating a genre that revolves around murder is so famed for its sense of fun and friendliness, but it is most certainly true.

That’s what makes Harrogate so special: no matter who you are, you’re connected by all the other partners in crime mingling in the grounds of the beautiful Old Swan Hotel, sharing a very genuine joy for writing and reading.

I hope you’ll agree, 2015 is a sensational programme destined to inspire. Enjoy the conversation, the laughter, and of course, the bar – with a pint of Theakstons in hand! Cheers,

Simon Theakston Executive Director, T&R Theakston Managed and presented by Harrogate International Festivals.

Chief Executive: Sharon Canavar Literature Festivals Manager: Gemma Rowland, Literature Festivals Co-ordinator: Helen McGlynn Literature Festivals Administrator: Abigail Middlemiss, PR: Ann Challenor-Chadwick, Cause UK Ltd Programming Committee: Ann Cleeves, Chair. Jane Gregory. David Shelley. NJ Cooper. Val McDermid. David Mark

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The Old Swan at Harrogate Delighted to be hosting the 2015 Crime Writing Festival

Famous as being the place where crime writing queen, Agatha Christie, chose to escape to, The Old Swan exudes the romance and mystery of its past.

With its stunning ballroom and Wedgwood Restaurant, it is perfect for all types of meetings and events, from large weddings and receptions, to board meetings, conferences and product launches. Enjoy comfortable, contemporary bedrooms, excellent dining, and all the atmosphere, style and attentive service that beďŹ ts this elegant and historic Harrogate hotel.

THE OLD SWAN HO T E L

Har roga t e

The Old Swan Hotel, Swan Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 2SR | Tel: 01423 500055 | www.classiclodges.co.uk/oldswan | info.oldswan@classiclodges.co.uk 22/4/15 Old Swan Crime festival advert A5 port ÂŁ15.00.indd 1

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Weekend Break Packages Make The Perfect Getaway!

Treat yourself to a whole four days at the crime hot spot of the summer by booking a combined ticket and accommodation package. Stay in one of our specially selected Festival hotels (subject to availability) and join over 80 of the world’s most celebrated crime authors in conversation, in action and in the bar! If you’re not sure which option will best suit your needs the Festival team will be happy to help and advise.

Weekend Break Packages include:

3 nights bed and breakfast accommodation (16, 17 & 18 July) Weekend Rover ticket (see below for full details) Prices start from just £399 per person for double/twin accommodation, and from only £459 per person for singles.

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Tailor-made packages for 1, 2 or 4 nights stay are also available.

With another large conference taking place in Harrogate the same weekend, rooms in the town are filling up fast so book early to avoid disappointment.

To book or talk through options, call the Festivals Office on tel: 01423 562 303 or email: crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk

Rover Tickets Indulge your criminal tendencies and get great value for money with a Festival Rover ticket: Weekend Rovers include: Access to all Festival events* from 8pm on Thursday 16 July to 12.30pm on Sunday 19 July. Look out for the Weekend Rover symbol next to the events included in your Weekend Rover ticket.

Delicious lunches at the Old Swan Hotel on Friday and Saturday A complimentary Festival goody bag Price: £215 per person (20 events in total)

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Friday Rover

(17 July) and Saturday Rover

(18 July) tickets are available.

Day Rovers include: Access to all Festival events* throughout the day. Look out for the Friday Rover & Saturday Rover symbols next to the events included in your Day Rover ticket.

A delicious lunch at the Old Swan Hotel A complimentary Festival goody bag Price: Friday Rover £92 per person (9 events in total) and Saturday Rover £86 per person (8 events in total)

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How To Book Rover Tickets Box Office, tel: 01423 562 303 | Book Online: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com * Rover tickets DO NOT include the following: Creative Thursday (Thu 16 July), Just Add Readers (Thu 16 July) Dead Good Readers Awards (Fri 17 July) and Dinner event (Sat 18 July). These events must be booked separately, please check event listings for details.

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FOR BOOK SIGNINGS AND A GREAT RANGE OF CRIME NOVELS, COME TO THE WH SMITH BOOKSTORE LOCATED IN THE PAPAKATA TENTS AT THE OLD SWAN HOTEL

BOOK SIGNINGS 10.00am Special Guests: Sara Paretsky In Conversation with Val McDermid 11.30am

They Do Things Differently There…

1.00pm

Irish Noir

3.00pm

Your Perfect Match

4.30pm

The Morality of Murder

6.00pm Millennium – She’s Back!

7.30pm

Yorkshire Pride

9.30pm

Special Guests: Mark Billingham In Conversation with Eddie Izzard

11.00pm The Black Art of Criticism

10.00am Special Guests: Lisa Gardner In Conversation with Ann Cleeves 11.30am

Special Guests: M.C. Beaton In Conversation with Fred MacAuley

1.00pm

New Blood

3.00pm

Strange Lands

4.30pm

Forensics

6.00pm TV Panel 9.30pm

Special Guest: Lee Child interviewed by Rory Bremner

11.00am Celebrating Patricia Highsmith 12.30pm Special Guest: Arnaldur Indridason interviewed by Barry Forshaw

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award in partnership with

2014 Award Winner: Belinda Bauer

Crime writing’s most wanted accolade, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, returns to highlight the cream of the crop of crime novels published by British and Irish authors over the last year.

