Thu 16 - Sun 19 SepTember 2010reading muSeum & Town hall

Four criminally good days...

boX oFFiCe& 0118 960 6060 www. readingfestivalofcrimewriting.org.uk

Pre-festival events

Keep an eye on the Reading Post over the summer for details of our short story competition. Bestselling author Dreda Say Mitchell will provide an introduction, and you will need to complete the story. Prizes and 15 minutes of fame for the winner!

Crime FeSTival ShorT STory CompeTiTionSponsored by Waterstones and Reading Post

a Criminally good viCTorian SChoolroom eXperienCesaturday 11 september 1.45pm and 2.45pm, Victorian Schoolroom, Reading MuseumAges 5+, £1 drop in, 35 places per session max.

Join us for our monthly classroom session but with a crime themed twist. Find out about Victorian child thieves and how to ‘pick a pocket’ or two!

Wednesday 15 september7.30pmVictoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £25 – Includes buffet dinner

murder

murder mySTery SerieS preSenTS…

The Town hallHave you ever wanted a chance to play detective? now is your chance.

In the magnificent surrounds of Reading Town Hall, have a wickedly fun evening enjoying a

great evening’s entertainment over a buffet dinner.

Name your own detective agency and then watch the murderous events unfold before you. Question the suspects to find the motive, method and murderer. Prizes for the winning team.

The mySTery oF The leFT handed ghoST

i am delighted to welcome you to the 2010 reading festival of Crime Writing. Drawing on the success of the last two years, we have created another entertaining, informative and eclectic programme expanding the crime theme even further!

The very best in crime fiction can be found here, from internationally acclaimed bestsellers to stunning debuts. Running alongside the fiction, this year our popular Brought in for Questioning events bring you experts in forensic archaeology, serial killers and more. Add in sessions for aspiring writers, schools and families and you get the unique experience that is the Reading Festival of Crime Writing.

To fit it all in we have extended the festival so that you can now enjoy the festival from Thursday to Sunday. Look out for the daily “Crime Scene” events, which give you the opportunity to see bestselling authors and fascinating speakers for free.

I hope you will find much to interest you as you look through the programme.

Tom Stanway Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport

WelCome

even beTTer Than laST year. a FanTaSTiC evenT

booking inFormaTion All tickets are available from the Box Office unless otherwise stated.

You can purchase tickets:

Online: www.readingarts.com

By telephone: Call the Reading Arts box office on 0118 960 6060

In Person: from the Hexagon and Town Hall box offices

For more booking information see inside back cover.

a wonderFul, inSTruCTive and enTerTaining FeSTival

a really eXCellenT SeleCTion oF auThorS

Here are what some of last year’s festival goers thought.

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mySTery evening

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• Jim smith, ex- metropolitan police officer and private investigator

• 10.30am - 12noon, tilehurst library, free Crime sCene event, ticket required, available from Tilehurst and Reading Libraries.

Jim smith will be talking about his book Undaunted, which traces both his police days and his work as a private investigator in the UK and abroad.

Jim joined the London Metropolitan Police in 1962 and was selected for the Criminal Intelligence Department (CID) at Scotland Yard in 1969. He left the force in 1974 to pursue a career as a private investigator.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

tHursDay 16 september

Join Reading Libraries Local Studies Manager, David Cliffe, for a walk through the back streets of West Reading, past locations connected with notorious crimes of years gone by. The tour takes in the street in which Mrs Dyer the “baby farmer” was arrested and the scene of the 1966 “Fingerprint Murder”. Battle Library will be open from 6pm for light refreshments and a tour of the recently refurbished Grade II listed building. the walk will start at 7pm.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:• anne Brown and mark lovett,

Reading Magistrates Court

• 11am - 12noon, Wroughton room, Berkshire record office, £3/£2

Join two experienced magistrates as they share their experiences of hearing and prosecuting the wide range of crime in the Thames Valley and talk about how different public agencies work together to deal with it. They will also talk about current sentencing and how effective this is.

weST reading Crime walk wiTh david CliFFe reading librarieS loCal STudieS manager

6pm for 7pm startBattle Library £6/£5

friDay 17 september

Calling all fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. Take a step back in time to the “Golden Age” of detective fiction with our panel chaired by Peter Guttridge, The Observer’s Crime Fiction critic.

