Black Spring Crime Series

Founded in 1985, The Black Spring Press list had published literary classics and major figures, including Leonard Cohen, Orson Welles, Anais Nin, Momus, Carolyn Cassady, Charles Baudelaire, Nick Cave, and many more.

Black Spring Press Director Dr Todd Swift has formed the new imprint following the hire of consultant crime editor Luca Veste. He says “Black Spring has been publishing darkly twisted and genius writers since the 1980s and think we can put a fascinating spin on the crime genre with our upcoming slate of titles.”

The first title published under the new imprint has just been released ‘A Crime in the Land of 7,000 Islands’ by Zephaniah Sole – described as Silence of the Lambs fused with Grimm’s Fairy Tales. International bestselling author Stuart Neville said of the novel “an extraordinary feat of storytelling, blending the real and the fantastical, with a hard-edged crime procedural woven through the rich imagery of a child's imagination.” Zephaniah Sole is the pseudonym for a working FBI Agent, with the novel dripping with rich reality, with fantastical elements complimenting it throughout.

Upcoming releases include hard-hitting detective novel The Scotsman by Rob McClure, Jasper’s Brood by JK Nottingham – a dark and twisting narrative with a main character you’ll struggle to forget, and The Winter of Shadows by Clare Grant – a historical crime novel with a delicious premise and incredible writing.

Consultant crime editor Luca Veste – the bestselling author of nine novels including Dead Gone, The Bone Keeper, and You Never Said Goodbye – says “Working with the team at Black Spring Press in the creation of this new imprint has been a dream so far. After reading A Crime in the Land of 7,000 Islands, I knew I had to work with this press and couldn’t be more delighted to be a part of what promises to be a crime publisher and imprint like no other. Originality is what we’re looking for and with our soon to be released titles, we believe crime fiction lovers will find new and fresh voices and stories they may not have experienced before. It’s an honour and a privilege to be a part of the Black Spring Crime team bringing this to life.”

More information can be found at www.blackspringpressgroup.com and on Twitter @BlackSpringC

To contact Luca Veste – lucaveste@gmail.com

For any press/interview enquiries for authors or Black Spring, contact Amira - amira.eyewearpublishing@gmail.com or blackspringcrime@gmail.com

List of upcoming releases…

A Crime in the Land of 7,000 Islands – Zephaniah Sole – Out Now

The Scotsman – Rob McClure – July 2023

Creative Justice – Tristan Walker – August 2023

Jasper’s Brood – JK Nottingham – September 2023

The Winter of Shadows – Clare Grant – October 2023

After Uyuni – CJ Howell – November 2023

Expiation – Steve Welsh – January 2024

Bute Noir 2022 Programme Announced

 

Bloody Scotland 2021 Programme Revealed!

BLOODY SCOTLAND REVEALS THE LINE UP FOR HYBRID FESTIVAL

17-19 SEPTEMBER 2021 

 

Bloody Scotland is absolutely delighted to reveal its most ambitious programme yet. A hybrid festival which gives festival goers in Stirling the full-on festival experience while allowing authors and readers who can’t be there in person the opportunity to join in the fun on our website: www.bloodyscotland.com

The 2021 Festival will feature huge names including Stephen King, Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, Jeanine Cummins, Linwood Barclay and Robert Peston beamed into the Albert Halls where live interviewers will question them in front of a live and digital audience.

Meanwhile pacing the boards in Stirling itself will be the great and the good of the Scottish crime scene including Val Mcdermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre, Marisa Haetzman, Lin Anderson, Abir Mukherjee, Craig Robertson, Alan Parks, Morgan Cry, Russell and Stuart McBride. Plus some big names from outside Scotland: Paula Hawkins, Luca Veste, Mark Billingham, Mick Herron, S J Watson, Lisa Jewell, Stuart Neville, Kia Abdullah, E S Thomson and Louise Candlish.

Bloody Scotland has long been praised for going beyond the usual remit of a literary festival and this year is no different with old favourites Pitch Perfect and Crime in the Spotlight, a performance by the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers and a cabaret twist on the normal Quiz which will see each quizzer (Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Doug Johnston, Mark Billingham, Luca Veste and Stuart Neville) performing a musical number.