2015 Longlist: Eeny Meeny M.J. Arlidge The Facts Of Life And Death

Belinda Bauer The Ghost Runner Parker Bilal The Strangler Vine M.J. Carter The Axeman’s Jazz Ray Celestin Personal Lee Child The Killing Season Mason Cross Bryant & May - The Bleeding Heart

Christopher Fowler The Outcast Dead Elly Griffiths The Telling Error Sophie Hannah Darkness, Darkness John Harvey Someone Else’s Skin Sarah Hilary The Devil in the Marshalsea

Antonia Hodgson Entry Island Peter May Disappeared Anthony Quinn Saints of the Shadow Bible

Ian Rankin The Farm Tom Rob Smith A Lovely Way to Burn Louise Welsh

Shortlist Announcement The names of the six shortlisted titles will be announced on 15 June and YOU - the readers – will be able to help decide which of the six shortlisted authors will take home the most coveted title in crime fiction, a prize of £3,000 and a hand-carved Theakstons cask, by casting your vote online at: www. theakstons.co.uk. Voting will open on 1 July.

The result of the online vote will be counted alongside the votes of the expert judging panel in order to determine the 2015 winner.

The Judges Forming the 2015 judging panel are 2015 Festival Programming Chair Ann Cleeves, WHSmith’s Head of Fiction Sandra Bradley, TV Editor at The Radio Times Alison Graham, Producer of the The Radio 2 Book Club Joe Haddow, and executive director of title sponsor T&R Theakston Simon Theakston.

Nationwide crime spree hits WHSmith!

The eighteen longlisted books will be available to buy in WHSmith stores nationwide from 21 May – 17 June, and the six shortlisted books will feature in all stores from 18 June – 31 July.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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ault.com www.thecrimev rrogate /exclusives/ha

Unmissable authors. Unbeatable writing.

DON’T MISS OUT!

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27/04/2015 16:24

Just Add Readers: Instant conversations about books*

Thu 16 July, 3pm | Ticket Price: £10

From Ann Cleeves – a personal invitation to all festival-goers to join instant conversations about books. Some of our most memorable reading experiences spark the liveliest conversations - as surprising, fun and individual as readers themselves.

Join us for tea and cake, Harrogate-style, and share your reading passions in the company of other readers and writers. Talk books, talk crime, talk writers in this fun and friendly Festival curtain-raiser. Features a Great Mystery Book Swap – your chance to gift a book you’ve loved (and don’t mind parting with) to another reader … and get one to try for yourself.

Afternoon tea and cake included in the ticket price. Please bring a book you’re happy to give away.

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award & Opening Party

Thu 16 July, 8pm | Ticket Price: £16

Step aside, Gwyneth and Meryl. It’s time to thank agents, publicists, mums, God, and just about everyone in the building and their dog…yes! It’s the crime writing fraternity’s equivalent to the Oscars with host Mark Lawson.

The six shortlisted authors will battle it out for supremacy in one of crime fiction’s most hotly contended and prestigious award ceremonies. Steady the nerves with a glass of wine or pint of Old Peculier, then continue the celebrations, and commiserations, after the presentation at the Festival opening party.

Ticket price includes canapés and glass of wine or pint of Old Peculier.

Special Guests: Sara Paretsky In Conversation with Val McDermid

Fri 17 July, 9am | Ticket Price: £13

Chicago meets Kirkcaldy. Two Queens of the genre. One stage.

Before there was Lisbeth Salander, there was V.I. Warshawski.

Sara Paretsky revolutionised the mystery world when she introduced V.I. in Indemnity Only. By creating a believable investigator with the grit and the smarts to tackle problems on the mean streets, she challenged a genre in which women typically were either vamps or victims.

Sara Paretsky put fire in Warshawski’s eyes and in the process inspired a generation of women crime writers, including Val McDermid. One of the biggest names of the genre, Val’s creations include Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan and the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series.

Two passionate, electrifying authors with a yearning for social justice. Expect sparks to fly.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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JOIN US FOR COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS, AUTHOR EXCLUSIVES AND MUCH MORE! Where: the lawn outside the Old Swan Hotel When: from 10:00 on Saturday 18 July

www.crimefiles.co.uk • @crimefilesbooks • www.facebook.com/crimefiles Crime Files_Harrogate Advert_210x148mm_v6.indd 1

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They Do Things Differently There…

Fri 17 July, 10.30am | Ticket Price: £10

But is the past really a foreign country? Was the psychology of murder different then or is it only the technology of investigation and conviction that has changed?

Delve back in time and anatomise those distant lands before DNA, where there were motives before mobiles.

Clamber into the coliseums of Ancient Rome with historical novelists Lindsey Davis and Manda Scott. Step into Stalinist Russia with William Ryan, best known for his Captain Korolev series. Stumble down dark alleyways with Christopher Fowler and his London Golden Age detectives Bryant & May, and dig a little deeper with Elly Griffiths, author of the Ruth Galloway archaeological mystery series.

Sponsored by

Irish Noir

Fri 17 July, 12pm | Ticket Price: £10

Is it the luck of the Irish? Behold the emerald jewels of crime fiction!

Steve Cavanagh, a practising lawyer, is guilty of being criminally good. His debut US-based legal thriller, The Defence, became the subject of an international bidding war. Stuart Neville also had a brilliant debut when The Twelve became one of the LA Times’ top crime novels in 2009, and introduced a major new voice to the genre.

New York Times bestseller Brian McGilloway attracts critical acclaim for his energetic and incisive prose in his admired Inspector Benedict Devlin and Lucy Black series.

