Tag: agent

Murder One 2026 Events

With the vital support of The Arts Council of Ireland, DLR Libraries and Culture Programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, we are delighted to be back for 2026 bringing you another thrilling weekend of murder and mystery.

This year Rick O’Shea will be hosting a very special free event on Sunday October 18th which is funded as part of the Culture Programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

This year too, we bring you an exciting optional One Day Masterclass Ticket for our four fantastic masterclasses which are taking place on Friday October 16th from 10am until 5pm (scroll down for more information and booking details)

All Murder One Events take place in the DLR LexIcon Library in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin and this year we are delighted to announce that our Saturday and Sunday events feature Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

Please note that concession tickets for all events are for students, seniors and those on income support. If you feel that you may be in one of these categories but can afford the full price, please allow space for those who can’t, by booking a full price ticket. 

FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER 

THE SECRETS OF THE SUBMISSION PACKAGE

Friday, October 16th at 10.00am – 11am
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets: €20 & €17 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin/Sam Blake has been helping authors from every genre get published for over 20 years and she has a very high success rate.

In this masterclass she’ll take you through what you need to include in your cover letter, how to write a synopsis, what needs to be in your opening chapters – and how you know when it’s the right time to submit. You only get one chance, so getting it right is vital. This masterclass will also include crucial information on using AI.

Come with your questions – as Ireland’s leading literary scout she works with publishers and agents across all areas of the publishing landscape.

MEET THE AGENTS

Friday, October 16th at 12pm – 1pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €25 & €22 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

The Darley Anderson agency is legendary for representing some of the biggest names in crime fiction, but today they represent more than just crime.

In this unique event, meet three of their top agents who cover commercial fiction (crime/thriller/horror), children’s, YA, fantasy and romance, find out what they are looking for and what’s happening in the industry at the moment.

Whatever you are writing, this is not to be missed!

WORLD BUILDING MASTERCLASS WITH DAVE RUDDEN

Friday, October 16th at 1.30pm – 2.30pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €25 & €22 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

World-building is key in fantasy, but the art of creating a plausible setting is crucial to all genres, from crime to romance to literary fiction.

How does place inform storytelling? How can you engage the senses to convey character, plot and theme?

Discover new approaches to exposition, description and scene-setting, and learn from best-selling author Dave Rudden (Sister Wake, Conn of the Dead, Knights of the Borrowed Dark) how to make the world of your book come alive.

THE ESSENTIALS OF CRIME FICTION
TWO-HOUR MASTERCLASS

Friday, October 16th at 3pm – 5pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €45 & €40 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

Henry Sutton is the author of 16 novels including Crafting Crime Fiction (Manchester University Press), and is Professor of Creative Writing and Crime Fiction at the University of East Anglia. In this masterclass he will guide you through the nine key steps to writing a compulsive work of crime fiction, whether a police procedural or a psychological suspense, and everything in-between.

This immersive, practical and theoretical masterclass will address the very fundamentals of novel writing, along with more sophisticated and nuanced approaches, and will be suitable for those beginning the writing journey as well as experienced novelists. A sell out last year, participants are still talking about Henry’s first class in Ireland, make sure you book early!

 ONE DAY TICKET -FOUR WORKSHOPS

Friday, October 16th at 10am – 5pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €105 & €95 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

This one day ticket gives you access to four valuable sessions:

  1. The Secrets of The Submission Packet with Sam Blake/Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin
  2.  Meet the Agents with Clare Wallace, Lucy Irvine and Jade Kavanagh
  3. World Building Masterclass with Dave Rudden
  4. The Essentials of Crime Fiction A Two-Hour Masterclass with Professor Henry Sutton

Scroll up to get full details of each individual event.

Please note that concession tickets for all events are for students, seniors and those on income support. If you feel that you may be in one of these categories but can afford the full price, please allow space for those who can’t, by booking a full price ticket. 

DYING FOR LAUGHS
Ardal O’Hanlon in conversation with Edel Coffey

Friday, October 16th at 6pm – 7pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €18 & €15 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

Irish actor, writer and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon has turned to crime with a new mystery series featuring celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary in A Plot to Die For. Finn is taking a career break to help look after his mother when a member of her choir dies mysteriously…

In conversation with Edel Coffey whose In Glass Houses adds to her trio of bestsellers, this will be a night to remember!