Bringing a wealth of knowledge to the table is Barry forshaw, author of the Rough Guide to Crime Fiction and British Crime Writing: An Encyclopaedia. Joining him are three authors who have taken up the baton of crime writers past: Jill Paton Walsh was commissioned by the trustees of Dorothy L Sayers’ estate to complete the last Lord Peter Wimsey story; nicola upson’s main character, Josephine Tey, was one of the leading authors of

with the dagger in the library: Classic Crime12.30pm - 2pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall£5/£4

barry ForShaw

Britain’s Golden Age of crime writing; David roberts’ ten Lord Edward Corinth books have been described as “a perfect example of golden age mystery traditions with the cobwebs swept away”.

Jill Paton Walsh David roberts nicola upson

• madeleine Bentley, Reading Festival of Crime Writing & Reading Libraries

• Behind the scenes at the reading festival of Crime Writing

• 11am - 12noon, Palmer Park library, free Crime sCene event, ticket required, available from Central and Palmer Park Libraries

Madeleine has arranged the Reading Festival of Crime Writing for the past three years. Find out how the festival programme is put together from start to finish, how the festival has developed and this year’s festival highlights.

• ian Porter on Jack the ripper

• 3pm - 4pm, reading Central library, free Crime sCene event, ticket required, available from Reading Central Library

Despite being over 100 years old, the Jack the Ripper murders remain one of the most famous crime cases of all. Ian Porter, author of Whitechapel, will talk about the suspects and the evidence as well as why the murdered women had turned to prostitution and how the murders were reported in the newly created tabloid press.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

SOLD OUT

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friDay 17 september

2pm - 3pm, Waterhouse Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £4/£3

Dan Waddell is the author of the bestselling book Who Do You Think You Are? which accompanied the popular BBC TV series. He uses his genealogical expertise in his crime novels, The Blood Detective and Blood Atonement, adding a new twist to the genre.

dan waddell

blood TieS: Crime FiCTion and genealogy wiTh dan waddell

3.15pm - 4.15pm, Waterhouse Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £4/£3

The Cotswolds are a dangerous place to be…. Join two of cosy crime’s most established writers to find out why. rebecca tope’s series include the Thea Osborne mysteries staring the Cotswolds housesitter. ann Granger started as a romance writer, but turned to crime fiction writing the bestselling Mitchell and Markby mysteries.

CoSy in The CoTSwoldS: rebeCCa Tope and ann granger

• anna Davenport, University of Reading

• Grave Concerns: forensic archaeology 4.30pm - 5.30pm, silverthorne room,

reading museum and town Hall, £3/£2

Forensic archaeology applies archaeological methods to the crime scene and increasingly assists police investigations in reconstructing a sequence of events. anna Davenport is a practising forensic archaeologist tasked with the search, location and recovery of human remains. In this talk, the role of the forensic archaeologist will be explained, drawing upon Anna’s crime scene experience.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

rebecca tope ann Granger

friDay 17 september

2pm - 2.45pm, Free, booking essential (Phone Reading Museum, 0118 937 3400) Meet outside Las Iguanas, Oracle Shopping Centre

Join a lively crime-themed walk to discover Reading’s past and find out more about some of the town’s more notorious and disreputable characters. Suitable for adults and children age 10+.

Crime Themed pied piper Trail wiTh reading muSeum

• Dr andrew mangham, University of Reading

• Charles Dickens and the anatomy of murder

• 11am - 12noon, Waterhouse room, reading museum and town Hall, free Crime sCene event, ticket required

Dr andrew mangham takes a journey through historical archives, newspapers, and medical texts to discover how Charles Dickens was inspired by forensic practices and real crimes of the Victorian period. He seeks to understand the dark poetry of Dickens’ imagination by focussing on the author’s fascination with real cases of body snatching, domestic violence, suicide and murder. Dr andrew mangham is a lecturer in Victorian literature at the University of Reading.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

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friDay 17 september

• Dr linda shockey, university of reading

• voice of a Killer? The use of voice evidence in solving crimes

• 11am-12 noon, Waterhouse room, reading museum and town Hall, £4/£3

Voiceprints aren’t like fingerprints, despite what you see on CSI. However, there are analysis techniques which can rule suspects out and can also suggest where suspects are located, as the Wearside Jack case eventually showed. Dr Shockey specialises in acoustic and articulatory phonetics and aspects of phonology.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