Eoin McNamee, who writes under the pseudonym John Creed for the Jack Valentine series, is no stranger to praise, with The Blue Tango longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Described as ‘genre to the core’, Adrian McKinty has been compared to David Peace and James Ellroy for his fast-paced prose.

Your Perfect Match

Fri 17 July, 2pm | Ticket Price: £10

There are books that make your heart sing. How can you identify the books you’ll love and want to press on everyone who crosses your path?

When we’re bombarded with suggestions for new reading and when Amazon reviews and star-ratings have become devalued, how do we come across that very special book that will stay with us for a lifetime? In this brave new world of promotion, commercialism, and noisy sales, complete with fake online reviews, you know you can always trust a librarian.

Twitter sensation Stewart Bain from Orkney library joins novelists Isabelle Grey, Anya Lipska, David Mark and James Oswald to take us by the hand through the readers’ dating quagmire to help us find that perfect match.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Free audiobook download for Harrogate delegates Choose from a huge selection of crime books

Download & listen today with a 30-day free trial

IOBOOK E D U A E E R F YOUR RROGATECRIM D A O L N W O HA / K TO D U .

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Please join us Saturday July 18th at 10pm for the ‘Late Night Quiz’ with quizmasters Mark Billingham and Val McDermid.

After your free trial, membership automatically renews at £7.99/month

The Morality of Murder

Fri 17 July, 3.30pm | Ticket Price: £10

Is the crime novel essentially an up-dated morality tale?

The crime genre can help us contemplate some of the most important questions of our time. How can the press spend so many column inches on the tragic overdose of a Hollywood star when hundreds of drug-related deaths go unreported every year? Is murder ever justified? And where does euthanasia fit into the debate? Belinda Bauer, Wiley Cash, Jonathan Freedland, Nicci French and Cath Staincliffe chew over the rights and wrongs, with sensitivity, passion, and a dash of black humour.

Millennium – She’s Back!

Fri 17 July, 5pm | Ticket Price: £11

The phenomenon returns. Exactly ten years after publication of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this August sees a new story based on Larsson’s universe and characters, written by the brilliant David Lagercrantz. His publishers have compared the planned release across thirt yfive countries to the global splash made by Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code in 2003.

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium books featuring the punked-up, troubled, but resourceful Lisbeth Salander have sold more than seventy five million copies in fifty countries.

Dissect Larsson’s legacy and the brand new fourth book with chair Mark Lawson, Scandi-crime connoisseur Barry Forshaw, critic NJ Cooper and Larsson’s publisher, Christopher MacLehose, and Eva Gedin, Larsson’s original editor and publisher at the Swedish firm Norstedts.

Yorkshire Pride

Fri 17 July, 6.30pm | Ticket Price: £10

It’s known as God’s own county. Naturally. Aside from the best beer, proper brews and rollicking Dales, Yorkshire ’appens to be murderously good for the crime genre. As Harrogate is the epicentre of crime writing’s biggest celebration of the genre, we celebrate local folk and devotees of the county.

Lee Child may be the cool blockbusting author with a trans atlantic drawl, hanging with the likes of Tom Cruise, but he used to buy toffee in Harrogate with his grandma as a lad before studying at Sheffield. Steve Mosby stalks the mean streets of Leeds, and Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks novels starring Stephen Tompkinson were lovingly filmed on location in Yorkshire.

Born and raised in industrial Hull, Nick Quantrill’s Joe Geraghty novels have been dubbed as ‘Hull’s answer to Ian Rankin’ and ‘the Hammet of Humberside’, and Frances Brody sets her Kate Shackleton mystery novels in 1920s Yorkshire. By ’eck.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Dead Good Reader Awards*

Fri 17 July, 7pm | Ticket Price: £12

You have been voting since May to pick your winners for the Dead Good Reader Awards. Who will scoop The Val McDermid Award for Fiendish Forensics? The Lee Child Award for Best Loner or Detective? Or The Reichenbach Falls Award for Most Epic Ending?

Join us for this exciting event as Lee Child, Val McDermid and more present awards to your Dead Good winners. Enjoy a glass of wine and fabulous goodies at the inaugural Dead Good Reader Awards!

Sponsored by

Special Guests: Mark Billingham In Conversation with Eddie Izzard

Fri 17 July, 8.30pm | Ticket Price: £13

Mark Billingham and Eddie Izzard first met more than twentyfive years ago as struggling stand-up comics. Mark continued to struggle then later chucked in the comedy and went on to write the hugely successful series of crime novels featuring DI Tom Thorne. Eddie meanwhile became the most acclaimed comedian of his generation, on top of which he is now a hugely successful actor, activist and campaigner. In this very special guest event, they will discuss the overlap between crime and comedy, the art of storytelling and will of course be talking about Eddie’s many TV and film appearances, most recently as serial killer Abel Gideon in the TV series Hannibal.

Sponsored by

The Black Art of Criticism

Fri 17 July, 10pm | Ticket Price: £10

‘I never read my reviews, darling’, is a well-trodden line. In reality, critics can trigger murderous impulses. So when it comes to authors reviewing books of their friends, how honest are they really? Should you ever trust a book blurb?

Stepping into the bullring is the Telegraph’s book reviewer, Jake Kerridge, who wrote of Dan Brown, ‘Brown gets better and better: where once he was abysmal he is now just very poor.’ Jake raises the red flag to authors, N.J Cooper, S.J Parris, Stav Sherez, and Ann Widdecombe, who is no stranger to critics.