SATURDAY 17TH OCTOBER

READINGS IN THE STUDIO

Saturday, October 17th at 10am
dlr LexIcon Studio
Admission Free
BOOK HERE

Step into a world of story and imagination with our talented writers as Claire Coughlan (Among the Ruins) , Fiona Gartland (Under Her Care), Henrietta McKervey (The Woman in the Water) and Cormac Quinn (Murder on Lough Derg) take to the stage to read from their latest work.

From moving moments to unexpected twists, whether you’re a long time fan or discovering these authors for the first time, join us to discover the power of the written word—spoken aloud. Expect emotion, insight, and a glimpse into the creative minds behind the stories.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

ALL ABOUT FEAR
Cecelia Ahern, Sam Blake and Mary Watson with Kitty Murphy

Saturday, October 17th at 12pm – 1pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €14 & €12 
BOOK HERE

Thirty-two of Ireland’s women crime writers, members of the Irish Murderesses WhatsApp group, have come together to produce a landmark short story collection in support of Women’s Aid.  They kill people for a living, but find out what they really FEAR in the very first event post launch, to mark publication. Hosted by co-editor and contributor CL Murphy, find out how the collection came together, how Mr Fear, actor Emmett J Scanlan wrote the forward, and how Cecelia Ahern was lured to the dark side.

The editors’ royalty earnings from worldwide sales of this book
(expected to be at least €8,000) will be donated to domestic violence
charity Women’s Aid (RCN 20012045). Contributing authors have donated
their stories without renumeration to help make this possible.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

BLOOD TIES: KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Carmel Harrington, Edel Coffey and Michelle McDonagh
with Jen Bray

Saturday, October 17th at 2pm – 3pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €14 & €12 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family! What happens when those relationships get toxic? Or are your family the only people you can truly rely on?

Carmel Harrington (The Nowhere Girls), Edel Coffey (In Glass Houses) and Michelle McDonagh (If These Walls Could Talk) discuss how relationships are at the core of every drama with Jen Bray whose The Lies Between Us features three sisters under pressure, and hit the bestseller list earlier this year.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

A SPOONFUL OF ARSENIC
Gill Perdue, Rosemary Hennigan and Dr Marie Cassidy
with William Shaw

Saturday, October 17th at 4pm – 5pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €14 & €12 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

There are many ways to murder –  Gill Perdue (All of Them Lied), Rosemary Hennigan (The Hotel Guest) and Dr Marie Cassidy (Deadly Evidence) discuss their ‘favourites’, and what works and what doesn’t, from their own work and others. ‘Modern crime master’,  the multi award shortlisted William Shaw will be hosting (and watching his coffee carefully…)

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

MISSING IN ACTION
Jane Casey and Andrea Mara with Catherine Ryan Howard

Saturday, October 17th at 6pm – 7pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €18 & €16 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

When someone disappears, can those close to them ever get to the truth?

In Jane Casey’s first book set in her native Ireland, Everything She Didn’t Say, a lonely clifftop holiday cottage is the scene of a violent event and a confounding disappearance.

In Andrea Mara’s Such A Nice Girl, two mothers discover their daughters have disappeared after a family wedding, but with blood found at the scene, could one of them be a killer?

In the hands of these expert crime writers, nothing is as it seems. Catherine Ryan Howard is question master, investigating the route from one dark twist to another.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER

READINGS IN THE STUDIO

Sunday, October 18th at 11am
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Admission FREE
BOOK HERE

Join us for Readings in the Studio where stories leap off the page and voices come to life.

Acclaimed authors Bryan J. Mason (There Are No Happy Endings) , James Murphy (Farset Investigations Belfast) , Robert Craven (The Payout Game) and Karen Fitzgibbon (Tell the Truth) take to the stage to share readings from their latest work— whether it’s sharp dialogue, lyrical prose, or unforgettable characters, each writer brings a unique perspective and style to this celebration of crime fiction.

Hear the words direct from the authors themselves.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

CRIMINAL GENRE BUSTERS
Aisling Rawle and Dave Rudden with Tanya Sweeney

Sunday, October 18th at 1pm – 2pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €14 & €12 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

Crime covers a huge range of stories from cosy to procedural, political to psychological suspense, mystery supernatural to dystopian.

