Speakers

A.A. Abbott

A.A. Abbott chose her pen name to snag first place on your bookshelf. Also known as Helen, she writes psychological thrillers about women finding strength in the face of danger. She publishes in a range of formats, including audiobook, ebook, Kindle Unlimited, hardback, paperback, large print and dyslexia-friendly Lexend font.

Ben Aaronovitch

Born and raised in London, Ben Aaronovitch had the sort of unrelentingly uninteresting childhood that drives a person to drink or Science Fiction. The latter proved useful in his early career when he wrote for Doctor Who, Casualty and the cheapest soap opera ever made – Jupiter Moon. The first book in the Rivers of London series proved to be a runaway success, and so he waited all of five minutes to give up the day job in favour of the bliss that is a full time writing career. He still lives in the city that he modestly calls ‘the capital of the world’ and says he will leave when they prise London from his cold dead fingers. He is already hard at work on the next Peter Grant novel and not computer games – honest.

Myfanwy Alexander

Mae Myfanwy yn nofelydd, awdur o gyfres o 5 nofel amdan Arolygydd Daf Dafis o Heddlu Dyfed Powys. Fydd ei  nofel gomig ‘Cath Benthyg,’ yn ei chyhoeddi yng Ngorffennaf 2025, efo antur newydd i Daf yn dod yn fuan. Mae hi’n aelod o dîm Cymru ar ‘Round Britain Quiz’ ar Radio 4 ac, mwy na ddim, yn fam i’r chwech  merched gorau yn y byd. 

Myfanwy is a novelist, author of a series of five novels featuring Inspector Daf Dafis of Dyfed Powys Police. Her comic novel ‘Cath Benthyg’ will be published in July 2025, with a new adventure for Daf coming soon. She is a member of the Welsh team on ‘Round Britain Quiz’ on Radio 4 and mother to the best six girls in the world. 

Heidi Amsinck

Heidi Amsinck was born in Copenhagen and now lives in London. A journalist and former foreign correspondent, she is the award-winning author of four crime novels in the Jensen series, all set in her city of birth, as well as numerous spooky short stories for BBC Radio 4.

Photograph  © Lea Meilandt 

Graham Bartlett

Former Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett co-wrote (with Peter James) Death Comes Knocking and Babes in the Wood. Solo, he writes the C/Supt Jo Howe  novels, Bad for Good, Force of Hate and City on Fire.  Graham advises and tutors scores of authors and TV writers on how to achieve authenticity in their drama.

Photograph © Helen Scott

Penny Batchelor

Penny is the Amazon bestselling author of two psychological thrillers My Perfect Sister and Her New Best Friend published by Embla Books. Her third will be published in June 2024.  Penny is a co-founder and judge of the ADCI Literary Prize for adult fiction by a disabled/chronically ill novelist. 

Mark Billingham

Coming from Birmingham, Mark has worked as an actor, a TV writer, and a stand-up comedian. His series featuring London-based detective Tom Thorne continues alongside a number of standalone novels. Mark is also a regular contributor to radio and TV and is a member of ‘Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers’, a combo of bestselling crime and thriller writers who performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019.

For more see uk.markbillingham.com

Ann Bloxwich

Ann is a short, tattooed crime writer, with a headful of murderous intentions and a profound love of cats, rock music, tea, and cardigans. She’s previously worked as an Oompa Loompa in a chocolate factory, and had her own promotions company, involving male strippers and drag queens.

Paul Burke

Paul Burke writes reviews and features for Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network. He is the editor presenter of the Crime Time FM podcast and is a CWA Historical Dagger Judge. Paul’s first book AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SPY FICTION will be published in March, 2025.

Jacky Collins

Dr Jacky Collins aka Dr Noir is a lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies at Stirling University. In 2014 Jacky established the International Crime Fiction Festival that is Newcastle Noir.  With a keen passion for crime in translation, the festival regularly welcomes authors from the Nordic countries, Germany, France and more recently from Romania.

Marie Anne Cope

Marie Anne Cope is an award-nominated author of supernatural horror, thrillers, and contemporary fiction. Her works include the Bonds series (dark supernatural), the Ellie Lawrence series (crime thrillers with a supernatural edge), and the Potters Hole series (contemporary romance). Living in North Wales, she crafts gripping stories that linger long after the final page.

Fflur Dafydd

Fflur Dafydd is an award winning bilingual novelist, screenwriter and musician. She has published a range of fiction and non fiction as well as creating over 50 hours of prime time drama for S4C. Her novels include Welsh bestseller Y Llyfrgell, (Y Lolfa, 2009) a reimagining of which was published as The Library Suicides (Hodder & Stoughton, 2023.)