Ruth Rendell said of Widdecombe’s books, ‘You want to go on reading, you want to know what happens; it isn’t easy to put down’ in the Sunday Times. And from the Daily Mail? ‘Dances like a hippo and looks like a Dalek in drag - it can only be Strictly Widdy’.

Ah, the Daily Mail. Expect strong language.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Special Guests: Lisa Gardner In Conversation with Ann Cleeves

Sat 18 July, 9am | Ticket Price: £13

The New York Times number one crime novelist Lisa Gardner has over twenty two million books in print and is published in thirty countries.

A self-described research junkie, she once took up boxing to understand the psychology behind getting hit. Other excursions have included numerous prison visits, a tour of the infamous Body Farm, and in-depth conversations with police officers and criminal investigators. Her approach rewards readers with intricate police procedure, cutting-edge forensics and twisted plots, creating internationally bestselling suspense novels.

Gardner is in conversation with this year’s Programming Chair Ann Cleeves, the ‘visionary behind Vera’.

As crabby as Columbo, the unglamorous, brilliant, down-to-earth detective Vera Stanhope and the flagship ITV series have attracted a legion of fans worldwide.

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Special Guests: M.C. Beaton In Conversation with Fred MacAuley

Sat 18 July, 10.30am | Ticket Price: £13

Scottish comedian and presenter Fred MacAuley delves into Beaton’s extraordinary career.

Marion Chesney is known primarily for the more than 100 historical romance novels. M.C. Beaton is the pseudonym she reserves for crime fiction, including the much-loved Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth novels.

Born in Glasgow, she was a bookseller, theatre critic and fashion editor before joining the Scottish Daily Express, where she mostly reported crime. A move to Fleet Street to work for the Daily Express was followed by a stint in America, when she wrote for The Star in New York.

She took up writing romances to spend more time with her son. A holiday in Sutherland at a fishing school inspired her first Hamish Macbeth story. Beaton returned to Scotland, where husband Harry reared black sheep, before a move to the Cotswolds, which inspired the brilliant Agatha Raisin.

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New Blood

Sat 18 July, 12pm | Ticket Price: £10

The return of the panel dedicated to showcasing the year’s most dazzling debut authors! Always a sell-out, this event will see Queen of Crime Val McDermid in the hot seat to hand-pick four of the brightest new talents ready for a new crime wave.

She’ll be inviting Renee Knight, Clare Mackintosh, Ben McPherson and Lucy Ribchester to discuss their debut novels. Eager readers on the lookout for the next big thing will be given the chance to discover a sure-fire list of ‘ones to watch’. Not to be missed!

Sponsored by

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Sign-up for all the latest Crime and Thriller book and author news at panmacmillan.com/ crime

Strange Lands

Sat 18 July, 2pm | Ticket Price: £10

Extreme environments create intoxicating adventure, tension, and atmosphere. Exploring exotic, weird landscapes – physical or emotional – can be central to a novel that takes the reader into bold new territory.

Find out what influences author Mark Lawson, on this expedition with former journalist Craig Robertson. Join the extraordinarily well-travelled MJ McGrath, whose adventures from Alaska to Madagascar ensure place occupies a large part in her work. Trip to the other side of the world with Australian Michael Robotham, whose latest thriller, Life or Death, is set in the violent confines of a prison.

Then there’s Swedish author Hakan Nesser, whose Van Veeteren series takes place in Maardam, a fictitious city in a made-up country. And the Plague Times trilogy by Glasgow’s Louise Welsh transforms our sense of the familiar, as London is warped by death and crisis.

Sponsored by

Forensics

Sat 18 July, 3.30pm | Ticket Price: £10

Few writers can ignore how forensics has transformed detecting crimes, taking the genre from the puzzle in the library to the minutia under the microscope. Join author Lin Anderson, creator of forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod, with a panel of professors.

Lorna Dawson is a Principal Soil Scientist, who has worked on case investigations with the police and Forensic Science Service, as well as advising on TV shows Vera and Silent Witness. Niamh Nic Daeid is Professor of Forensic Science and Director of Research at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee.

Professor James Grieve was a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Medicine and a Police Forensic Pathologist. And forensic entomologist Martin Hall has worked as an expert witness on over thirty criminal cases, looking at how maggots can provide vital clues to murder.

TV Panel

Sat 18 July, 5pm | Ticket Price: £13

Yorkshire-born Sally Wainwright doesn’t muck about.

Wainwright has been writing for television for almost 25 years, honing her skills with stints on the Archers, Emmerdale and Coronation Street. The British BAFTA-winning and Edgar winning television writer has an ability to create prime time after prime time show, throwing the spotlight on authentic, complex female characters.

Her feminist buddy cop show Scott & Bailey was the most successful drama launch of 2011 and has now gone to four series. BBC1 thriller Happy Valley attracted viewers, controversy and remarkable reviews with its graphic depiction of kidnap, rape and murder in Hebden Bridge. Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall hailed it as ‘one of the great British dramas of all time’.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Some hen parties are bad.

This one is going to be murder.

‘Gripping from start to finish: slick plotting, sharp twists and a pitch-perfect understanding of the many unique ways in which female friends hurt one another’ NICCI CLOKE ‘Toxic friendships, an isolated house, a dark snowy wood...