Two very different writers from different corners of the genre, Aisling Rawle (The Compound) and Dave Rudden (Sister Wake), meet to discuss what drives them to write and why the stakes are always high. Tanya Sweeney’s Esther is Now Following You bridges dark women’s commercial fiction and crime, and she’ll be quizzing our authors to get to the secrets of a good story.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

CONTINENTAL KILLERS
Antonio Lanzetta and Antti Tuomainen
in conversation with Rick O’Shea

This event is funded as part of the Culture Programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

 

Sunday, October 18th at 3pm – 4pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets are FREE but booking is ESSENTIAL
BOOK HERE

Murder One and DLR Libraries are thrilled to present this exciting international event where RTE’s Rick O’Shea will chat to acclaimed Italian writer Antonio Lanzetta and the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ Finnish writer Antti Tuomainen.

Together, these two European crime fiction writers will discuss how regional landscapes shape literary tension, the enduring appeal of the anti-hero, the exploration of tone within the genre, and the complex mechanics of building gripping stories on the page.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

ON A DARK & STORMY NIGHT
Catherine Ryan Howard, Leodora Darlington, T.M. Logan
with Brian McGilloway

Sunday, October 18th at 5pm – 6pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €14 & €12 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

The opening line of a book can be crucial to hook a reader. Catherine Ryan Howard (Buyer Beware), editor turned writer Leodora Darlington (The Exes) and T.M. Logan (The Weekend) talk to Brian McGilloway about how they come up with opening lines and those lines that have stopped them in their tracks.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

THE GREATEST TWIST
with Harriet Tyce and Jo Spain

Sunday, October 18th at 7pm – 8pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €17 & €15 (plus booking fee)
BOOK HERE

What makes you gasp? There is a true art to a great twist as Traitors star and bestseller Harriet Tyce knows only too well, and brings to every book, as her latest Witch Trial clearly shows.  Jo Spain’s brilliant scripts take all sorts of unexpected routes, and in her latest gripping thriller Never to be Found, nothing is quite what it seems for any of the characters.

Jo and Harriet discuss with multi-award shortlisted William Shaw (The Burning Tide), how they come up with their ideas, and how they bring those gasp-out-loud moments so brilliantly to the page.

This event features Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder One in the Library: Masterclasses 2022

In 2022 we brought you a mixture of online and in-person masterclasses – if you’re a crime writer or writing in another genre but aiming to bring the page turning quality of a gripping read to your work, these were invaluable – watch out for our 2023 masterclasses.

Find out from Graham Bartlett and Casey King how crimes are investigated, and ask all those tricky procedural questions.

Catherine Ryan Hoawrd, the Queen of the Twist, will be taking you through your plotting paces and Literary Agent Simon Trewin will be discussing the market, how to catch an agent’s eye and exactly how publishing works.

Places are ALWAYS limited.

ONLINE: Tuesday 4th October 7pm -9pm 

How to Get Away With Murder:  Online Crime Writing Masterclass

Ex Chief Superintendent turned bestselling author Graham Bartlett, and ex Garda Detective, writer Casey King, will discuss procedure and protocol as well as highlighting the most common mistakes made by writers.

Whether you write psychological thrillers or procedurals, find out from two experienced law enforcers how crime is investigated and what you need to get right to make your book – and characters – work. What are the developments in crime investigation that can you use to make your book stand out? How does investigation differ across boarders? With first hand experience and case studies Graham and Casey are experts in their field – Graham is the police adviser to many bestselling authors including the legendary Peter James.

And there will be plenty of time for questions, if you’re writing any sort of crime novel, this is a workshop you cannot afford to miss!

IN PERSON: Friday 7th October at @ dlr LexIcon venue

11am-1pm IN PERSON

How to Plot the Perfect Murder: Crime Writing Masterclass with Catherine Ryan Howard

Learn how to plot the perfect crime novel with Dagger and Edgar shortlisted crime author Catherine Ryan Howard. This workshop will explore the mechanics of storytelling and the best methods for taking your idea from brain to blurb. Catherine will share each step of her own process, from interrogating the initial idea to getting to ‘THE END’ of the first draft, with lots of Post-It Notes in between. Even if you’re more of a pantser than a plotter, this workshop will offer techniques, tips and tricks that will help you strengthen your storytelling and keep your readers turning the page.