12 - 1pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £5/£4

lindsey Davis is one of the foremost writers of historical crime. A past chair of the CWA and multi-award winner, Lindsey’s popular Falco novels started as a spoof using a Roman “informer” as a classic metropolitan private eye. The series has developed into a phenomenon with the twentieth novel and official companion published this year.

lindSey daviS

lindSey daviS

10am - 11am, Silverthorne Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, free Crime sCene event, ticket required

Join Peter leyland, WEA tutor of the popular The Detective in Fiction course, as he explores how crime writers from Arthur Conan Doyle to Sara Paretsky created their detectives. Using famous fictional detectives as examples, readers and writers alike will go away with a greater understanding of how their favourite detectives were created or pick up tips on how to create their own.

saturDay 18 september

The deTeCTive in FiCTion: CreaTing a CharaCTer wiTh peTer leyland

7pm - 8pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £6/£5

niCCi FrenCh – parTnerS in Crime

Their novels are compulsive, nailbiting and unrivalled for psychological suspense. Husband and wife team nicci Gerrard and sean french have now written 12 novels under their bestselling pseudonym. In this session they talk about how they became such a formidable writing duo. Their latest book Complicit was published earlier this year.

niCCi FrenCh

ChriSTopher brookmyre 5.30pm - 6.30pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £5/£4

Come and spend an hour with the award winning writer behind his sharply satirical, cleverly titled and colourful books. Described by the Guardian as “one of the funniest writers in Britain”, Christopher Brookmyre’s novels include the popular Jack Parlabane and Angelique De Xavier series. Christopher was a journalist before becoming a full time novelist.

ChriSTopher brookmyre

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• Professor David Wilson, Centre for Criminal Justice and Policy Research, Birmingham City University

• a History of British serial Killing 1888-2008

• 3pm - 4pm, Waterhouse room, reading museum and town Hall, £4/£3

Professor Wilson’s new book is a powerful and gripping investigation of Britain’s serial killers from Jack the Ripper to the extraordinary Ipswich prostitute murders case in 2006. David Wilson has worked as a Prison Governor and has been described as the UK’s leading expert on serial killers. His work has led him to meet several of the UK’s deadliest killers, and build up fascinating insights into what makes a serial killer - and who they are most likely to target.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

dead Funny: ComiC Crime

peTer guTTridge

4pm - 5pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £5/4

Where wit is as important as whodunit. Four of the most humorous crime fiction writers together with chair, Peter Guttridge, The Observer’s Crime Fiction critic and fellow comic author, discuss the lighter side of the genre.

m.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth books are brilliantly deft social comedies. The humour turns a little darker with Christopher fowler’s horror influenced madcap mysteries and malcolm Pryce’s Aberystwyth novels, described as “noir fiction meets the League of Gentlemen”. mike ripley, twice winner of the CWA Last Laugh Dagger for best humorous crime novel, shows how entertaining combining crime and farce can be.

m.C. Beaton mike ripley Christopher fowler

malcolm Pryce

saturDay 18 september saturDay 18 september

• anthony stokes, Senior Prison Officer, HMP Reading

• the History of reading Prison

• 2pm - 3pm, silverthorne room, reading museum and town Hall, £3/£2

anthony stokes will be talking about his fascinating book Pit of Shame: The Real Ballad of Reading Gaol. It traces the history of Reading’s prison from the 1500s through to the present day and covers everything from executions to famous inmates. anthony stokes joined HM Prison Service at Cardiff Prison in 1988 and is now Senior Prison Officer at HMP and YOI Reading.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

new wayS wiTh old ThemeS: women and Crime FiCTion

Barbara nadel Belinda Bauer sophie Hannah

ann Cleeves n. J. Cooper

1.30pm - 3pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £5/£4

Crime fiction is a genre that is continually evolving, with new writing being created out of old themes. We have brought together four authors whose work is moving the genre forward. Leading the discussion is chair par excellence n. J. Cooper.

Belinda Bauer’s powerful and original debut Blacklands, was picked for the Channel 4 TV Book Club. ann Cleeves has written twenty novels in a series set in Northumberland and more recently the Shetland Isles. sophie Hannah is one of the leading writers of psychological crime fiction and also a published poet. Barbara nadel has recently turned from writing her Inspector Ikmen novels set in contemporary Turkey to writing the Francis Hancock series in blitz blighted WWII London.