A tense, terrifying novel’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

Find out more about this summer’s most addictive thriller at

Author Dinner: Murder In The Lemon Grove*

Sat 18 July, 6.15pm | Ticket Price: £30

When Sicilian businessman Paolo Brusconi is found murdered in a lemon grove adjoining an archaeological site, four people come under suspicion. But was Brusconi killed because of a dispute with one of the site’s guides? Or because of his amorous exploits with the director of the excavation? Or did his killer have another motive altogether?

A case to be cracked over a few courses of fine dining… Authors Alex Barclay, Clare Kendal, Claire McGowan, Sabine Durrant, Kate Rhodes, Christobel Kent, Adam Brookes, Robert Wilson, Susan Wilkins, Clare Donoghue, Emma Kavanagh, Sophie McKenzie and LC Tyler apply their criminal minds, alongside their napkins.

Inspired by the Montalbano books of Andrea Camilleri, this fiendish mystery was devised by author Kate Ellis, who will be hosting the evening.

Sponsored by

Special Guest: Lee Child interviewed by Rory Bremner

Sat 18 July, 8.30pm | Ticket Price: £13

Lee Child is a brand unto himself. The festival favourite returns to discuss Make Me, the twentieth book in the series, with satirist and impressionist Rory Bremner.

Child tapped into a universal nerve with hero Jack Reacher, selling over fifty million books in forty languages. A monosyllabic drifter, Reacher has been described as half-Rimbaud, half-Rambo, part Robin Hood, part gorilla.

This meeting of minds promises to match the most adrenalin-packed thrillers. How will Bremner take on the dirty blond, ice-blue-eyed six-foot-five Reacher with a penchant for breaking bones (violently)? Can he disarm Child’s suave, cool exterior? And crucially, will he do an impression of Tom Cruise?

Hold on to the edge of your seats, this promises to be one heck of a ride.

Sponsored by

Late Night Quiz

Sat 18 July, 10pm | Ticket Price: £10

It’s THE quiz that is the stuff of legends! Former champions taking home the coveted cup include The Wire’s David Simon and George Pelecanos and esteemed broadcaster Mark Lawson. It’s your chance to join such luminaries in the winner’s hall of fame with quizmasters Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. Remember, it’s the winning that counts!

Sponsored by

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Celebrating Patricia Highsmith

Sun 19 July, 10am | Ticket Price: £10

Highsmith published eight short-story collections and twenty two novels, including the fivebook Ripley series. Her first book, Strangers on a Train, was adapted for the big screen by Alfred Hitchcock. Her morally ambiguous, dark, psychological writing is filled with criminals who often get away with their crimes. The author’s life was a fascinating one. Gay, but isolated, she was considered ‘unlovable’ and ‘unloving’, and once apparently took one hundred snails in her handbag to a party so she could have someone to talk to.

Sponsored by

Special Guest: Arnaldur Indridason interviewed by Barry Forshaw

Sun 19 July, 11.30am | Ticket Price: £13

Arnaldur Indridason gives interviews rarely and guards his privacy fiercely, and has admitted he’d rather be home writing than touring on book promotions. It’s a huge privilege then to welcome the Icelandic author, whose macabre thrillers starring the introspective Scandinavian inspector Erlendur Sveinsson have been translated into twenty languages and enjoy huge sales worldwide.

Having worked for many years as a journalist and film critic for the Icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid, he began writing novels aged thirty four. The son of the prominent Icelandic novelist Indridi Thorsteinsson, he hid his writing at first from his father. By the summer of 2003, his crime novels occupied the top five spots in the Icelandic bestseller list and the following year his books made up seven of the ten most borrowed from the Reykjavik library.

He speaks to writer and journalist Barry Forshaw.

Sponsored by

Readers’ Book Group

Sat 18 July, 1pm | Ticket Price: FREE

Festival Reader-In-Residence David Mark joins readers on a Big Read adventure, exploring the tempestuous thriller Blood Shot

by Sara Paretsky, one of this year’s Festival Special Guests.

David Mark debuted at Harrogate on the 2012 New Blood panel with his breakthrough crime novel, Dark Winter. He has been a journalist for over fifteen years. Join David at this free readers’ event as he explores this fast-paced suspense novel, a brilliant V.I. Warshawski thriller from one of America’s greatest female crime writers.

Find out more about the 2015 Big Read book Blood Shot on page 27.

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Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

© Thomas Bj ø rnflaten

When Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley came out in 1999, it sparked a mini Highsmith revival. But many feel the author has suffered criminal neglect, despite being often named in lists of the best crime novelists of all time.

As 2015 marks Tom Ripley’s sixtieth birthday, Martin Edwards, Sarah Hilary, Peter James, Andrew Taylor and Peter Swanson celebrate the author and her work in this special panel.

BE

© Helena Edwards

© Muireann Brady

© Thomas Bj ø rnflaten

© Philippa Gedge

Don’t miss our killer line-up at this year’s festival!

JONATHAN FREEDLAND ALEX BARCLAY

MARTIN EDWARDS © Eamonn McCabe

SJ PARRIS ANDREW TAYLOR

CLAIRE KENDAL

© Barry McCall

© Caroline Silverwood Taylor

BEN MCPHERSON

JAX MILLER

For all the latest news on our crime and thriller authors, exclusive content, interviews, competitions, and much more, visit

K I L L E R R E A D S

Helping you discover the best in crime and thrillers www.killerreads.com • Find us on

/ KillerReads • Follow us on

@KillerReads

Look out for the epic new series Solomon Creed from Simon Toyne, this September.