 

 2pm-3.30pm IN PERSON

The Perfect Agent Submission with Literary Agent Simon Trewin 

London based literary agent Simon Trewin has spent over twenty five years in publishing, representing some of the biggest names in the business. Simon will discuss the key mistakes that new writers make when approaching agents and how to avoid them, and what needs to go into your submission package with bestselling author Sam Blake.

What makes a great covering letter and why is your pitch so important? How do you write a synopsis and what makes it different to a blurb? Get crucial tips on your first three chapters and what they need to deliver for your reader. Find out who to approach and how to give your book the best chance of success.  

4pm- 5.30pm IN PERSON

How Publishing Works with Literary Agent Simon Trewin 

Understanding how the publishing industry works will help you cope with rejection and improve your chances of avoiding it.  Sam Blake will quiz literary agent Simon Trewin on the process from contract signing to shelf, how long that takes and what’s involved. Find out how writers get paid and the role of the literary agent, and how literary contracts work. Not all publishers are created equal – get the inside track on what questions to ask, how to avoid costly mistakes and what to look for if you are approaching publishers directly.

 

Look Back Murder One 2021: Murder In The Library

THIS EVENTS HAVE NOW PASSED

 

Murder One are delighted to be supported by the DLR LexIcon for their 2021 events, and will be running a special event in conjunction with the Dublin Book Festival and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.

Join us for our Monday Night Murder Club and get your week off to a deadly start! Our events are online and free but booking is required.

Find out more about our 2021 Murder One authors here.

Event quick link menu, click to book our free events (full details below):

Masterclasses Quick links (click here or see below for full details)

The Murder One Masterclasses are €25 each per person plus booking fees and numbers are limited so don’t leave your booking to chance!

Creating Compelling Characters  with Sam Blake, Olivia Kiernan and Andrea Mara.  Sat 6th Nov 2pm-4pm

Killer Opening Chapters with William Ryan, Nadine Matheson and Femi Kayode. Sat 13th Nov 10.30am-12.30pm

How to Write a Bestselling Crime Novel with Sophie Hannah Sat 20th Nov 10am -12.00

Murder One Masterclass: On the Editor’s Desk with William Ryan, Stefanie Bierweth (Quercus Books) and Sarah Hodgson (Corvus Atlantic) Sat 27th Nov 10.30am-12.30pm

Murder One in the Library Event Details:

Deadly Women with Vaseem Khan

Monday 8th November 8pm      FREE but booking required

Both Adele Parks and Jane Casey have stepped into new worlds with gripping psychological thrillers – both with strong female leads. Vaseem Khan, the award winning creator of Inspector Persis Wadia, India’s first female detective, quizzes them on the what, where, and how, and why women make such compelling lead characters.

Adele Parks was born in North Yorkshire. Selling over 4 million books in the UK and translated into 31 languages, she is the author of twenty bestselling novels including the recent Sunday Times Number One hits Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck. Both optioned for development for TV in conjunction with Netflix producers. She’s an ambassador for The National Literacy Trust and a judge for the Costa. Adele has lived in Botswana, Italy and London, and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband, son and cat. Both of You is Adele’s 21st book in 21 years.

Crime is a family affair for Jane Casey. Married to a criminal barrister, she has a unique insight into the brutal underbelly of urban life, from the smell of a police cell to the darkest motives of a serial killer. This gritty realism has made her books international bestsellers and critical successes; while Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan has quickly become one of the most popular characters in crime fiction.

Winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for The Stranger You Know, Jane has been shortlisted four times for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award and longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She is a top ten Sunday Times bestselling author. Her No 1 bestseller, standalone thriller The Killing Kind is out now.

Vaseem Khan is the author of two crime series set in India, the Baby Ganesh Agency series set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House historical crime novels set in 1950s Bombay. His first book, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was a Times bestseller, now translated into 15 languages. The second in the series won the Shamus Award in the US. In 2018, he was awarded the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Award for Literature. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House won the Crime Writers Association Historical Dagger. His latest book is The Dying Day about the theft of one of the world’s great treasures, a 600-year-old copy of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, stored at Bombay’s Asiatic Society.

