John Dean – Crime Writer

An interesting development is under way in the world of books, namely that readers are increasingly looking to read stories that are set outside London. There was a time when the Capital was the favoured location for so many genres but, listening to a number of publishers, authors and tourism and literary organisations, that is changing and they are finding readers looking to explore other locations, both within the pages of their favourite books and in person.

An example is the excellent TripFiction, whose website wwwtripfiction.com allows readers to search for places featured in books, including when booking holidays and short breaks. Tina Hartas, of Trip Fiction, wrote in a contribution to my recently-published guide to fiction, entitled On Writing, that although London remains popular for literary tourists, many other areas are growing in popularity.

Tina wrote:  “Literary Tourism is certainly gaining traction. People are searching for new and different angles when it comes to planning trips, and exploring a location through literature is proving increasingly seductive.

“Since the Covid pandemic, there has been a huge surge in interest in novels that are strong on location, offering a unique view into life and culture of any given place through the eyes of an author. At that point in the early 2020s, when people were unable to travel, books were one source of escape, and the notion of travelling by book was a chance to experience wanderlust from the confines of home.

“The power of the written word can inspire readers to visit the place about which they have read, and there are innumerable companies that facilitate a trip to many a literary setting. Readers who have been stimulated by a specific book or series can follow in the footsteps of Ian Rankin’s Rebus on organised tours in Edinburgh, Naples beckons for those who love Elena Ferrante, and Carol Ruis Zafón’s Shadow of the Wind makes a great basis for exploration of Barcelona. Before the pandemic, two planeloads of tourists arrived each day in Sicily to connect with Andrea Camilleri’s beloved protagonist Inspector Montalbano (although The Sunday Times highlighted that the tourists often ended up on the East side of the island where the TV adaptation of the books took place, rather than the West side where the novels were actually set).

“Immersion into place through literature is a wonderful way to gain greater understanding. Picking up a novel before a trip makes for great anticipatory preparation (a reader might even find some top tips for their visit). Reading whilst in the chosen location adds a sensory element, a 3-D experience, and then, upon return, a book can help reconnect with personal memories. Reading literature with a strong sense of place is a great way to ‘travel’.

I have heard similar sentiments expressed by publishers, who have moved away from London as a setting for their authors’ books, including in crime fiction. Certainly, I find from reading reviews of my DCi Jack Harris crime novels on Amazon and Goodreads that there is a genuine enthusiasm to find out more about their North Pennines setting.

Many areas are marketing themselves as locations for books and television locations (think everything from remade television series Bergerac in the Channel Islands and hit crime drama Shetland to Ian Rankin’s crime novels set in Edinburgh and Peter May’s novels which use the Scottish Highlands and Islands as their backdrop).

One place doing just that is Kirkcudbright and the wider Dumfries and Galloway, which has a recently-launched website focusing on crime fiction in the area and will build into a guide to the themed events in the area, everything from talks to festival events. It’s very early days but give it a few weeks and the events will start to appear and you can find out more at www.kirkcudbrightcrimewriting.com.

My book on writing fiction is available on Amazon in ebook and paperback formats

 

Picture The North Pennines by Frances Griss