Several writers who have featured in N. J. Cooper’s monthly crime columns will be appearing at the 25th St Hilda’s Crime & Mystery Conference next August. Unlike every other crime festival, St Hilda’s has no panels or interviews. Instead speakers give 35-minute papers, with a discussion, after each two papers, between the audience, speakers and the chair, Andrew Taylor. This year the topic is to be politics and crime fiction. The guest of honour, Sara Paretsky, will give the conference lecture on Sunday morning. Lindsey Davis, who starred at the first St Hilda’s crime weekend (and several in between), will talk after dinner on Friday night, and the Saturday dinner will include a mystery playlet, written by N. J. Cooper and performed by members of the committee, which consists of: Val McDermid, Andrew Taylor, Jake Kerridge, Jean Harker, Triona Adams and N. J. Cooper. The full list of speakers is: Adam Brookes, Chris Brookmyre, Judith Flanders, Mick Herron, S. G. MacLean, Brian McGilloway, Adrian McKinty, S. J. Parris, Manda Scott and Louise Welsh. Blackwells will provide the book stall, and more information can be found at https://www.sthildas.ox.ac.uk/content/sharks-circling-politics-and-crime . This is the friendliest of crime weekends and has provided much merriment over the years, as well as illuminating – and highly individual – insights into crime fiction.
Lee Child’s 2016 conference lecture was livestreamed and is still available on https://jdp.st-hildas.ox.ac.uk/livestream/lee-child-author-mystery-crime-conference-lecture
St. Hilda’s