Adrian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-festival"
Autopsy on Crimefest
OK, so more of a long list of thank you’s than a true autopsy.
I had a really excellent time at Crimefest in Bristol this year. This was my first visit and, as a newbie, knew absolutely nobody on day one. By day three I knew lots of authors far more famous and successful than myself (for now), lots of great crime fans and a whole host of people in the thick of (or the periphery of) the industry. Primarily I have to thank Howard Linskey, a young veteran of these shindigs, for taking the time to introduce me around and draw me into his circle. If you’ve not checked out Howard’s hard hitting novel “The Drop” yet, then you’re seriously missing out!!
Whilst I could just offer you a seemingly endless list of very friendly and down to earth people I met, I think I should just pick a few who really stood out. None-inclusion on the list merely means that I did not get to chat to you as much as I would have liked (heck, everyone was busy) but maybe next year.
So here goes…
As mentioned before – Howard. Great guy, great book, great drinking buddy with a big heart. Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and her husband were fantastic and we shared many stories. Peter Gutteridge and Simon Brett were not only great moderators but great guys as well. Some more fascinating people – Chris Carter with whom I shared many an 80′s rock story (shit, the guy has played guitar on a Mutt Lange/Shania Twain track!); the award-winning Simon Conway; Adrian Magson (who people kept thinking I was ); Michael Ridpath; Sarah Pinborough; Jeremy Duns and Tom Wood. Every one of these guys (or, as Howard might say about Sarah: ‘bloke in a really nice wrapper’) is well worth your hard-earned if they write in a genre you enjoy.
The panels I were on were just immense fun and all the other panelists were friendly, witty and insightful. Some have already had a mention but Tom Harper and the delightful Belinda Bauer deserve special mention, as does Danny Miller (no, not the one from Emmerdale!)
These were my first two panels ever and they went very smoothly, helped in no small part by the others on the ‘team’ and the brilliant moderation. ‘Debut Authors’ was a little restrained but I got a lot of praise following the ‘How not to get published’ panel. But then, with Simon Brett at the helm, how was it eve going to be anything less than hilarious?
So, it’s hardly an in depth look at the experience, but it gives you some indication of just how welcoming so many people were, and I thank you all very much.
Finally, as at so many Crime Conventions, a very special mention goes to the all-conquering Peter James. For those who don’t already know, Peter’s novella ‘A Perfect Murder’ was the only thriller to beat my novel ‘Codex’ on the UK iBookstore throughout the whole of 2010. Despite me asking Peter to pull it for a while, just to give me the number one slot for a day or two, he politely refused (of course). What he DID do, however, was take the time to sign a copy of the offending tome and, within it, offer his ‘humble apologies’. Peter really is a very very nice guy. Check out his work BUT… only if it’s BEHIND me in the charts!
I will close just by saying that there are many names I have not mentioned who were attendees or publishers/agents/publicists. I have all your names and, where possible, email addresses and I will drop each and every one of you a line to thank you for taking the time to speak with me and making my first Crimefest so thoroughly enjoyable.
If you love your crime fiction then Crimefest, in Bristol UK, is a must. Adrian Muller and Myles Allfrey put on one heck of a great show.
I had a really excellent time at Crimefest in Bristol this year. This was my first visit and, as a newbie, knew absolutely nobody on day one. By day three I knew lots of authors far more famous and successful than myself (for now), lots of great crime fans and a whole host of people in the thick of (or the periphery of) the industry. Primarily I have to thank Howard Linskey, a young veteran of these shindigs, for taking the time to introduce me around and draw me into his circle. If you’ve not checked out Howard’s hard hitting novel “The Drop” yet, then you’re seriously missing out!!
Whilst I could just offer you a seemingly endless list of very friendly and down to earth people I met, I think I should just pick a few who really stood out. None-inclusion on the list merely means that I did not get to chat to you as much as I would have liked (heck, everyone was busy) but maybe next year.
So here goes…
As mentioned before – Howard. Great guy, great book, great drinking buddy with a big heart. Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and her husband were fantastic and we shared many stories. Peter Gutteridge and Simon Brett were not only great moderators but great guys as well. Some more fascinating people – Chris Carter with whom I shared many an 80′s rock story (shit, the guy has played guitar on a Mutt Lange/Shania Twain track!); the award-winning Simon Conway; Adrian Magson (who people kept thinking I was ); Michael Ridpath; Sarah Pinborough; Jeremy Duns and Tom Wood. Every one of these guys (or, as Howard might say about Sarah: ‘bloke in a really nice wrapper’) is well worth your hard-earned if they write in a genre you enjoy.
The panels I were on were just immense fun and all the other panelists were friendly, witty and insightful. Some have already had a mention but Tom Harper and the delightful Belinda Bauer deserve special mention, as does Danny Miller (no, not the one from Emmerdale!)
These were my first two panels ever and they went very smoothly, helped in no small part by the others on the ‘team’ and the brilliant moderation. ‘Debut Authors’ was a little restrained but I got a lot of praise following the ‘How not to get published’ panel. But then, with Simon Brett at the helm, how was it eve going to be anything less than hilarious?
So, it’s hardly an in depth look at the experience, but it gives you some indication of just how welcoming so many people were, and I thank you all very much.
Finally, as at so many Crime Conventions, a very special mention goes to the all-conquering Peter James. For those who don’t already know, Peter’s novella ‘A Perfect Murder’ was the only thriller to beat my novel ‘Codex’ on the UK iBookstore throughout the whole of 2010. Despite me asking Peter to pull it for a while, just to give me the number one slot for a day or two, he politely refused (of course). What he DID do, however, was take the time to sign a copy of the offending tome and, within it, offer his ‘humble apologies’. Peter really is a very very nice guy. Check out his work BUT… only if it’s BEHIND me in the charts!
I will close just by saying that there are many names I have not mentioned who were attendees or publishers/agents/publicists. I have all your names and, where possible, email addresses and I will drop each and every one of you a line to thank you for taking the time to speak with me and making my first Crimefest so thoroughly enjoyable.
If you love your crime fiction then Crimefest, in Bristol UK, is a must. Adrian Muller and Myles Allfrey put on one heck of a great show.
