This time next week CrimeFest 2013 will be in full swing. There’s a mouth-watering programme with lots of international writers as well as British writers whose works are set on international shores.
They include: Quentin Bates (Iceland), Xavier-Marie Bonnot (France), Roberto Costantini (Italy), K.O. Dahl (Norway), Jeffrey Deaver (USA), Thomas Enger (Norway), Ragnar Jonasson (Iceland), Pierre Lemaître (France), Adrian Magson (UK/France), M J McGrath (UK/Arctic), Derek B. Miller (Norway), Barbara Nadel (UK/Turkey), William Ryan (UK/ Russia), Jeffrey Siger (US/ Greece), Yrsa Sigurðardóttir (Iceland), Dana Stabenow (USA/ Alaska), Valerio Varesi (Italy), Robert Wilson (Spain/Portugal/Africa), Anne Zouroudi (UK/Greece). A full list of writers with further details is available here.
The winner of the first Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year will also be announced at the CrimeFest Gala dinner on Saturday night. I have my posh frock at the ready and am looking forward to the occasion very much.
The award was set up in memory of Maxine Clarke, who blogged as Petrona and was an expert in Scandinavian crime fiction. The 2013 shortlist, compiled on the basis of Maxine’s reviews, is as follows:
PIERCED by Thomas Enger, tr. Charlotte Barslund (Faber and Faber)
BLACK SKIES by Arnaldur Indridason, tr. Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker)
LAST WILL by Liza Marklund, tr. Neil Smith (Corgi)
ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER LIFE by Leif GW Persson tr. Paul Norlen (Doubleday)
Synopses of the novels with extracts from Maxine’s reviews can be found at the wonderful ‘Petrona Remembered’ blog. Karen Meek has also set up two polls over at ‘Eurocrime’: ‘which novel do you want to win the Petrona Award 2013′ and ‘which novel do you think will win the Petrona Award 2013′. The polls are open until 29 May.
I’ll be tweeting from CrimeFest using the following hashtags: #CrimeFest and #CrimeFest2013. The only difficulty now is deciding which of the panels to attend – they all look so good…
Mrs. Peabody Investigates 
Mrs. P – It all sounds wonderful, and I know it’ll be a fantastic event. I’ll be looking forward to your updates.
Really looking forward to it, Margot – it’ll be a great chance to meet lots of other Tweeps for the first time too. Wish you could be there…
So do I, Mrs. P…
CrimeFest sounds brilliant, one day perhaps, one day…sadly not qualified to do the survey as have only read one of the books, the Indridasson….must read thePersson one, I loved the Linda Murder, such a clever and amusing book and that obnoxious detective, who would be unbearably vile in real life, was a brilliant charcater….though I suspect we have all come across chaps in real life – former bosses?? with some of those characteristics..
Yes, I can think of a few people I’ve met who’ve had Backstrom tendancies. Must find out if they have a goldfish too.
I loved the shortlisted Persson, but it isn’t one that everyone likes, I’ve found. It’s different to Linda as it has a much larger historical/political perspective, but is also a very satisfying read.
Perhaps another time at CrimeFest then, or maybe Harrogate (that’s a lovely one) 🙂
Such a popular event I could only get tickets for the Saturday – hope we get chance to meet 🙂
Likewise, suzigun. Tweet me or leave a comment on the blog for me to pick up if you have time and/or difficulty spotting me – I’ll be around all of Saturday.
Oh, gosh, I must to admit that I’m green with envy. Can’t these events be streamed online so crime fiction fans in other countries — actually, continents — can watch them?
I hope there are summaries around the blogosphere so we can partake vicariously.
Have fun everyone! (We must hear about these frocks, too.)
That’s a really great idea, Kathy – will suggest it to one of the organisers if I have the chance. I’m sure lots of people will be taking notes in the panels to write up on blogs later; Karen usually does a stirling job on Eurocrime.
Yes, posh frocks ahoy! I have to confess that I’ve already used the dinner as an excuse to get some new shoes 🙂
Looking forward to it!
Likewise – look forward to seeing you there…