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.