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• Dr Ken shorrock, Forensic Pathology Services

• forensic Pathology

• 11am-12noon, silverthorne room, reading museum and town Hall, £3/£2

Dr Ken shorrock returns to the festival this year to give more enthralling insights into the life of a forensic pathologist. Since 2004, Dr Shorrock has been a partner in Forensic Pathology Services undertaking work for the Metropolitan Police and other South-East forces. He has performed post-mortem examinations in Kabul, The Hague and Gibraltar, with his most notorious case to date that of Jean Charles De Menezes.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

12noon - 1pm, Waterhouse Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £4/£3

sarah rayne started her career as an author over twenty years ago writing contemporary horror and gothic fantasies. She has since written six terrifying psychological suspense novels. ruth newman’s debut, Twisted Wing, was described by Sophie Hannah as “scary, tantalisingly unpredictable”. Find out their tips and advice for writing in this crime genre.

wriTing pSyChologiCal Crime FiCTion: ruTh newman and Sarah rayne

ruTh newman

Sarah rayne

saturDay 18 september sunDay 19 september

7pm - 8pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £6/£5

International bestselling crime writer val mcDermid has sold over 10 million books worldwide. She has won many awards, including most recently, the prestigious CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger Award, which honours outstanding achievement in the field of crime writing. Her books inspired the ITV series Wire in the Blood featuring clinical psychologist Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan.

5.30pm - 6.30pm, Waterhouse Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £4/£3

Paul Doherty is one of the most prolific historical crime fiction writers. His work spans the centuries and continents from Ancient Greece and Egypt to 13th Century England. His protagonists feature nobility, priests, doctors and kings. A gifted speaker, who is able to enthral an audience, this is an event not to miss.

paul doherTy

val mCdermid

val mCdermid

paul doherTy

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mark millS: book group SeSSion

mark millS

2pm - 3pm, Silverthorne Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, Free to reading groups. E-mail bookgroups@reading.gov.uk for details

Mills juggles the mysteries of three periods, switching between centuries with a conjuror’s skill! The book is beautifully written, giving life to the figures in their Tuscan landscape. literary review

mark mills’ The Savage Garden was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in 2007 and has been a reading group favourite since then. Join the author for an exclusive talk about his books and writing.

3pm - 4pm, Waterhouse Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, free Crime sCene event, ticket required

The British thriller is one of the richest traditions in world literature, but with the rise of mass produced American thrillers it has fallen into decline. Zoë sharp, author of the Charlie Fox action thrillers, elizabeth Corley, author of the DCI Andrew Fenwick and Sergeant Louise Nightingale psychological thrillers, and debut author richard Jay Parker are dedicated to bringing the British thriller bursting back to life in the twenty-first century. Join them as they tell you how.

The reTurn oF The greaT briTiSh Thriller

Zoë Sharp

riChard Jay parker

eliZabeTh Corley

sunDay 19 september sunDay 19 september

12.30pm - 2pm, Victoria Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £5/£4

Historical crime fiction allows you to both step into a world of crime and take a step back in time. Join a stellar selection of writers talking about how they create this double escapism bringing to life crime scenes past.

Barbara Cleverly’s Joe Sandilands books are set against the background of the Indian Empire in the dying days of the Raj. James forrester’s enthralling debut historical thriller set in 1563, has benefited from the author’s other incarnation, ian mortimer, historian, historical biographer and author of The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England. susanna Gregory’s medieval and restoration mysteries have gained her a massive following. Bernard Knight, both a doctor and barrister, writes the Crowner John series set in the 12th century. Chair andrew taylor’s novels have been set across the centuries from 1786 to 1934.

digging up The paST: hiSToriCal Crime

Barbara Cleverly Bernard Knight susanna Gregory andrew taylorJames forrester

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4.30pm - 5.30pm, Waterhouse Room, Reading Museum and Town Hall, £4/£3

Join three successful crime writers in conversation to find out about their experiences of getting their work published. After three books in the Tom Fletcher series Patrick lennon is taking a new direction with The Fixer. Dreda say mitchell has written four stand alone novels focusing on the changing nature of London’s criminal underworld. erin Kelly was signed up for a two-book deal with Hodder last year after a hotly contested auction.

This is a great opportunity for budding writers to ask advice and for readers to gain an insight into the life of a published writer.