To get a free sample, email KillerReads@harpercollins.co.uk

Creative Thursday A day-long crime fiction creative writing workshop The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s creative writing course for aspiring writers. Creative Thursday gives you the chance to hone your script-writing skills with a daylong programme of workshops and seminars led by Television & Radio industry professionals and real-life crime experts.

Thursday 16 July, 9am – 5.30pm | £99 per person 2015 programme includes:

Intensive Writing Workshop: Shelley Silas and Simon Brett on writing for radio Radio writing for beginners or those who want a refreshing approach to restart. With their very different skills and methods, Shelley and Simon will tell you what works for them. They’ll talk about developing your ideas, working on structure, character, dialogue, POV and other areas specifically related to radio writing. And of course will answer all of your questions. Two very different writers, but both with an ENORMOUS sense of fun. Come and join them.

Intensive Writing Workshop: How TV crime differs from crime fiction with Gaby Chiappe and Isabelle Grey Using a dark fairy tale as a template, screenwriters Gaby Chiappe and Isabelle Grey will show you how to structure an episode of a crime drama, how to create a protagonist that an actor will want to play, and how to write for a visual medium.

Short Stories for Broadcast BBC Radio 4 producer Kirsteen Cameron will talk through the process of selecting and recording short stories for broadcast.

There are fewer opportunities for new writing on the network now, so this is a great chance to find out what works best and what producers are looking for.

The Dragons’ Pen: Dare you enter?

Four brilliant publishing professionals.

Two minutes to convince them your script or treatment are worth reading.

One audience full of your fellow wouldbe writers, watching how you fare. Our literary version of the popular TV show, Dragons’ Den, is not for the faint-hearted.

The 2015 panel of Dragons comprises Allegra McIlroy, Producer at BBC Radio 4, Rebecca Watson, agent at Valerie Hoskins Associates, Michael Dawson, executive producer for ITV Studios and Christine Glover, agent at Blake Friedmann. Festival Favourite Mark Billingham will host.

Places to pitch to the Dragons are limited due to time restrictions.

Register your interest upon booking to be in with a chance to pitch.

For full programme details visit: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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To book a place, call the Festivals Office on, tel: 01423 562 303 or email: crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk

In partnership with

In association with

BIG READ Join the Big Read this Summer and discover Sara Paretsky’s brilliant Blood Shot, also published under the title Toxic Shock. Tinged with social injustice, this fastpaced suspense novel is the fifth V.I. Warshawski thriller from one of America’s greatest female crime writers.

The Festival’s Reader-In-Residence David Mark will be touring pubs across the north of England, discussing how Paretsky’s heroine V.I. Warshawski ‘is the detective many mystery fans have been waiting for’ (Newsweek) and why, since her appearance on the mystery scene, detective fiction has never been quite the same. Come along, meet fellow readers and join in the lively debate!

Booking is essential for all events. Visit bigread.org.uk for full details on the events and to join the discussion online!

Thanks to the generous support of our publishing partner Hodder & Stoughton, the Festival will be distributing a limited number of free copies of the Big Read book via our partner library services in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Stockton-On-Tees, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Tyneside and South Tyneside. Reading groups in those areas wanting to take part in the Big Read should email crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk for more information.

HARROGATE FILM SOCIETY (www.harrogatefilmsociety.co.uk)

The Harrogate Film Society has recently completed its 59th season showing, thought provoking, entertaining and critically acclaimed films from all over the world. This season of 13 films included: You Will Be My Son (France); The Rocket (Australia/Laos); “The Lunchbox” (India); Tokyo Sonata (Japan);”The Taste of Money” (South Korea); and Wadjda (Saudi Arabia). Our next season 2015/2016 is our 60th and will comprise of 14 films and a number of special attractions.

The society is run by a group of enthusiasts in an informal, welcoming atmosphere based in the Forum complex at Harrogate Grammar School.

All films are presented using the latest digital technology. Harrogate Film Society is a member of the British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS) and The British Film Institute.

In addition to the normal programme of films, the Society offers special film day events of film presentations and discussion. In association with the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival we are presenting two films based on crime novels showcased at this

The Rocket

year’s festival: ‘Sleepyhead’, from the Thorne novel of the same name by Mark Billingham; and ‘Jar City’, based on the novel Mýrin by Icelandic writer, Arnaldur Indriðason.

The presentation is on Sunday the 12th July 2015 starting at 1pm at Harrogate Grammar School.

Admission tickets at £10 are available from: Bookings Administrator (HFS) 10 Sovereign Park, Harrogate North Yorkshire HG1 2SJ – cheques payable to: Harrogate Film Society; via the website; and at the door of the event.

Jar City

R E D R MU E T O R WE W

JOIN OUR EVER EXPANDING LIST OF AWARD-WINNING WRITERS AND DISCOVER YOUR OWN VOICE IN THE MOST POPULAR LITERARY GENRE IN THE WORLD. HOW WILL YOUR PLOT UNFOLD? SEARCH UEA MA CRIME FICTION

LITERATURE, DRAMA AND CREATIVE WRITING

Home of Festivals The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is presented by Harrogate International Festivals, a charitable arts organisation who this year turn 50.

This is a hugely important landmark in the Festival’s history. Since the very first event in 1966, we have grown to become Yorkshire’s premier Festival and a firm fixture on the national and international stage.