Ant Evans

Although his roots are in Harlech on the coast of Meirionnydd, Ant Evans now lives in Caernarfon, where he works as the Welsh language books editor for Nation.Cymru in addition to working on his first book, a Welsh language autobiography titled Llyfr Agored (An Open Book).

Catrin Gerallt

Fe fu Catrin Gerallt yn is-olygydd Materion Cyfoes i’r BBC am dros ugain mlynedd. Mae hi wedi cyhoeddi straeon byrion yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg ac wedi derbyn enwebiad medal CILIP CARNEGIE . Y Ferch ar y Cei yw ei nofel gynta, sy’n dilyn bywyd helbulus y newyddiadurwraig Bethan Morgan.

Writer and broadcaster, Catrin Gerallt, worked as a Current Affairs Editor at BBC Wales. She has published short stories in Welsh and English and was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie medal. “Y Ferch ar y Cei,” her first novel, features journalist, Bethan Morgan, a chaotic single mother whose investigation into political corruption leads her to deep waters.

Mary Grand

Mary Grand was born in Cardiff and now lives on the Isle of Wight. She writes murder mysteries, classic whodunnits, set on the island. Her latest series is “The Isle of Wight Killings”.  The third in the series, “A Christmas Murder” was a number one best seller on Amazon. (Sept. 2024) and the next, “A Halloween Murder”, will be published in July 2025.

Rod Green

A native of Scotland, Rod Green has worked as a reporter, editor and writer for over forty years. He collaborated with M.C. Beaton before her death in 2019, on her books Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth. Now he loves inventing ugly murder cases for Beaton’s detectives, from the safety of his study in Surrey.

Morgan Greene

Morgan Greene is the bestselling author of the DI Jamie Johansson series, along with Waterstones Welsh Book Of The Month Savage Ridge, and A Place Called Hope, published by Canelo. Also launched in 2025, The Exile is the first book in the new Solomon Church series. Morgan lives on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park with his wife and when he’s not writing, he’s probably out hiking (in the rain).

Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries; the Brighton Mysteries and several standalone thrillers. She has won the CWA Dagger in the Library and the Edgar Award; has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, and shortlisted six times for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year. Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.

Mari Hannah

Mari is a multi-award-winning author and screenwriter. Among her numerous awards is a CWA Dagger in the Library and Capital Crime’s Crime Book of the Year 2020. Two of her three series are in development for TV. She lives in rural Northumberland with her partner, an ex-murder detective.

Jacqueline Harrett

Originally from Northern Ireland, Jacqueline Harrett lives in Cardiff where she sets her DI Mandy Wilde detective series. (Diamond Crime UK) Her protagonist, Wilde by name and wild by nature, is potty-mouthed, feisty and determined. 

Jacqueline is a multi-genre author who also co-authors contemporary fiction with Janet Laugharne.

Alis Hawkins

Alis Hawkins grew up in Ceredigion and curently lives on the Welsh-English border. After publishing two medieval standalone novels she turned to crime fiction. Her Teifi Valley Coroner historical crime series – featuring partially-sighted ex-barrister Harry Probert-Lloyd and his chippy assistant, John Davies – is set in the area where she grew up and has twice been shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Historical Dagger. A Bitter Remedy, the first in her new Oxford Mysteries series which introduces readers to young Welsh polymath Rhiannon Vaughan and Jesus College lecturer Basil Rice, was published in March 2023 and the second The Skeleton Army was published on 4th April 2024.

Alex Hawley

Blogger, podcaster, panellist and interviewer, as well as author, Alex has been a judge for Theakston’s four times, Bloody Scotland twice, as well as contributing online to every Crime Cymru festival. A true afficonado of crime fiction and its sub-genres. 

Hannah Hendy

Hannah Hendy lives in a small town in South Wales with her wife, their daughter, and two spoilt cats. A professional chef by trade, she started writing to fill the time between shifts. She is the author of the bestselling cosy crime series, The Dinner Lady Detectives, published by Canelo.

 Photograph  © Tom Damsell Imagery

Sarah Hilary

Sarah Hilary’s debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year 2015. Her latest novel, Sharp Glass, was described as ‘strange and compelling by Mick Herron. Sarah is Programme Director for St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend, and co-founder of Ledburied, a crime fiction festival in her home town.

Photograph © MatthewAndrews 2013 

Fleur Hitchcock

Fleur has worked as a stage manager, a shop assistant, a dinner lady and a curator. In addition to being a writer, she works as a children’s bookseller in the city of Bath.

Her books are mysteries often with added murder.  Dubbed as writing “thrillers for beginners” by the Sunday Times she continues to aim to  keep her readers on the edges of their seats

Sarah Bax Horton

Sarah Bax Horton was born in Swansea and grew up in South Wales. A former civil servant and police volunteer, she is now a full-time true crime writer. Her debut book is ‘One-Armed Jack: Uncovering the real Jack the Ripper’. 

