The Birnam Book Festival, has been in hiding like the rest of us for the last two years, but is back up and running this year and I am delighted to say it will feature a live event with Martin Edwards whose ‘ The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and the Creators’ will have been published just ten days before the Festival (May 20th to 22nd)on May 12th.
The first comprehensive history of crime fiction since Julian Symons magnum opus on the subject, Bloody Murder was published in 1972, ‘The Life of Crime’ promises to stoke new interest in the genre and should be an essential book on the shelves of all GAD members. Running to around 250,000 words it will provide not only Martin’s own assessment of many of the authors covered in Symons’ great but controversial work, but also will no doubt provide a whole host of new authors to add to our burgeoning ‘To Be Read’ piles (more shelves anyone?). Iwas impressed to read from Martin that it took the indexer 100 hours to compile the index for the book. As an ex-Chartered Librarian there is nothing I like better than a good index, and I am sure I will be referring back and forward from those index pages for years to come.
Martin will be on stage at the festival on Sunday 22nd May, 3pm-4.30pm. Martin and Scottish Crime writer Douglas Skelton will be interviewed by best-selling local writer Fiona Valpy and there should be plenty of opportunity for questions and engagement with the authors.
Birnam lies at the foot of the Scottish Highlands, beneath the famous wood which marched to Dunsinane to spell the end of Macbeth, and the Festival venue is a short walk from the Birnam Oak underneath which the three witches stirred their pot and gave the benefit of their wisdom to the worried king. It is easily accessible by train (the London train stops 200 yards from the venue) and car (A9).If you are coming, please let me know at the contact page on this website and we can help you plan your trip and make you welcome.
Book tickets for the event by clicking on the following link: