EUROPE’S largest celebration of crime writing has pulled off a coup by featuring Harry Potter author JK Rowling in her first and only appearance in 2014 to answer questions as Robert Galbraith – her crime-writer alter-ego.
Rowling will be in conversation with crime writer Val McDermid, a fixture at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which this year runs from July 17 to 20, mostly at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate.
Other writers taking part include Ann Cleeves, John Harvey, Sophie Hannah, Lynda La Plante, Laura Lippman, Peter May, Denise Mina, and S.J. Watson.
Rowling will be discussing her new novel The Silkworm, the second crime novel in the Cormoran Strike series, at a special event hosted at the Royal Hall in Harrogate at 7.30pm on Friday July, 18.
The Silkworm is published by Little Brown in June.
This year’s conference is being chaired by award-winning Leeds author Steve Mosby, who takes over the reins from McDermid as programming chair. Mosby’s eighth novel, The Nightmare Place, is published in June.
“It’s a pleasure and honour to be chair of this year’s festival,” said Steve. “It’s one of the most sought-after events in the crime writing community, attracting the biggest names from around the world. It’s a big pressure to live up to its legacy, but the 2014 programme is really quite special.”
The full programme will be announced early in May.
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