Book HERE

Crime in the City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 9th November  7pm    FREE but booking required

Presented by Dublin Book Festival in partnership with Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and Murder One

Join Vanda Symon, Awais Khan and Lilja Sigurðardóttir in conversation with Sam Blake for an evening of crime! Crime writers from four UNESCO Cities of Literature: Dublin, Lahore, Dunedin and Reykjavík meet to discuss the influence their home cities have had on their writing, how crime fiction crosses geographical divides and what prompted them to start a life of crime. Also available as a Podcast

Vanda Symon is a crime writer, TV presenter and radio host from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the chair of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors. The Sam Shephard series has climbed to number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and has also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel and for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger. She currently lives in Dunedin, with her husband and two sons.

Awais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Durham University, and studied creative writing with Faber Academy. His debut novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to much critical acclaim, and he now regularly appears on TV and radio. Awais also teaches a popular online creative writing course to aspiring writers around the world. He lives in Lahore and is currently working on his third novel.

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, her English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

Based just outside Dublin, No 1 bestseller Sam Blake is the founder of the Murder One International Crime writing festival, a board member of the Society of Authors and of the Crime Writers Association. Her debut novel ‘Little Bones’ (Bonnier 2016) was No 1 in Ireland for four weeks, remained in the top 10 for another four, and was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year. It launched the bestselling Cat Connolly trilogy. Moving away from police procedurals Sam is keeping a focus on strong female characters, writing psychological thrillers: ‘Keep Your Eyes On Me’ went straight to No 1 in January 2020 and ‘The Dark Room’ hit the bestseller list in January 2021

Book HERE

Murder Under the Microscope

Monday 15th November 8pm  FREE but booking required

Ex State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy will be in conversation with Professor Jim Fraser in what will be one of the most enthralling discussions online this year.

Professor Fraser is a forensic scientist who has been involved in some of the biggest cases in recent UK history. Professor Dr Marie Cassidy was Ireland’s State Pathologist from 2004 until 2018 and involved in many high-profile cases that grabbed national headlines. The two experts in their fields will draw on their experience to discuss what can and cannot be discovered in the lab, how essential the chain of evidence is, how evidence-gathering must be meticulous and what can go wrong if it isn’t.

Professor Jim Fraser is a forensic investigator who has been involved in hundreds of murder investigations as an expert witness and cold case reviewer. He has given evidence many times as an expert witness. A Research Professor in Forensic Science at the University of Strathclyde and a Commissioner on the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, he has advised many public agencies including police organisations in the UK and abroad, the Home Office, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament. He is the author of Murder under the Microscope. Find out more at http://www.jimfraser.net

Professor Dr. Marie Cassidy was Ireland’s State Pathologist from 2004 until 2018. During that time, she was involved in many high-profile cases, including the Stardust exhumation and the deaths of Siobhan Kearney, Rachel O’Reilly, Robert Holohan and Tom O’Gorman. In her memoir, Beyond the Tape, she invites us into the world of forensic pathology, and shares her remarkable personal journey, from working-class Glasgow to becoming Ireland’s head pathologist.

Book HERE

Murder in Mind: Val McDermid in conversation with Liz Nugent

 Monday 22nd November 8pm   FREE but booking required

Number one bestselling crime novelist, Val McDermid, discusses her new novel, 1979, with our own Liz Nugent in what is sure to be a sparky and marvellously engaging event.  In 1979 Val kicks off her first new series in nearly twenty years with the story of Allie Burns, a young investigative journalist whose work leads her into a world of corruption, terror, and murder.

It’s only January, and the year 1979 has already brought blizzards, strikes, power cuts, and political unrest. For Allie Burns, however, someone else’s bad news is the unmistakable sound of opportunity knocking, a chance to escape the “women’s stories” to which her editors have confined her. Striking up an alliance with budding investigative journalist Danny Sullivan, Allie begins covering international tax fraud and a group of Scottish ultranationalists aiming to cause mayhem ahead of a referendum on breaking away from the United Kingdom. Their stories quickly get attention and create enemies for the two young up-and-comers. Drawing on McDermid’s own experiences as a young journalist, 1979 is redolent of the thundering presses, hammering typewriters, and wreaths of smoke of the Clarion newsroom. A journey to the past with much to say about the present, it is the latest pitch-perfect, suspenseful addition to Val McDermid’s crime pantheon.

