The sixth annual ‘Slaughter in Southwold’ festival will again feature a number of top crime writers giving talks about their writing at on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June.

The event takes place at Southwold Arts Centre and is part of Southwold Arts Festival. Slaughter in Southwold is organised by Southwold Library Manager Charlotte Clark with support from the Friends of Southwold Library and the Crime Writers Association. This year’s packed Slaughter programme features Mark Billingham, Robert Goddard, Peter Guttridge, Sophie Hannah, Mary-Jane Riley, Stella Rimmington, Simon Scarrow, Martyn Waites and Edward Wilson.

There will also be a range of other activities on offer including a Murder Mystery Night based on ‘the Wenlock Mummy’ by Elly Griffiths, a crime quiz and a chance to have lunch and chat with the visiting authors. For the first time there will also be screenings of a series of classic crime film double bills in the week before the festival.

Southwold Library Manager Charlotte Clark said: “I’m really excited about this year’s programme which is bigger and better than ever. I hope that screening some classic crime movies in the run up to the festival will help to get everyone in the mood. The event is a big part of the Suffolk calendar now and I hope as many people as possible come along to Southwold and enjoy it.”

Slaughter in Southwold has been so successful that it has inspired another library based crime festival ‘Skulduggery in Stowmarket’ which will take place this weekend – 26 April-30 April – www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/skulduggery

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Full Slaughter in Southwold programme and more about the authors:

Saturday 16 June:

10am – Edward Wilson will be talking about his spy novels, set in the Cold War and featuring rather reluctant MI6 officer Catesby. Suffolk is at the core of these novels; Catesby hails from the county, and returns there at times of trouble.

11.30am – Simon Scarrow will be talking about his latest thriller, Playing With Death. Written with Lee Francis, it is both an edge-of-your-seat thriller and a terrifying exploration of the dangers of the modern world.

2pm – Robert Goddard will be talking about his 27th thriller, Panic Room and at 3.30pm, Mary-Jane Riley will be talking about her Alex Devlin series, set in Suffolk and Norfolk.

Sunday 17 June:

10am – in a change to the previously advertised talk, Mike Ripley will be talking about his writing. Mike is the author of the Crime Writers Association award-winning Angel novels and also completed the unfinished Albert Campion novel and has written further Campion novels set in Suffolk.

11.30am – Dame Stella Rimington will be talking about her Liz Carlyle spy series.

2pm – Sophie Hannah will be discussing the influence of Agatha Christie on her writing and sharing the stories behind her three Poirot novels, including the forthcoming The Mystery of Three Quarters.

3.30pm – Crime fiction heavyweights Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites will be discussing their impressive combined ouevre, including Mark’s Tom Thorne series and Martyn’s Brennan and Esposito series, written as Tania Carver.

Other festival events and activities:

Saturday 16 June at 7pm – Fun crime quiz – with prizes.

Friday 15 June at 7pm – Murder Mystery night including a delicious meal from Café 51.

Classic crime film double bills – screened at the Arts Centre:

• Wednesday 13 June – The Big Sleep & Key Largo, at 2pm and 4pm
• Wednesday 13 June – Touch of Evil & The Third Man, at 7pm and 8.45pm.
• Thursday 14 June – Strangers on a Train & Dial M for Murder, at 7pm and 8.45pm.
• Friday 15 June – Double Indemnity & The Postman Always Rings Twice, at 2pm and 4pm.

There is also an opportunity to have lunch at 1pm on the Saturday and Sunday and meet the authors.

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About the authors:

Tickets are £5 per author talk, £15 for a day pass, or £30 for the whole weekend. Full details of the programme and ticketing information for all the events is available from www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/slaughter or www.ticketsource.co.uk/slaughterinsouthwold

Tickets can also be bought at the library or by calling 01502 722519.