In honour of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writers Festival in Harrogate from 23-26th July we have put together a fabulous opportunity for all you sleuths out there to win a fabulous prize . But this is a competition with a twist and in order to enter you will need to follow us on twitter to watch the story unfold….
So are you ready to get sleuthing? Once you are following us on twitter you will need to keep your eyes peeled for clues leading up to the Festival and you could be the lucky winner of a fantastic prize package including a pair of Festival passes for both Friday and Saturday, accommodation and other goodies.
Competition rules
Each clue will be broadcast on twitter at 7pm every evening from Monday 6th July until Monday 13th July! Don’t worry if you cant take part every evening as the overall winner will be the person who gets the most points. In the event of a tie break we will ask a question which relies on an imaginative answer, and Harrogate Crime Writer’s Festival will decide!
All you need do is complete your answer on twitter with this in the answer #TOPCWF followed by 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 (Monday being 1, Sunday being 7)
Each correct answer is 1 point!
The programme for the 2009 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is an eclectic line-up put together by programming chair and award winning author, Laura Wilson, highlights include special guests Mark Billingham, Lee Child, Reginald Hill and George Pelecanos as well as John Banville as Benjamin Black.They will appear alongside panel discussions, late night cabaret and the very best authors in the crime-writing world.
Once again, there is a murderous mix of panels ranging from nursery tale misdemeanours in Nursery Crimes to a modern trend in ultra violence in X-rated Sex, Drugs and Ultra Violence. The bicentennial of the birth of Edgar Allen Poe, the father of the modern detective story is celebrated in The Raven and The Rue Morgue, while Music To Murder By takes a long look at what music brings to the written word. Shoot The Book, chaired by author and tv’s best known film critic, Barry Norman includes well established crime screen writers including David Levien author and screen writer of Oceans 13 provides a unique insight into the transition of crime from page to film.
Festival essentials, New Blood and the Late Night Quiz also sit alongside a brand new late night interactive cabaret event Secrets and Lies, host Mark Billingham encourages selected crime writers to confess their innermost secrets – but are they telling the truth?
With appearances from great characters including Val McDermid, Jasper Fforde, John Harvey, Peter James, Simon Kernick, Laura Lippman, Stuart MacBride and an action-packed sequence of events, the 2009 Festival promises to be the most gripping yet. Sounds good to us!
2009 will also see the fifth Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Won by debut crime author Allan Guthrie in 2007 for Two Way Split and Stef Penney in 2008 for The Tenderness of Wolves, the only award of its kind to be voted for by the general public is nothing if not surprising! Voting is open for the shortlist now until 20th July on www.theakstons.co.uk
Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is still the largest event of its kind in Europe and a firm date in the national festival calendar. In 2009 it takes place at the Crown Hotel, Harrogate from 23 – 26 July. Accommodation and Weekend Rover ticket packages are available now on 01423 562303. Individual tickets and Day Passes available on 0845 130 8840
Image: Programming chairs past, present and future – Simon Kernick, Mark Billingham, Laura Wilson, N J Cooper, Val McDermid, Stuart MacBride and front, title sponsor Simon Theakston