Norwich Crime Writing Festival announces killer line-up for 2017
Val McDermid, Anthony Horowitz and Martina Cole amongst killer line-up at Noirwich Crime Writing Festival
The fastest growing crime festival in the UK and biggest in the east of England returns for fourth year in September
A star cast of crime writers has been confirmed for the fourth Noirwich Crime Writing Festival, which returns to Norwich in spectacular style from 14-17 September 2017. The festival will bring together crime-writing giants Val McDermid, Martina Cole, Anthony Horowitz, Mark Billingham, Arne Dahl and Stuart McBride as part of a city-wide celebration of events and fringe activities in the UK’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
A partnership between Writers’ Centre Norwich and the University of East Anglia (UEA), Noirwich offers a diverse range of author events drawing on the region’s expertise as a centre for literary excellence and crime writing. Writer workshops will be held with Mel McGrath, Laura Wilson and Stav Sherez at UEA, one of the festival’s key venue locations, which will also host a special guest lecture from Swedish author, literary critic and academic Arne Dahl. Sponsored by The Times/ Sunday Times Crime Club, this inaugural talk will explore how crime fiction can make sense of today’s turbulent geopolitical times. Visitors to UEA events will also get access to an exhibition of original manuscript material from key crime writers, curated by the British Archive for Contemporary Writing.
Bringing the noir to Noirwich will be two focus panels- ‘Dark Shores’ and ‘Grime Noir’ - exploring the darker side of crime. The festival will also collaborate with Killer Women for a panel focussing on female characters and writers of crime fiction. Bringing an unexpected twist to events Christopher Brookmyre and Mark Billingham will offer a light-hearted insight into the writer life for ‘Stand Up at the Bar’ – expect swearing, angry reader letters, nightmarish personal appearances and backstage shenanigans. For one night only, the festival will revive Resurrection of Dora Suarez, a musical interpretation of Derek Raymond’s novel by Terry Edwards and Cathi Unsworth. Plus, a special screening of Real Gods Require Blood, a shocking gothic crime drama chosen as Critics Choice at the Cannes Film Festival. Other panels will explore new and international crime writing.
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival draws on its setting as a site of significant cultural heritage to offer a unique city-wide experience, with events and fringe activities sitting alongside Norwich’s existing local attractions. Between panels, visitors can enjoy a pint at award-winning pub The Murderers, discover local food with a crime twist, follow the city’s crime and punishment walking tour, stay at Agatha Christie’s favourite hotel, browse one of Margaret Atwood’s favourite bookshops (The Book Hive), join the Noirwich pub quiz, or take a trip to the dungeons at the medieval Norwich castle.
For tickets and further information, visit: https://noirwich.co.uk
About Noirwich
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival is the fastest growing crime festival in the UK, bringing together celebrity authors, expert panels and new writing talent in Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Drawing on the region’s cultural heritage and local expertise as a centre for literary excellence and crime writing, it offers a wide-ranging programme of events and fringe activities exploring the strength and variety of work within the crime genre.
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival is a partnership between the University of East Anglia and Writers’ Centre Norwich, with support from Dead Good Books and the Norwich Business Improvement District. Key stakeholder support comes from Arts Council England, Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council and it is further supported by Norwich City of Stories, Look Sideways East, First Monday Crime, The Times / The Sunday Times Crime Club, Killer Women, Jarrold and Waterstones.
This year the festival takes place at Norwich Arts Centre, UEA, and Jarrold, with fringe events happening across Norwich.
Follow: @NOIRwichFest
About the University of East Anglia (UEA)
The University of East Anglia is among the top 1 per cent of universities globally (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2016-17) and placed 10th in the UK for the quality of its research output (Research Excellence Framework 2014). Its world renowned Creative Writing MA was founded in 1970 and was the first course of its kind in the UK, counting Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan, Kazuo Ishiguro and Anne Enright among its alumni. The programme was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education in 2012- the UK’s most prestigious higher education award, given to those who can demonstrate outstanding work at a world-class level. Creative Writing at UEA was 9th in the Guardian league table 2015. Find out more: https://www.uea.ac.uk
Follow: @uniofeastanglia
About Writers’ Centre Norwich
The mission of the Writers’ Centre Norwich is to put literature at the heart of contemporary culture. Through pioneering and collaborative projects it explores the artistic and social power of creative writing and literary translation. Find out more about the centre and its plans to open the National Centre for Writing in 2018 at: http://www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk
Follow: @WritersCentre