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We’re enormously proud of our past achievements, but as a charity with no core funding, we launch our Future 50 Appeal to guarantee our future so we can look excitedly and confidently towards the years ahead. We have a passion to ensure that the Festivals can achieve great things, and with our Appeal we are looking to raise £1 million to support the next 50 years of the Festivals here in Harrogate. Philanthropic investment is now vital to the Festival being a sustainable organisation, with the ability to create life changing opportunities in the arts.

We are told our passion is contagious and your support is crucial to help us to achieve our ambitious and rewarding goals for the future.

50

future

FESTIVALS OF HARROGATE SINCE 1966

HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS 1966-2016

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‘ne

Ha A

"I never used to sing with my kid because I felt a bit daft, now we know loads of songs and actions, it’s really fun"

"My son never asked for a book before" Mother after literacy event as part of Children’s Festival

Musical Mum

With a strong heritage and an ambitious future, Harrogate International Festivals change lives through cultural experience with the delivery of world class Festivals and events throughout the year (see more on P37), including the world class, award-winning literature weekend – the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

"The Festival has won a reputation for spotting the proverbial ‘next big thing’ in music, having previously introduced Harrogate audiences to Amy Winehouse and Paloma Faith"

“Takes the good name of Harrogate around the world in a way no amount of advertising could achieve” The Guardian

Harrogate Advertiser

"A bit of London Culture in the North" Audience Member for Salon North

THURSDAY 2 - SUNDAY 5 JULY 2015 THE CROWN HOTEL, HARROGATE

Picked by Harper’s Bazaar as one of the UK’s Best Literary Festivals

Louis de Bernières | Edith Bowman | Jenny Eclair Joanne Harris | Sali Hughes | Alan Johnson Dom Joly | Dennis Skinner | Tracey Thorn Box Office | 01423 562 303 www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Box Office & Booking Information

Harrogate International Festivals independent Box Office offers a great range of ticket booking options, and ensures you receive a personal service from the Festivals Team.

How To Book Phone:

01423 562 303

Email:

crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk

Online:

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime

In Person:

Harrogate International Festivals, 32 Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate HG1 1DB *Please note our new address

Opening Times: Monday – Friday, 10am-5pm (open Saturdays from 20 June) Payment:

Harrogate International Festivals Box Office accepts all major credit/debit cards (except American Express), cash and cheques. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Harrogate International Festivals’. All bookings are subject to a £1.75 transaction charge.

For full terms and conditions, please visit our website.

Harrogate International Festivals Town Centre Box Office:

From 10.30am – 3.30pm Tuesday to Saturday from 20 June and Sundays

during July you can also buy tickets in person from the Festivals Town

Centre Box Office, Victoria Shopping Centre Piazza opposite the

Train Station.

Tickets on the door:

Tickets will be available to purchase from the Festival desk in the foyer

of the Old Swan Hotel from Thu 16 – Sun 19 July, subject to availability.

Be aware events can sell out in advance. Early booking is recommended.

Refunds:

The Box Office cannot refund money or exchange tickets except in the case of an event cancellation.

Concessions:

Concessions are available for under 18s, students in full time education and those receiving unemployment benefits. Appropriate identification must be provided. May not be used in conjunction with any other offers.

A large print version of the event guide can be ordered by calling 01423 562 303.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Visitor Centre Masham

O0t b dry b your average viiYr cevre. ome and visit Paradise, the aptly named home of the Theakyon Brewery Visitor Centre.

Take the tour and see the brewer’s art in acion. It’s thiryy work mind. Which is why every visit ends in our Brewery Tap where you can wet your whiyle.

bookings@theakstons.co.uk or ring us on 01765 680 000.

Open 7 days a week.

Visitor Ad_Crime Festival A5_Apr13.indd 1

Theakston Brewery @Theakston1827

12/04/2013 11:15

OLD SWAN HOTEL

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FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE

OLD SWAN HOTEL

TOWN CENTRE BOX OFFICE

YORK

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PLAC

Main Festival Venue address: Old Swan Hotel, Swan Road, Harrogate, HG1 2SR Parking: Parking is available at the Old Swan Hotel on a first come first served basis. Please note, if using this car park a valid parking permit must be displayed and can be obtained for free from the hotel reception. There is also metered on street parking available nearby.

Seating: Seating for all events at the Old Swan Hotel is unreserved.

Customers with disabilities: All venues are accessible by wheelchair. Special provisions can be arranged for visitors with disabilities, please call the Festival Office on tel: 01423 562303.

Photography & Recording: The use of photographic, video or audio equipment is strictly prohibited.

Festival Bookstore: WHSmith will provide a Festival bookstore at the Old Swan Hotel and will host book signings after each event.

All information shown in this event guide is correct at time of going to press. Harrogate International Festivals reserves the right to make such alterations as may become necessary.

Harrogate International Festivals is a registered charity, no. 244861

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

11:15

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HARROGATEINTERNATIONALFESTIVALS

HARROGATE

HISTORY FESTIVAL OCTOBER

22 - 25, 2015

The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Join us for the third year of our innovative new Festival to meet, discuss and celebrate the authors and genre of historical writing, both fiction and non-fiction.

2015 Programme Featuring:

Tracy Borman, Lord Melvyn Bragg Ken Follett, Michael Morpurgo Kate Mosse, Neil Oliver More names and events to be announced soon‌

Join our mailing list at www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/history to stay up to date with the latest Harrogate History Festival news!

