New Writing North

Did you stay up late reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Did you record every episode of The Killing and enjoy The Bridge? If so, you are not alone. Join our well-read panel to discuss why British readers can’t get enough Nordic noir. To tell us about the history of the genre, we are joined by Barry Forshaw, whose new book, Death in a Cold Climate, charts the rise and history of crime writing from the Nordic states; David Hewson, who has written a novelisation of The Killing, and Ann Cleeves, a huge fan of Scandinavian crime fiction and author of many best-selling crime novels, including the Vera series recently broadcast on ITV. Chaired by Elizabeth Day of The Observer. Event recorded Sunday 28 2012 at Durham Book Festival. For more information about the festival, see www.durhambookfestival.com.

In Inspector Minahan Makes a Stand: The Missing Girls of England, Bridget O’Donnell tells the story of how rebel detective Jeremiah Minahan took on the establishment to expose how young girls were being enticed, tricked and sold into prostitution in London in the 1850s. The brutal murder of the Reverend George Parker in the rural village of Oddingley on Midsummer’s Day in 1806 gripped everyone from the Home Secretary in London to newspapermen across the country. In Damn His Blood, Peter Moore gives us a fascinating glimpse into English rural life at the beginning of the 19th century. Event recorded Sunday 28 October 2012 at Durham Book Festival. For more information about the festival, see www.durhambookfestival.com.

Kate Mosse returns to Durham to launch the eagerly anticipated final novel in her Languedoc trilogy. Following on from Labyrinth and Sepulchre, her new novel, Citadel, takes us into the heart of Nazi-occupied France. Michèle Roberts’ new novel, Ignorance, is a mesmerising exploration of guilt, faith and coming of age for a family in a small French town on the eve of World War II. Chaired by Elizabeth Day of The Observer. Event recorded at Durham Book Festival 2012 on Sunday 28 October. For more information about the festival, see www.durhambookfestival.com.

In her first novel in five years, Pat Barker returns to the First World War with Toby’s Room to explore damage, intimacy and loss in her most powerful work yet. Moving from the Slade School of Art to Queen Mary’s Hospital, where surgery and art intersect in the rebuilding of the shattered faces of the wounded, Barker creates a riveting drama. Pat Barker’s award-winning novels include the Regeneration trilogy, the Booker Prize-winning The Ghost Road and the recent Life Class. She was in conversation with Professor Sharon Monteith from Nottingham University. Event recorded Saturday 27 October 2012 at Durham Book Festival. For more information about the festival, see www.durhambookfestival.com.