Val McDermid’s novels have been translated into forty languages, and have sold over seventeen million copies. A remarkably versatile writer, as well as novels, Val has written radio plays, short stories, non-fiction and even a children’s book and has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009, was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2010 and received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award in 2011. In 2016, Val received the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and in 2017 received the DIVA Literary Prize for Crime.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in Irish film, theatre and television. Her novels – Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait and Skin Deep and Our Little Cruelties have been Number One bestsellers in Ireland and she has won four Irish Book Awards (two for Skin Deep). She lives in Dublin with her husband.

Book HERE

A Narrow Door: Joanne Harris in conversation with Declan Burke

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday 29th November 8pm  FREE but booking required

Multi genre international bestseller Joanne Harris discusses the inspiration behind A Narrow Door, her writing process and what made her turn to crime, with author, editor and journalist, Declan Burke.

Joanne Harris (MBE) was born in Barnsley in 1964, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche .

Since then, she has written 18 more novels, plus novellas, short stories, game scripts, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, has honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, and has been a judge for the Whitbread Prize, the Orange Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Betty Trask Award, the Prima Donna Prize and the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science, as well as for the Fragrance Foundation awards for perfume and perfume journalism (for which she also received an award in 2017).

She is a passionate advocate for authors’ rights, and is currently the Chair of the Society of Authors (SOA), and member of the Board of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS).

Declan Burke is an award-winning author and editor. His novel Absolute Zero Cool won the Goldsboro Award in 2012. Books to Die For (2013), co-edited with John Connolly, won the Anthony Award for Best Non-Fiction Crime. The Lammisters, a comic novel, is published by No Alibis Press.

Book HERE

Murder One Writing Masterclasses

For crime writers everywhere we’ve created a series of masterclasses for you to hone your writing skills and kick start your Work in Progress.

Please note that while all our Masterclasses run on a Saturday, the START TIMES VARY, so please make a note! Eventbrite will automatically send out a reminder link prior to the event but do put it in your diary!

Murder One Masterclass: Creating Compelling Characters

With bestselling authors Sam Blake, Olivia Kiernan and Andrea Mara

€25 plus booking fees.

Saturday 6th November 2pm-4pm Book HERE

While plot is vital in crime writing, characters are the lifeblood of great fiction. If you want your reader to remember your book long after they put it down, you need to create compelling characters that resonate with them. Whether you are creating serial or standalone characters, Sam Blake reveals her process and cross examines her expert witnesses bestselling authors Olivia Kiernan and Andrea Mara on theirs.Find out how to create a character that will captivate an agent and how to build your readership from book to book with characters readers’ cannot forget!

 

 

Murder One Masterclass: Killer Opening Chapters

With multiple award shortlisted William Ryan, Nadine Matheson and Femi Kayode

€25 plus booking fees

Saturday 13th November 10.30am-12.30pm Book HERE

The first 3 chapters of your book are crucial to get right, not only to hook an agent or editor, but to hook your reader – how do you make them the best that they can be? William Ryan will explain the essential ingredients to create a killer opening and is joined by critically acclaimed debut authors Nadine Matheson and Femi Kayode to explain how they did it.

 

Murder One Masterclass: How to Write a Bestselling Crime Novel with Sophie Hannah

€25 plus booking fees

Saturday 20th November 10am -12.00 Book HERE

International bestseller Sophie Hannah will take you through her top tips for writing a bestelling crime novel, teaching participants:

  • how to massively increase your chances of success
  • how to change incorrect, unhelpful and limiting beliefs
  • how to avoid unnecessary suffering
  • how to thrive in the face of the psychological and emotional challenges that life as a writer brings with it
  • how to start and finish the best possible book you can write, and how to use Sophie’s amazing Literary Diagnostics method (which is very different from editing), to take your writing to the next level.

 

 

Murder One Masterclass: On the Editor’s Desk

With multiple award shortlisted William Ryan, Stefanie Bierweth (Editorial Director Quercus Books) and Sarah Hodgson (Editorial Director Corvus Atlantic)

€25 plus booking fees

Saturday 27th November 10.30am-12.30pm Book HERE

Find out what two of London’s top editors are looking for in crime fiction! William Ryan outlines what you need to know to submit to succesfully submit to agents, what goes into your covering letter and how to write a synopsis. Joined by the Editoral Directors of Quercus and Corvus, William has successfully assisted numerous authors to publication – this is a must do masterclass for anyone looking to submit, both William and the editors are ready to answer your questions!