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com Box Office: 01423 562 303

Celebrating Historical Writing

In Association with the Historical Writers’ Association

FESTIVAL NUMBER

50

Discover your festival...

Harrogate International Spring Series (January – April) Ever-popular series of chamber music concerts featuring international artists and taking place on Sundays at the Old Swan Hotel.

Harrogate Festival (July) Yorkshire’s Leading arts Festival featuring the best of international talent spanning music, literature, theatre and film.

Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival (July) Celebrating great writing by bringing best-selling authors, influential politicians, comedians and stars of the stage to share their stories with as wide an audience as possible.

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (July) The Festival is the biggest event of its kind in the world achieving huge positive media coverage: in 2014 there were over 60 million opportunities to read about the Festival.

Big Screen (July) Open-air film screenings featuring Hollywood blockbusters, family movies and live sporting spectaculars.

Reach Out: Year-Round Engagement (January – December) A year-round programme of events and engagement including Salon North and a wide-ranging programme of community engagement, creative learning and advocacy presented for a broad range of audiences: • Musical Mums – Weekly singing project for teenage parents and their babies, using music as a means of encouraging positive activity between mothers and babies, in partnership with NYMAZ. • Musical Villages – Half-term world music delivery across the rural areas of the District, targeted at mono-cultural and rural areas. In partnership with NYMAZ.

Harrogate History Festival (October)

• Big Read – The Big Read project increases links across the region between libraries and reading groups, creating new readers.

Celebrating the authors and genre of historical writing, this unique weekend allows readers and writers to meet, discuss and discover historical writing from fact through to fiction.

• Reader in Residence – Supports our on-going literacy delivery and the Festivals ‘You’re Booked’ website to create a national hub for aspiring writers and readers.

Salon North (Year round) A movement for the heart and mind. Three fascinating expert speakers are brought together to present one-off nights of the most stimulating ideas in art, science and psychology.

• Young Musicians in Residence – A programme of activity featuring live performance in unusual and unexpected venues.places. Working with local, young musicians and creating a platform for performance.

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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HAVE YOU SEEN MY BOOK? I’d just got to the nail-biting bit when Rachel’s son disappears when I lost it somewhere in Harrogate. It’s the best thriller I’ve read in years and I’m desperate to get it back to find out what happens next.

If you call the number below I’ll reward you with your very own FREE copy here at Harrogate Crime Festival.

020 3122 6618 #burntpapersky

BPS_MISSING AD.indd 2

24/04/2015 16:12

Harrogate Festival music | literature | film | arts | culture

FESTIVAL NUMBER

50

2015 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival - Major Sponsors

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

16:12

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Author Index Anderson, Lin Bain, Stewart Barclay, Alex Bauer, Belinda Beaton, M.C. Billingham, Mark Bremner, Rory Brett, Simon Brody, Frances Brookes, Adam Cameron, Kirsteen Cash, Wiley Cavanagh, Steve Chiappe, Gaby Child, Lee Cleeves, Ann Cooper, N.J. Davis, Lindsey Dawson, Lorna Dawson, Michael Donoghue, Clare Durrant, Sabine Edwards, Martin Ellis, Kate Forshaw, Barry Fowler, Christopher Freedland, Jonathan French, Nicci Gardner, Lisa Gedin, Eva Glover, Christine Grey, Isabelle Grieve, James Griffiths, Elly Hall, Martin Hilary, Sarah Indridason, Arnaldur Izzard, Eddie James, Peter Kavanagh, Emma Kendal, Claire Kent, Christobel Kerridge, Jake Knight, Renee

p21 p13 p23 p9, 15 p19 p17, 23, 26 p23 p26 p15 p23 p26 p15 p13 p26 p9, 15, 17, 23 p5, 9, 11, 19 p5, 17 p13 p21 p26 p23 p23 p24 p23 p15, 24 p9, 13 p15 p15 p19 p15 p26 p13, 26 p21 p9, 13 p21 p9, 24 p24 p17 p24 p23 p23 p23 p17 p19

Lawson, Mark Lipska, Anya MacAuley, Fred Mackintosh, Clare MacLehose, Christopher Mark, David McDermid, Val

McGilloway, Brian McGowan, Claire McGrath, M.J. McIlroy, Allegra McKenzie, Sophie McKinty, Adrian McNamee, Eion McPherson, Ben Mosby, Steve Nic Daeid, Niamh Nesser, Hakan Neville, Stuart Oswald, James Paretsky, Sara Parris, S.J. Quantrill, Nick Rhodes, Kate Ribchester, Lucy Robertson, Craig Robinson, Peter Robotham, Michael Ryan, William Scott, Manda Sherez, Shav Silas, Shelley Staincliffe, Cath Swanson, Peter Taylor, Andrew Tyler, L.C. Wainwright, Sally Watson, Rebecca Welsh, Louise Widdecombe, Ann Wilkins, Susan Wilson, Robert

p11, 15, 21, 23 p13 p19 p19 p15 p5, 13, 24, 27 p5, 11, 17, 19, 23, 27 p13 p23 p21 p26 p23 p13 p13 p19 p15 p21 p21 p13 p13 p11, 24, 27 p17 p15 p23 p19 p21 p15 p21 p13 p13 p17 p26 p15 p24 p24 p23 p21 p26 p9, 21 p17 p23 p23

Box Office: 01423 562 303 | www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com