murder and mayhem
Partners in crime, The Reading
Agency and the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), are plotting to get the nation
reading.
Clues, crimes, and cliffhangers
await this June as National Crime Reading Month (NCRM) ushers a month-long
festival of reading, celebrating the UK’s obsession with crime fiction.
The month-long festival is hosted
by the CWA in partnership with the national charity, The Reading Agency, with
support from ambassadors, including bestselling authors Steve Cavanagh, Vaseem
Khan, Robin Stevens, Victoria Selman and Penny Batchelor.
This June is set to be the
biggest yet as it coincides with the Department of Education initiative, the
National Year of Reading.
The CWA, founded in 1953, is one
of the UK’s oldest associations designed to support, promote and celebrate the
genre and its authors.
Nadine Matheson, Chair of the
CWA, said: "Crime fiction is the world's most popular and
best-selling genre and for good reason. From police procedurals to
psychological thrillers, historical mysteries to cosy crime, Nordic noir to the
Deep South, small town to vast cities, there is truly something for everyone.
These are the stories that have given us unforgettable characters, such as Jack
Reacher and Vera Stanhope, and brought them to our screens. National Crime
Reading Month celebrates the full, expansive world of crime fiction, welcoming
readers of every age, lifelong crime readers and inviting new readers to
discover why this genre endures. There has never been a better time to pick up
a crime novel.”
Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The
Reading Agency said: “Crime fiction is a powerful gateway into reading,
bringing together compelling storytelling, rich characters and page-turning
suspense. Its breadth and diversity mean there is something for everyone, helping
more people discover the joy and benefits of reading. At The Reading Agency, we
know that reading can change lives - supporting wellbeing, confidence and
connection. Crime fiction has a unique ability to draw people in, and through
NCRM we hope to inspire more readers across the UK to pick up a book and
experience those benefits for themselves through events in libraries and
communities nationwide.”
The Reading Agency’s research*
shows just 53% of UK adults consider themselves to be regular readers. Almost
half of adults (46%) struggle to focus on reading due to distractions, while
one in three multitask while reading.
The charity’s State of the
Nation’s Adult Reading report found reading had a profound impact on wellbeing:
Compared to non-readers, regular
readers are 86% more likely to report feeling a sense of belonging to their
community, 58% more likely to report feeling generally happy, 51% more likely
to report finding it easy to relax and 45% more likely to report sleeping well.
They are also 35% more likely to
say they don’t feel lonely and 32% more likely say they don’t feel anxious or
depressed.
An official launch event for NCRM
is hosted on 30 May in York with Noir at the Bar at All Saint’s
Church, hosted by the independent bookshop, Criminally Good Books, and the CWA.
Nine authors including will read extracts from their books, and the event will
feature author signings and a book stand.
London-bound crime fiction fans
can attend a panel at Capital Crime on 20 June: ‘If You Don’t Read, You Can’t
Write’. It will be chaired by author and CWA co-ordinator, Heather Fitt, with
last year’s winner of the CWA’s John Creasey First Novel Dagger, Katy Massey,
and authors, Luca Veste and Erin Young.
There will also be an online
launch at 7pm on 7 June, hosted by the writer Emma Christie in conversation
with authors from across the crime fiction genre, supported by the CWA and the
Reading Agency.
Up and down the country
throughout June, readers can join author Q& sessions, book groups, and
workshops in bookshops, local libraries, museums, theatres, as well as free,
accessible online sessions.
For NCRM events, visit: Events - National Crime
Reading Month #pickupapageturner
For logos and images for press use: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jqn6r7h5swv7df96ktqo3/AOc5LilO4xxsNJ1q97RTLgU?rlkey=hrypcd98iax47fy4pt1302q6g&st=3td2ja3c&dl=0
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