The Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival will take place in Harrogate between July 23-26, 2026, and will feature more than 140 crime and thriller writers, making it the biggest event in the Festival’s twenty-three-year history.
The line-up of bestselling authors and crime fiction names includes Richard Armitage, Ardal O’Hanlon, Denise Mina, Val McDermid, M.W. Craven, Ann Cleeves, Brenda Blethyn, Anthony Horowitz, Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre (pictured here) and David Baldacci. Taking place at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel, the festival will also feature up-and-coming authors.
Lisa Jewell, author and 2026 Festival Programming Chair, said: “This year marks Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s twenty-third year. Every year it gets a bit better, a bit bigger, more polished and more exciting, and 2026 promises to be the best Festival yet. We were spoiled for choice when we compiled this year’s programme; never before have there been as many rich pickings in the fields of crime, thrillers and debuts, and this year’s programme is overflowing with new voices, old voices, literary legends and Festival favourites.”
Among the awards which will be announced are the festival’s crime novel of the year with a longlist including Mick Herron’s Clown Town, Belinda Baeur’s The Impossible Thing and Kia Abdullah’s What Happens in the Dark, plus many more. The public voting ends just before midnight on May 28.
You can find out more, and purchase tickets for events, at https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
John Dean - Crime Writer 
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