books
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Kirkcudbright is becoming known as a town that likes its crime writing – indeed, the introduction to the town in the Google search engine says as much. Various organisations stage crime writing events during the year and Kirkcudbright Book Festival is one of them. This year is no exception, starting on Friday 6th March, 2.30pm…
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A question which I am sometimes asked by readers is ‘what do you think is your best book?’ The answer may come over as glib but is absolutely genuine. ‘The next one,’ I say. That is because I genuinely believe that an author never stops learning, however many books they sell and however positive reviews…
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One of the most prestigious honours in the crime writing world has been awarded to Mark Billingham, in recognition of his twenty-five year contribution to the genre. The author, whose debut novel Sleepyhead was abestseller, the first of many, has been awarded the Diamond Dagger by the Crime Writers’ Association. Mark was born in Birmingham…
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One of the key features of an event like the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Festival is the opportunities it affords for audiences to experience local voices. Yes, festivals provide a chance for local readers to hear readings from big name writers (this year those names include political commentator Michael Crick and romantic comedy novelist Fiona Gibson…
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He’s back! One of the fictional world’s most unusual killers has returned in the sequel to the novella Koki, by thriller writer Malcolm Beadle. The first book in the series by Malcolm, of Darlington, County Durham, which was published in 2025, introduced readers to former rodeo clown/turned Army sniper Trent Blane. Blane has been a…
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Authors and football personalities supported the official launch of the National Year of Reading at The Emirates, the home of London club Arsenal. The nationwide initiative from the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust seeks to address the steep decline in the nation’s enjoyment of reading by inspiring people of all ages to…
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One of the most striking characteristics of the programme for the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Festival is the way it explores Scottish culture. Two talks by authors on the third day of the festival,, Saturday March 7, illustrate the point. One follows the other, and they are being held at the same venue, for people who…
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Mary, Queen of Scots has long held a place of fascination in Scotland’s history and the annual book festival in Kirkcudbright is proving to be an excellent stage on which to recount different aspects of her story. Last year, one of the festival’s most popular events was a presentation of poetry and prose written by…
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The latest book written by author Tracey Iceton has been published – and it’s a remarkable work which is very different from her previous titles. Sparky: My Barn Owl Tale (2026, Cinnamon Press) is Sparky’s semi-(auto)biographical account of life before, and since, she and Tracey met in 2022. Hatched in the UK in August 2017,…
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Readers are being given the opportunity to learn about the dark side of the human imagination at three events to be staged as part of the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Festival. Crime fiction has always been well represented in the annual celebration of books held in the South West Scotland town and the 2026 festival, due…
John Dean - Crime Writer 