Monday 9 January 2017

Alibis in the Archives

I'm delighted to announce an event that I think will be of great interest to crime fans, whether their tastes lie in classic or contemporary crime writing. Even better if you enjoy both! The event is called Alibis in the Archives, and it will be held at Gladstone's Library from 9-11 June. The library is in Hawarden, Flintshire, but for anyone unfamiliar with that corner of North Wales, it's only a short distance - a bus-ride of twenty minutes - from Chester and it's close to the motorway network.

The event will celebrate the launching of the Crime Writing Archive at Gladstone's Library. This takes the form of two separate but distinct archives, for the Crime Writers' Association and for the Detection Club respectively. The former archive is much more substantial than the latter at present, but I do see this as a landmark moment in the history of crime fiction heritage. Donations of relevant materials to the archive are, of course, warmly welcomed, and the process of developing the archives and cataloguing them is ongoing.

The venue is, to my mind, ideal. Regular readers of this blog will know that I've enthused about Gladstone's Library several times over the years. It has a great history, as well as a terrific collection of books and other materials, and it also has a wonderfully atmospheric ambience. A unique feature is that it's residential - so you can stay there, in one of the pleasant rooms, and also enjoy the very good food. (Though I should add that accommodation is inevitably limited - a good local hotel will also be utilised for this weekend.)

So what will be happening over the weekend? Plans are afoot to make it not only be interesting but also a bit different. So there will be at least one interactive murder mystery evening, plus talks from a range of writers, including Ann Cleeves, who will be discussing Vera and Shetland among other topics. I'm really looking forward to it, and if you would like to book, the Library's expertise in event management is such that I'm confident you won't be disappointed.

5 comments:

Jane Risdon said...

Would love to go but too far away. Good luck with it. :)

Anonymous said...

Martin, fantastic news! Gladstone’s Library is only ten minutes by car from Connah’s Quay, where Maureen and I now live. We pop in often (yes, the food and ambience are great) and there’ll be more incentive still with the Crime Writing Archive on our doorstep!

We’ll check out the programme for ‘Alibis in the Attic’ and book tickets. Look forward to seeing you there. Will ‘The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books’ be out by then?

Good Luck with it all,

Paul

Clothes In Books said...

Look forward to hearing more about this...

Anonymous said...

Hi Martin, I’m now booked on the course as a non-residential guest. Wonderful venue, fantastic programme and a great line-up of speakers. ‘Alibis in the Archives’ is going to be an extremely interesting and hugely enjoyable event, I’m sure. Look forward to seeing you there.

Paul

Martin Edwards said...

Great, Paul!