Up the road at The Golden Lion panels will be recorded in front of a live audience and broadcast 24 hours later. Hosts of The Red Hot Chilli Writers, Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee will be on stage with a live version of their popular crime podcast. There is a discount for local residents and we continue to improve disabled access with a taxi between venues for those that need it.

Following last year’s digital first with The Never-Ending panel featuring 27 Scottish writers from home and abroad, this year’s marathon digital only event will be an A-Z of Crime starting with Megan Abbott and concluding with Anne Zouroudi hosted by the crime writers on the Bloody Scotland board. The global element continues with Around the World in 80 Deaths featuring authors from Argentina, the Sicangu Lakota Nation, Russia and Nigeria chaired by Craig Sisterson.

Festival Director, Bob McDevitt said: 'It's going to be a Bloody Scotland like no other but we do love a challenge and I can’t wait to see all of our authors, and crime fans back together in real life while extending our global reach as we beam the festival all over the world.'

Stirling Council Leader, Councillor Scott Farmer said: ‘I’m delighted to welcome back Bloody Scotland to Stirling. The return of this famous event, which showcases the best in Scottish crime writing, is a significant boost for tourism as well as Stirling’s wider economic recovery from the pandemic. Stirling is without doubt an excellent destination for world class events and the hosting of Bloody Scotland does justice to our reputation for hosting further events of this nature.’

Deputy Leader, Councillor, Chris Kane said ‘It’s truly wonderful to be able to welcome some of the finest crime writers to Stirling for one of the country’s significant literary festivals which attracts international attention. Our recovery from the pandemic is helped enormously by being able to host the Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival and highlights our historic city as a hub for culture and arts for visitors around the world.’

Browse the full programme here.

Read more about the programme and its hybrid nature and how to buy tickets here.

No Alibis Crime Care Package

No Alibis Bookstore have teamed up with a group of local authors to give away a #CrimeCarePackage to the value of £25 to ten people each day this week, fifty packages in total, containing a selection of great books hand chosen for each recipient.


If you or someone you know is facing isolation in the coming days, we’d like to send you a curated selection of books to the value of £25, free of charge. Due to costs, we can only deliver to UK and Ireland. To enter the contest, just do the following: Tweet @NOALIBISBOOKS with the hashtag #CrimeCarePackage, and tell us about a book you love. If you’re selected as a recipient, we’ll use that as a guide for your selection of books. We will choose ten winners at random at the end of each day.


Remember, we’re giving away ten packages every day until Friday, so if you’re not chosen today, there’ll be lots more chances throughout this week. Just tweet us again to enter. This giveaway has been made possible by the generosity of these authors:


@ClaireAllan, @GerardBrennan, Lucy Caldwell (@beingvarious), @JanCarson7280, Steve Cavanagh (@SSCAV), John Connolly (@jconnollybooks), Kelly Creighton (@KellyCreighto16), Sharon Dempsey (@svjdempz), @SimonMaltman, …@BrianMcGilloway, Claire McGowan (@inkstainsclaire), @AdrianMcKinty, Eoin. McNamee (@mcnamee_eoin), @StuartNeville, and Anthony J Quinn (@ajpquinn). Our deepest thanks everyone who contributed!

Killer Line up for 2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival unveiled its 2019 programme at an exclusive launch party at Browns Courtrooms in London (Wed April 3, 6.30pm).

Chair of the 2019 Programming Committee, Mari Hannah, unveiled a packed line-up for the world’s most celebrated crime writing festival, with authors ‘in conversation’, in action and in the bar.

Now in its 17th year, the festival takes place at Agatha Christie’s old haunt, The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate from 18 to 21 July.

Mari Hannah, award-winning author and festival reader-in-residence said: “The Theakston programming committee has a reputation for attracting the finest crime writers to the festival from around the world and we’ve done it again. The response to this year’s line-up has been incredible. I’m looking forward to welcoming readers in July.”

Special Guests are James Patterson, MC Beaton, Stuart MacBride, Jeffery Deaver, Belinda Bauer, Eva Dolan, Erin Kelly, Harlan Coben, Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, who will be in conversation with Scotland’s First Minister and bookworm, Nicola Sturgeon.

Jo Nesbo will also launch his much anticipated new Harry Hole thriller, Knife, at the festival. A special TV panel will feature Jed Mercurio, author of BBC smash-hit, The Bodyguard.