When not researching and writing, Sarah enjoys outdoor pursuits and listening to an eclectic mix of music.

Richard W Ireland

Richard W Ireland, Emeritus Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law and Criminology, Aberystwyth University, has written extensively on the history of crime. His books include “Land of White Gloves?: A History of Crime and Punishment in Wales”. Having appeared several times on television and radio, he is full of fun – contrary to the stereotype that may be found from his description!

Meleri Wyn James

Meleri Wyn James is a book editor and author who has published for children, young people and adults. Her new novel, Dim Ond Un (Only One), is a whodunnit set on Bardsey Island. She lives in Aberystwyth with her husband and two children and enjoys running outside in nature.

Matt Johnson

Retired cop and novelist Matt Johnson’s first true crime title revealed the conspiracy and cover-up behind the 1984 murder of his colleague, WPC Yvonne Fletcher. No Ordinary Day won ‘Book of the Year’ and ‘Readers Choice’ awards at the 2024 CrimeCon True Crime Awards, the 2024 Capital Crime ‘Fingerprint award’ and was shortlisted for the 2024 CWA Gold Dagger award. 

Philip Gwynne Jones

Philip Gwynne Jones is the author of the bestselling Venice-based Nathan Sutherland series. Originally from Swansea, he now lives in Venice with his wife Caroline and a modestly friendly cat called Mimi. He enjoys cooking, art, classical music, old horror films and listens to far too much Italian Progressive Rock.

Photograph © Roger Branson

Vaseem Khan

Vaseem Khan is the author of the upcoming Quantum of Menace, featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House,  set in 1950s India, won the Crime Writers’ Association Historical Dagger. The Girl in Cell A (May 2025) is Vaseem’s first psychological thriller, set in small town America.

Chris Lloyd

Chris Lloyd has worked as a travel writer and a translator. He writes the Eddie Giral series, about a Paris police detective under the Nazi Occupation. The first book won the HWA Gold Crown for best historical novel of the year; the second was a Sunday Times Best Historical Fiction Book of 2023.

Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of eight bestselling novels. Her latest thriller, Other People’s Houses, is the third in a series set in north Wales, featuring DC Ffion Morgan. Clare’s novels have sold more than three million copies worldwide and been translated into 40 languages. She lives in north Wales and is a Welsh learner.

Photograph  © Heledd Roberts Photography

Graham H Miller

Graham H Miller is the author of six books in two series. The Jonah Greene mysteries are two novels follow a coroner’s assistant in South Wales, and there are four Angel & Haines police procedural mysteries set in a fictional West Country seaside town.

Saima Mir

 Saima Mir is an award-winning journalist and writer. She has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, and worked for the BBC. Her work appeared in the anthology, It’s Not About the Burqa in 2019, and The Best Most Awful Job in 2020. Her novel The Khan is being published by Point Blank and is due on in January 2021. The Khan has been optioned by BBC Studios.

Saima is a recipient of The Commonwealth Broadcast Association World View Award, and The K Blundell Trust Award. Saima’s work has been longlisted for The SI Leeds Literary Prize, and The Bath Novel Award.

Her screenplay Ruby & Matt has been optioned by Rendition Films.

Abir Mukherjee

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels. His books have been translated into fifteen languages and won awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award. He co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast.

Author photo © Nick Tucker

Louise Mumford

Louise’s debut thriller, Sleepless was a Kindle Top 50 bestseller and an Asda Karin Slaughter Killer Read. The Safe House and The Hotel followed, and The Festival is her newest book. She has appeared at Hay Festival, on BBC Wales Today, BBC Wales radio and written for the i newspaper and The Sunday Express S Magazine.

Ayo Onatade

Ayo Onatade is a Red Herring Award Winning freelance commentator, moderator and speaker on all aspects of crime fiction.  A former CWA Dagger Judge she blogs at Shotsmag Confidential. She currently judges the Ngaio Marsh Award (New Zealand crime writers’ award) and chairs the Historical Writers Association Debut Crown.

James Oswald

James is the author of fourteen (and counting) novels in the Inspector McLean series, three Constance Fairchild novels, the five part Ballad of Sir Benfro fantasy series and the Ceredigion-set standalone novel Broken Ghosts. When he’s not writing, he raises pedigree Highland cattle on his farm in North East Fife.

Helen Palmer

Helen Palmer has been the County Archivist in Ceredigion for a very long time, and is the Outreach Officer in Wales for the British Association for Local History. Her almost boundless enthusiasm for addressing every audience she can find, is based on the belief that archives, with their histories and mysteries, can enrich the lives of almost everyone. 

