It’s almost time for this year’s Capital Crime festival, which like the previous two years, will be held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel near St Paul’s It’s an iconic location for an unmissable event for all crime fiction fans and there are still a few tickets available.
If you haven’t been before, you may be wondering what to expect. The event takes place on the lower floor of the hotel and with lifts and stairs, is accessible to all. The carefully curated programme features a range of panels which give attendees the opportunity to hear from some of the biggest names in crime fiction, as well as some exciting new voices. I love learning more about some of my favourite authors and books but it’s also fabulous to discover new writers. After each event, there is a signing event in on-site festival bookshop, giving readers another chance to chat to and perhaps take selfies with the authors. Although the queues for the biggest names can sometime be long, the festival staff and volunteers cheerfully ensure the system runs smoothly and I’ve enjoyed some lovely conversations with my fellow readers while we wait! The aforementioned book shop comes courtesy of the wonderful Goldsboro Books and their knowledgeable, dedicated staff are on hand to help with any enquiries. I’d strongly advise bringing an extra bag or two for your new books – the temptation to buy is irresistible!
The schedule for this year’s festival can be found here; I haven’t quite decided exactly which panels I plan to attend yet but there are two I’m really excited for…
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Quantum of Discourse: The Bond Effect is a newly announced event featuring two of crime fiction’s most popular authors, Vaseem Khan and M.W. Craven, in conversation with Matt Nixon. Vaseem Khan is the author of the Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation books and the Malabar House series, and has also written a standalone thriller, The Girl in Cell A. Quantum of Menace, his Bond spin-off novel featuring one of Ian Fleming’s most enduring characters, Q will be published in October 2025 and is the first in the Q mystery books. M.W. Craven is best known for his Avison Fluke, Washington Poe, and Ben Koenig series but earlier this week it was announced that he’s penned a new adventure in the James Bond franchise. James Bond and the Secret Academy is a new series aimed at readers aged eight to twelve. Having had the pleasure of seeing both these authors on a number of occasions, I have no doubt this event will be full of laughs as well as an insight into their books. It will take place on Saturday 14th June from 6:25 – 7:10pm, individual event tickets have already sold out but is open to Saturday and weekend pass holders.
On Saturday you can also join Stu Cummins for a National Crime Reading Month event as he chats to Dorothy Koomson and Kia Abdullah about the importance of libraries, how reading is good for your mental health and crime fiction in general.
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The festival closes with the HQ Party where all authors, Saturday day and weekend ticket holders are welcome to toast and mingle in the on site festival bar area. The bar and lounge area is right next to the bookshop, providing plenty of seating as well as free water, teas and coffees as well as opportunity to purchase something stronger from the hotel bar. This is a great place to hang out and meet other attendees as well as many of the authors. It’s such a welcoming festival and although it can be daunting if it’s your first time, you’ll soon feel as if you’re among friends.
