We were joined In England’s Book Town by these twelve northern writers for three days of film, performance and panels at venues across the town:

  • Martin Edwards
  • Kate Ellis
  • JC Briggs Books
  • Frances Brody
  • Antony Johnston
  • Deborah Swift
  • Fiona Veitch Smith
  • Matthew Booth
  • Jason Monaghan
  • Marsali Taylor
  • Malcolm Hollingdrake
  • Harry Navinski

Matthew Booth

On Friday night the festival opened with a film noir classic – The Big Heat. Introduced by Matthew Booth, tickets included pizza, a free drink and a chance to mingle with friends and authors before the film began.

Jean Briggs

After a welcome from Jean Briggs, author and trustee of Sedbergh Book Town Literary Trust, Saturday’s first panel saw Martin Edwards and Kate Ellis discussing the crafting of crime fiction during Whodunnit? Whydunnit? Howdunnit? and after a short break for tea and cake at our café, Antony Johnston moderated a debate between Matthew Booth, Frances Brody and Jason Monaghan on the pivotal role of the baddies in crime fiction, where panel discussed how they bring their villains to life in Black Sheep – the villains!

Next came an opportunity to meet the authors and buy their own piece of crime fiction from Westwood Books before everyone took a well earned break.

Martin Edwards

Kate Ellis

Antony Johnston

Frances Brody

Jason Monaghan


The afternoon began with Martin Edwards indulging every bookworm’s delight and sharing his collection of crime novels, in conversation with Jean Briggs. He had brought a selection of books of different ages to show our keen audience. Next came The Good Shepherdesses, a discussion about female detectives with Fiona Veitch Smith, Antony Johnston and Harry Navinski; moderated by Frances Brody.

Fiona Veitch Smith

Harry Navinski


Matthew Booth rounded off our criminal Saturday with his one man show (… or is that a three man show?), Art in the Blood, featuring Sherlock Holmes and his creator Conan Doyle.

Deborah Swift

On Sunday Kate Ellis, Deborah Swift and Jean Briggs talked through the Remains of Days, moderated by Jason Monaghan. We heard about the plotting and research of historical crime with interesting segues into damning reviews and how much, or how little, people and their reactions to harrowing events might have changed over the years.

After a final break for drinks and cakes from our café, we heard from Frances Brody, Martin Edwards and Malcolm Hollingdrake. The discussion, moderated by Marsali Taylor, was on the landscapes of murder: Rocks and Hard Places and what better place to talk about the landscapes of murder than Sedbergh? Thought provoking questions included: Do authors really visit every location they describe? What do they think about including or excluding maps from their books?

Malcolm Hollingdrake

Marsali Taylor


Sadly, we had to postpone our A Felonious Slaying Investigation which was due to run on Saturday, but keep an eye out for a new date!

Sponsors

Sedbergh Booktown Literary Trust, is supported by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, Sedbergh Community Fund and Westmorland & Lonsdale Council