• Celia Kellett on Poisoning

• Poison and Poisoning: a Compendium of Cases, Catastrophes and Crimes

• 4pm - 5pm, silverthorne room, reading museum and town Hall, £3/£2

Talking about her fascinating guide to poisons, retired pharmacist Celia Kellett provides information and entertainment in equal measure as she explains different poisons, how they work and gives us all the gory details of how, by accident or design, they have led to the demise of so many people.

broughT in ForQueSTioning:

murder They wroTe: geTTing STarTed in Crime wriTing

Dreda say mitchell Patrick lennon erin Kelly

reading FeSTival oF Crime wriTing aT reading muSeum

friday 17 – sunday 19 september

Activity Cart and Murder Mystery Trail Enjoy a range of crime themed craft on our activity cart and our murder mystery trail. Suitable for all ages, FREE, drop in.

1pm - 3pm, Victorian Gallery, Reading Museum and Town Hall

Year 5 & 6, 1-hour sessions between 1.00pm - 3.00pm. Free, to book and for more details please call the Museum on 0118 937 3400

A fantastic chance for primary school pupils to hear the author anthony read discuss his Baker Street Boys series. Based around the Victorian street urchins who appeared in the Sherlock Holmes novels; find out more about their exciting crime-themed adventures.

anThony read

thursday 16 september

sunDay 19 september

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BooKinG & General information

tickets can be purchased:online: www.readingarts.com

By telephone: Call the Reading Arts box office on 0118 960 6060

in Person: From the Hexagon and Town Hall Box offices

Cheques should be made payable to Reading Borough Council

free events where tickets are required: Tickets for these events will need to be picked up from the Box Office.

All other tickets need to be collected from venue stated.

Concessions: Where indicated concessions are available to Your Reading Passport holders, under 16s, senior citizens, disabled patrons, students in full time education, registered unemployed, income support claimants, family credit claimants and housing benefit claimants.

returned tickets: Once you have paid for your tickets, we regret we are unable to make refunds except in the event of a cancelled event.

painT your own “wanTed dead or alive!” poSTer

saturDay 18 sePtemBer

11.30am - 12.30pm, Palmer Park Library, free event, phone 0118 9015106 to book

A fun crime themed painting session for children aged 5+

roberT muChamore

Disabled access:The Town Hall has level access to wheelchair seating. To enhance your safety and comfort we require patrons in wheelchairs to book a designated wheelchair space. Please inform the Box Office should you require level access or have limited mobility as seats are available for this purpose. A wheelchair is available for use on site. There is a toilet for people with disabilities.

An infra-red sound enhancement system for the hard of hearing is available for use with or without a hearing aid. Please reserve sets at the time of booking (to be collected from the Box Office or Reception prior to the event-a small deposit is required)

We welcome both seeing and hearing Guide Dogs. Please advise at the time of booking. A bowl of water can be provided.

All details are current at the time of going to press. We reserve the right to change the programme or authors if circumstances dictate.

Waterstone’s is running the festival bookshop. The bookshop will be located in the Concert Hall Foyer. opening hours:Friday 17 September 11am-8.30pmSaturday 18 September 11am-8.30pmSunday 19 September 11am-6pm

FeSTival bookShop and book SigningS

Waterstones accepts personal cheques up to limit of valid accompanying guarantee card, cash and credit/ debit cards including American Express but not Diners.

Authors will sign books after their events. Book signing times will be posted each day in the festival bookshop area.

roberT muChamorefriday 17 september

2pm - 3.30pm, Concert Hall, Reading Museum and Town Hall. Free tickets for schools. For details phone Carol Loftus on 0118 937 2011 or e-mail carole.loftus@reading.gov.uk

robert muchamore is the best selling author of the enormously popular Cherub series. He spent thirteen years working as a private investigator and was inspired to create the Cherub books by his nephews ̀complaints about the lack of anything for them to read.

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BooKinG & General information

reading museum & town HallThe nearest car parks are Reading Station, Garrard St & Valpy St.Car parking is also available at Queens Rd car park & The Oracle car park.

travelling By Bus or trainFor details of the Nighttrack, Daytrack and Fastrack bus services, call Traveline, Public Transport info on 0118 959 4000 or visit www.reading-buses.co.ukFor National Rail enquiries, call 0845 748 4950 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk

Park & rideWhy not take advantage of Park & Ride to make your journey into town a whole lot easier?Check www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk or phone 0118 939 9948 for more info.

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