Leading expert on British and European crime fiction, Barry Forshaw chairs a discussion on Britain’s love of crime writing, how dynamic and diverse the genre is, and why the UK provides such bloody backdrops. He’s joined by Angela Clarke, Steve Mosby and Dreda Say Mitchell – three of the best crime writers in the UK today. Part of 

Barry Forshaw is one of the UK’s leading experts on crime fiction and film. His books include Nordic Noir, Sex and Film and The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction. Other work includes Death in a Cold Climate, British Gothic Cinema, Euro Noir and the Keating Award-winning British Crime Writing: An Encyclopedia, along with books on Italian cinema and Stieg Larsson. He writes for various national newspapers, edits Crime Time, and is a regular broadcaster and panellist. He has been Vice Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, and teaches courses at City University and the British Library on crime fiction. @BarryForshaw3. 

Angela Clarke is an author, playwright, columnist, screenwriter and broadcaster. Her debut crime thriller Follow Me was named Amazon’s Rising Star Debut of the Month January 2016, longlisted for the Crime Writer’s Association Dagger in the Library 2016, and shortlisted for the Dead Good Reader Page Turner Award 2016. The second instalment in the Social Media Murder Series Watch Me is out November 2016. Her journalist contributions include: The Guardian, Independent Magazine, The Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, and Writing magazine. In 2015 Angela was awarded the Young Stationers’ Prize for achievement and promise in writing and publishing. Website

Steve Mosby is the author of seven previous novels. He won the 2012 CWA Dagger in the Library, and Black Flowers was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is this year’s Chair of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. He lives in Leeds with his family. Website

Dreda Say Mitchell, who grew up on a housing estate in east London, is an award-winning novelist, broadcaster, journalist and freelance education consultant. Dreda was named one of Britain’s 50 Remarkable Women by Lady Geek. She is the author of five novels, with her first book having been awarded The CWA’s John Creasey Dagger for best debut crime novel – the first time a Black British writer has received this honour. Dreda has also written short stories for the MWA collection, Vengeance, edited by Lee Child, and the multi-award-winning Books To Die For. She has appeared on Newsnight, Daybreak and Canadian television’s Sun New Live. She has presented BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, and is a frequent guest on Radio 4’s The Review Show, Front Row and Saturday Review. She is the founder of the creative writing programme ‘Write-On’, which she has run in both YOIs and prison. She has worked in education for over twenty years, including positions as a primary school deputy head teacher and local authority consultant. Dreda has an African history degree from SOAS and an MA in Education Studies. She is also a patron of The National Youth Arts Trust. Website