Launch for Theakston Crime Fest

The 2017 Programming Committee get up to dastardly deeds. Pic by Charlotte Graham.

Ann at Cause UK was delighted to handle the media for the London launch party of the WORLD’S biggest celebration of the crime genre, and Cause UK client, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

The 2017 Programming Committee and Harrogate International Festivals – the arts charity that delivers the crime writing festival – hosted the event at Browns Courtroom in Covent Garden.

The programming committee consists of prestigious names in the industry: Programming Chair Elly Griffiths, Reader in Residence Mari Hannah, agent and Festival co-founder, Jane Gregory, publisher David Shelley, authors Steve Mosby and NJ Cooper, and the Queen of Crime and Festival co-founder, Val McDermid.

Gregory’s Girl actor turned author, John Gordon Sinclair, also attended as did author of the bestseller Before I go to Sleep, SJ Watson, and Festival favourite, Mark Billingham.

CEO of Harrogate International Festivals Sharon Canavar and Chairman Fiona Movley welcomed title sponsor, Simon Theakston, who attended with his family. Guests included Sir Gary Verity and Andrew Jones MP.

The packed out event featured publicists, editors, agents and media, including the new media partner for the Crime Novel of the Year Awards – the Mail on Sunday.

Cause UK issued a pre-event story hooked to the launch announcing a major Agatha Christie exhibition to be hosted at the 2017 July Festival in association with HarperCollins.

The criminally good party! Pic by Charlotte Graham

Coverage included a Stray FM interview, and online stories at ITV Calendar, in the Yorkshire Post, Harrogate Advertiser, Northern Echo, Express and Star, and as far afield as the Jersey Evening Post, with more post-party coverage planned in the regional press’ society pages.

The Festival’s photographer, Charlotte Graham, held up tourists and hijacked a busker (to play the role of a dead body) to stage a photo of the Programming Committee outside the statue of Agatha Christie in Covent Garden.

The Mail on Sunday will announce the longlist for the Crime Novel of the Year awards in the coming weeks! Watch this space.

Ann has also been busy interviewing authors Ian Rankin and Antonia Hodgson for regional magazines, and setting up interviews with authors Lee Child and Ann Cleeves as the countdown to July well and truly begins.

Tickets for all panel events are now on sale. Visit www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Headline acts include TV panels on ITV hit shows Grantchester (with Robson Green), and Vera (with Brenda Blethyn), and heavyweights of the genre: Lee Child, Dennis Lehane, Kathy Reichs, Ian Rankin, Peter May, Arne Dahl, Joseph Finder and Stuart MacBride.

For any media enquiries or author interview requests please contact Ann at ann@causeuk.com