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston and title sponsor, said: “Our celebration of the genre is no doubt the best in the world. 2019 is another remarkable line-up and it is a huge privilege to welcome one of the world’s biggest selling authors, James Patterson, a remarkable advocate for reading who has donated millions to reading initiatives in schools, colleges and libraries."

Serving up its usual helping of heated debate, panels will look at Irish fiction exploring borders and Brexit, the rise of Antipodean Noir, the on-going controversy of the role of gratuitous violence, and how crime fiction can put the spotlight on the big social issues of the day.

Up to 90 authors from around the world will take part. The diverse roll call includes

Australia’s hottest author Jane Harper, Jackson Lamb creator Mick Herron, Scotland’s supernova Denise Mina, and Alex North, the pseudonym behind The Whisper Man pitched as 2019’s biggest thriller.

The line-up includes Renee Knight, Stuart Neville, Stella Duffy, Brian McGilloway, Steve Cavanagh, Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre, AA Dhand, Joseph Knox, Robert Crais, Elly Griffiths, Sarah Hilary, Imran Mahmood, Martyn Waites and Jonathan Freedland aka Sam Bourne.

Val McDermid’s annual New Blood panel, one of the most anticipated events in publishing, features four hand-picked debuts from the Queen of Crime. 2019 picks are Gytha Lodge’s She Lies in Wait, Holly Watt’s with To the Lions, Chris Hammer’s Scrublands, and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister the Serial Killer.

The opening night features the crime writing equivalent of The Oscars, with the 15th Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Hosted by Mark Lawson, the Award is in association with sponsor T&R Theakston Ltd, retail partner WHSmith, and media partner, the Mail on Sunday. The ceremony will also honour a giant of the genre with the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award - previous recipients include PD James, Ruth Rendell, Lee Child and John Grisham.

The day-long writing workshop, Creative Thursday also returns. The festival, delivered by the north’s leading arts organisation Harrogate International Festivals, is one of the most important events in the crime publishing calendar. Agents, publishers, publicists, readers and authors attend from all over Europe and the world.

Famed for its no barriers approach, crime fiction fans, fledgling writers and established superstar authors mingle in the hotel bar, bookshop and Papakåta tents in the hotel grounds.  Tickets for all events go on sale 9 April.

The 2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival takes place at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate 18-21 July. Box office: 01423 562 303, harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

NOIRELAND to return in Spring 2019

Belfast’s NOIRELAND International Crime Festival is delighted to announce a spring 2019 return, with another weekend of stellar names from the world of crime fiction.

NOIRELAND launched in October 2017 with a brilliant line-up featuring the best in local talent, international crime-writing stars, and some of the greatest names from TV crime drama. Highlights included the Line of Duty event with its BAFTA-winning creator Jed Mercurio and star Adrian Dunbar, author panels with Robert Crais, Benjamin Black, Adrian McKinty, Arne Dahl and Liz Nugent, and a closing event with internationally renowned actor Aidan Gillen, discussing the role crime fiction has played in his life and career.

NOIRELAND will be moving from the autumn to become a spring festival, and will take place once again at Belfast’s iconic Europa Hotel. Plans are already afoot and it is shaping up to be another superb weekend of crime fiction, with interviews and discussions featuring some of the greatest names from page and screen.

NOIRELAND takes place 8-10 March 2019. The festival programme will be announced and the ticket office will open on 16 November 2018.

NOIRISH NIGHTS IN NOVEMBER

Following the success of NOIRELAND, the audience has been crying out for more events. So we are delighted to announce that NOIRELAND will be hosting two very special events this autumn:

FUN LOVIN’ CRIME WRITERS Friday 2 November

A unique evening of music and books, with crime fiction’s supergroup, the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. Featuring authors Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre, Stuart Neville, Luca Veste and Doug Johnstone.

IAN RANKIN in Conversation with Brian McGilloway Friday 16 November

International bestseller Ian Rankin will be talking about his latest novel In A House of Lies and the recent 30th anniversary of his iconic detective John Rebus.

http://www.noireland.com

For more information on NOIRELAND or NOIRISH NIGHTS contact Angela McMahon angela@flow-comms.co.uk | 07753 384711