Gwen Parrott

Wedi’i geni a’i magu yng Ngogledd Sir Benfro mae naw nofel Gwen i gyd yn nodweddu sir ei magwraeth. Mae tair yn nofelau cyfoes wedi’u lleoli yn nhref fuglennol Maeseifion a phump yn lled-hanesyddol yn ymwneud â’i ditectif amatur Dela Arthur ar ôl diwedd yr Ail Ryfel Byd.

Born and raised in North Pembrokeshire, Gwen’s nine novels, all feature the county of her birth. Three are contemporary Welsh language murder mysteries located in the fictional town of Maeseifion, and five are semi-historical featuring the amateur sleuth Della Arthur set after WW2.

Ambrose Parry

Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. The couple are married and live in Scotland. Chris Brookmyre is the international bestselling and multi-award-winning author of over twenty novels, including Black Widow – featuring a skilled female surgeon – winner of both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. Dr Marisa Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist of twenty years’ experience, whose research for her Master’s in the History of Medicine uncovered the material upon which their novels are based.

Author photo © Bob McDevitt 

Colin R Parsons

Colin R Parsons is a children’s & Y A fiction author from the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. He’s a full-time writer and loves Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Supernatural and Steampunk. He wrote Wizards’ Kingdom which went on to sell 20,000 copies. In 2014 he started his traditional publishing journey.

Colin visits schools with presentations and workshops.

David Penny

David Penny is the author of the Thomas Berrington Historical Mysteries. After being traditionally published in his 20s, and a gap of over 50 years, he chose to publish independently on his return to writing. David’s work is available in English, and as translation in Spanish and German.

Nia Roberts

Nia Roberts has a PhD in Welsh Literature, and has been Creative Editor for Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, specialising in Welsh language fiction, for 13 years. She lives in Bangor.

Phil Rowlands

Phil has written for radio, television and film and is a founding director of small Indie publisher Diamond Books. His television drama Pili Pala (Butterfly Breath) was nominated for a Royal Television Society award. He has written three psychological thrillers, Siena, Single Cell, TimeSlip and is working on a fourth. 

Leslie Scase

Leslie Scase was born and educated in Pontypridd but now lives in Shrewsbury. He regularly gives talks on crime in the late Victorian period, has appeared at many literary festivals and been interviewed on BBC radio. His interests include military history, fly fishing, cooking, real ale, football and rugby union.

Zoë Sharp

Zoë Sharp has been writing for a living since the ’80s. She is a neuro-diverse autodidact, fascinated by criminal instinct and the way characters react to stressful situations. She is known for writing strong female protagonists, and giving occasional self-defence demonstrations. Fun fact: Zoë is the owner of six chainsaws

Author photo © Nick Lockett

L J Shepherd

L J Shepherd lives in Cardiff with her rescue cat, Coral. After graduating from university, she pursued a career in law. Laura began practising as a barrister in 2017. Since then, she has prosecuted and defended in many jury trials in the Crown Court. Since deciding a life of crime was no longer for her, she is a Human Rights barrister. Her debut novel, The Trials of Lila Dalton, was published in 2024 and is out in paperback now.

Sarah Todd Taylor

Sarah Todd Taylor was brought up in Yorkshire and Ceredigion, where she now lives. Her books are historical crime and spy fiction for children and her latest series follows the adventures of talented young pâtissière in 1930s Paris, who is also France’s youngest spy. She will always listen to you talk about your pets.

Ronnie Turner

Ronnie Turner is the author of the critically acclaimed So Pretty. At eighteen, Ronnie signed with a leading London-based literary agency and published her first novel. She lives in South-West England. She is inspired by the folklore and legend that runs through the land. 

She is also a Waterstones lead bookseller.

Sarah Ward

Sarah Ward is the author of ten crime novels. She is currently writing two series – one set in New England and the other in West Wales where she lives. Sarah is former Vice-Chair of the Crime Writers Association and is treasurer of Gŵyl Crime Cymru Festival. 

GB Williams

GB Williams specialises in complex, fast-paced crime novels. Born and bred in Kent, GB moved to South Wales, settled down and, now working as a freelance editor and writer, she lives with family and the world’s most demanding cat. And hates every photo ever taken of her. Find out more at www.gailbwilliams.co.uk.

GJ Williams

GJ Williams writes The Tudor Rose Murders Series – taking real Tudor events and people, then throwing in a plot and bodies. The first two books, The Conjuror’s Apprentice and The Wolf’s Shadow, are out. The Cygnet Prince, arrives June 2025. The series has been selected for distribution in the USA.

Nicola Williams

Nicola Williams is a part-time Crown Court Judge. She is the author of three legal thrillers. Without Prejudice was selected for the Black Britain: Writing Back series by Bernardine Evaristo and Until Proven Innocent was the winner of the Diverse Book Awards Readers Choice Award 2024. Killer Instinct is her latest novel.