Newark Book Festival 2022

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since my last appearance at Newark Book Festival - yet it was only three years ago. This time I had the pleasure of taking part in a panel with Elly Griffiths and Lesley Thomson, two fine writers and great companions (incidentally, Lesley's latest novel is called The Companion). Tim Rideout was due to chair the panel, but sadly Covid ruled him out at the last minute. This was a real shame for all of us, but we were grateful to Gill Hart for stepping in at the last minute, to excellent effect.

My car isn't currently in a great state after my recent mishap with a manic motorcyclist (although it is still driveable, the insurers are currently deciding whether it should be written off because of the scale of repairs required), so I travelled across country by train, and this did give me the chance to do plenty of reading and relaxing en route. It was a real bonus to have a drink with Elly and Lesley at a riverside pub before we dined together. All very convivial (and a reminder of what we've all missed during the lockdowns).

The panel discussion was held in the swish ballroom at Newark Town Hall and once again I found myself admiring the hard work of the organisers. It's never easy to put together a festival, but in recent times it has proved even more challenging. They did a great job.

And then today I had the pleasure of seeing my daughter Catherine graduate - she's taken a further degree in journalism. It was very different from other degree ceremonies I've attended, but I enjoyed the sheer exuberance of the occasion and it was good to talk to a few of the young people whose studies have been affected significantly by the pandemic, but who have nevertheless kept going and maintained their enthusiasm in really challenging circumstances. They more than deserve their day of celebration. And as I write, it's still continuing!

The Newark Book Festival

I've just returned from an enjoyable trip to the other side of England, the result of an invitation to take part in the Newark Book  Festival. I visited Newark about three years ago to give a talk in the library, and was very impressed by the town. It's full of history, with a nice ruined castle by the riverside, and my event was held in the recently established Civil War Centre - in a splendid old Tudor room.

The panel, about Golden Age crime, was chaired by Mary Haig (mother of the very talented Matt), and my fellow panellist was Tammy Cohen, alias Rachel Rhys, whom I'd never had the pleasure of meeting before. And it was great to see Elly Griffiths, who had taken part earlier in the afternoon. Our event was closing the festival, which had evidently been a big success, thanks to the efforts of Sara Bullimore and her team. There were drinks, canapes and opportunities to chat to people before our event began.

The only snag was that it began just as the World Cup cricket final entered the final over, and the Wimbledon men's single final reached its almost equally remarkable climax. So it's a wonder that anyone turned up at all. But it was a very good crowd (including a gentleman whom I last met at the Nottingham Bouchercon in 1995 - delighted he's still reading my books!)  and I managed to catch up with the highlights of that truly amazing game of cricket later on in the evening, so all was well. With the cricket, as with the tennis, it was a shame that anyone had to lose.

The session went well, and Mary and Tammy were good companions. When I woke up this morning in my very nice B&B, the weather was so promising that I decided to make the most of it. So I wandered round Newark, and then, because it isn't far away, I ventured to Lincoln, where I found an excellent display of British Library Crime Classics (and no, I'm afraid I didn't resist the temptation to volunteer to sign copies of my anthologies and Gallows Court) and had lunch in the sun at a bookshop-cum-cafe. As I did a few weeks ago when sunning myself on the Broads, I cast my mind back to the days of long hours spent commuting in to work each Monday. But it's not all play now, oh no. As if to salve my conscience, I have done a bit of legal work today, and on the drive home I dreamed up a short story idea about a B&B (not the one in Newark or any of the others I've patronised recently, I hasten to add). This evening, I get on with some writing...