The Man Booker prize ‘promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year’. The panel of judges have now whittled down the 132 submitted novels to the thirteen book, Man Booker long list.  The long list will in turn be reduced to six books over the next month and the winner of the £50,000 prize will be annouced... [More]

Mark Billingham is one of Britain’s well established writers. His DI, (Detective Inspector), Tom Thorne novels have been spectacularly successful in the UK and abroad.  He was the opening speaker on the Friday morning session of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Festival in Harrogate.  He was also the winner of Best Crime Novel 2009 prize,... [More]

Mark Billingham’s novel ‘Death Message’ wins the Theakston Crime Novel of 2009 award. He was presented with the special barrel of Old Peculier and the £3,000 prize, by Simon Theakston, at the opening of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, on Thursday 23rd July. The festival, the largest crime fiction... [More]

Crime scene on Harrogate Station which I saw on my way to the Old Peculier Crime Writers’s event. Then it rained and rained and rained. Arghhh So I had to take a taxi.

Amazon’s Kindle as most will know is a portable, electronic device for reading books. It differs from most of its competitors by the fact that it attached to to a wifi system, so that books can be downloaded through the air ways. It has the plus that as you commute to work you can also import sections of newspapers and magazines. In the... [More]

The well respected Irish author Frank McCourt has died in New York City, aged 78. He was the author of Angela’s Ashes, a memoir about his traumatic childhood. “Frank McCourt’s gentle, understated voice throws into relief the admirable humour, spirit and humanity of the people who made the degradation of his childhood bearable.”... [More]

Philip Pullman and many top authors are now refusing to visit schools.  The reason: another government scheme.  This one requires all people who work with children to be vetted, and they will have to pay a £63 fee for the priviledge. Philip Pullman called the plans “outrageous, demeaning and insulting” to authors, who do a great deal... [More]