Bouchercon - a great honour for the future and some great memories from the past

I'm honoured to have been invited to be International Guest of Honour at Bouchercon 2027 in Washington D.C.  Of course, I'm extremely grateful to the organisers and it's a privilege to be invited alongside Laura Lippman, George Pelecanos, Shawn Crosby and others. It's a long way in the distance - and we know how much can happen in four years! - but it's definitely something to look forward to.

This invitation has also prompted me to reflect on my involvement with Bouchercon, the world's leading mystery convention and to dig out a few photos from over the years. It's an association that dates back more than 30 years. To 1990, in fact, when the convention came to London. At that time, I wasn't a published novelist, but I very much enjoyed meeting a number of leading writers - including Patricia Cornwell, who had just published her own first novel. That was when I also met Geoff Bradley, Tony Medawar, and Maxim Jakubowski for the first time, as a result of participating in the Criminal Mastermind competition.

A couple of years later, when I had become a published novelist, I travelled with my wife and infant son to Toronto, another memorable experience (as was the more recent Toronto Bouchercon, with a trip to Niagara Falls among the delights). In 1995, Bouchercon came to Nottingham, the last time it was held in England, and among other things I took part in a dramatised performance about crime fiction along with Stephen Murray and Gillian Linscott - a very rare venture onto the stage. There was also another Mastermind, this time with Ed Hoch and Marv Lachman among the contestants.

In 2003, I went to the Las Vegas Bouchercon, where I met Ali Karim for the first time and spent some great days touring with the late and much-missed Stuart Pawson and his wife Doreen. In more recent years, I've attended Bouchercons at places such as New Orleans, Dallas, St Petersburg, and San Diego. I've picked up awards on three occasions and I've spent quality time with some lovely people.    

So many good times and I hope for more in the future. One thing is for sure: the youngish enthusiast who attended his first Bouchercon as a fan more than 30 years ago would never have imagined that the day would come when he'd be invited along as a guest of honour. It's hard to believe even now, and I'm truly delighted.