CSI Portsmouth

There aren't many sizeable towns in Britain that I haven't visited, but Portsmouth is one of them. It's an omission I shall need to repair in years to come if a new crime event develops further in the future. I've received an interesting news release from Pauline Rowson, and here is a shortened version of it.

"Portsmouth BookFest has scoured a coup by securing the appearances at the 2011 CSI Portsmouth event of four internationally acclaimed crime authors: Mark Billingham, John Harvey, Michael Ridpath and Pauline Rowson who will join experts from the Crime Scene Investigation team and Fingerprinting Bureau of Hampshire Constabulary and experts from the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology to discuss crime fiction and fact in a lively panel debate at John Pounds Community Centre, Portsmouth on Saturday 5 November.

Last year’s inaugural event attracted an audience of over two hundred people and it is anticipated that a packed programme this year with a line up of top crime authors and experts will see numbers increase.

The morning programme will comprise of talks featuring experts in Victorian Crime, Fingerprinting, forensic psychology and a talk by former Detective Superintendent Bob Bridgestock who will be telling audiences how he has used his experience of twenty-six murder investigations, and countless investigations to shape his crime novels featuring Jack Dylan, written in partnership with his wife Carol, who also worked with the police as a support worker for seventeen years.

There will be a chance for delegates to see how the fingerprinting bureau works and have their fingerprints taken, as well as talk to the crime authors to find out how they come up with their intricate plots and research their novels.

CSI Portsmouth 2011 is being held on Saturday 5 November at John Pounds Community Centre. Tickets cost £5 for the morning and £7 for the afternoon with a discounted ticket of £10 for the day and discounts for Portsmouth library members. It also includes £3 off the price of a book bought at the event. Tickets are on sale from 12 September from the Box Office on 023 9268 8685.

For more details on CSI Portsmouth 2011 visit http://www.rowmark.co.uk/csi_portsmouth_bookfest.php

And for the Portsmouth BookFest visit www.portsmouthbookfest.co.uk. "

Crimefest

Crimefest 2011 was thoroughly enjoyable, and for me it offered a chance to relax from the frenetic activity at work following our recent business merger. I spent much more time chatting to friends old and new than attending panels, though I did enjoy all those I did attend. And happily I found time to do a bit of work on and thinking about my plans for the next Lake District Mystery.

Our pub quiz team, the International Bloggers, included Karen Meek of Eurocrime, Dorte from Denmark and Kerrie Smith from Mysteries in Paradise. We didn't make a great start, and shamefully I managed not to recognise Jane Marple from Peter Guttridge's cleverly selective description, but we did have productive rounds involving anagrams and Hitchcock movies, and were rewarded with some freebie books and audio books. It was a great pleasure to meet Dorte and Kerrie and their husbands. As always, Peter did a great job with the quiz questions.

Karen kindly sent me the photo of the quiz team. And Pauline Rowson (who also blogs splendidly) sent me the other two photos, taken by her husband Bob. Pauline and I first met a few years back at a TV studio. The full story is less glamorous, we agreed, than it sounds, but it was great to see her and Bob again. One photo shows me with Pauline, the other was taken at the Severn House drinks reception, and features Peter Guttridge, Ann Cleeves, Michael Walters (someone else I was delighted to have the chance to chat to at some length) and Maureen Carter.

I'll post a bit more about Crimefest - when I get my breath back!