RARA-AVIS: Dead Good On Deansgate
Peter Walker (pw@pw.cablenet.co.uk)
Mon, 26 Oct 1998 21:34:54 +0000
"Dead on Deansgate" was brilliant. I had a wonderful time not
least
because it was about crime writing and authours and having fun.
And
you carn't argue with that.
There were good panels on Brit Noir and new Brit writers and
some good new stuff to report on.
Look out for Jeremy Dronfield's "The Locus Farm", Paul
Johnstone,
Denise Mina's "Garnethill" and Scarlet Thomas.
'Brit Noir', we decided, doesn't exist and there was some good
old debate
about why/is Brit writing better than American writing ( or is
it the
otherwat round on this point check out the new Shots mag which
has Russell James on this very subject).
Other panels included Humour, Location, Indie Press and Cosies.
all
were informative, open and intersrtin and I got to ask a lot of
questions.
Picked up a load of books - some free! and got them signed
including
one fron Jeff Deaver - I now most definately know who he is and
will
have to read "The Bone Collector".
Chated with quite a few writers inc. the wonderful Stella
Duffy who I'd met before, Nicholas Blincoe who was great fun
and
everyone should read his books and Russell James who was also
very
approachable.
The guests of hon. Rankin, Colin Dexter and Jeff Deaver were
all
good value - entertaining and interesting, although a word of
warning
here about how to approach writers. I'd timed my run in
perfectly.
Rankin was standing alone and looked a bit bored and I got him
to sign his
short story in the very good "Blue Lightening" collection. All
well
and good but them I heard my voice say "Hey, 'd know what? You
sat in
front of me this afternoon and I sat in fromt of you at
Bouchercon in
Nottingham". Quite why I wanted to impart this info to Ian is
beyond
me but he shifted very uneasily and started to look over my
shoulder.
The moral: quit while you are ahead. i'll have to read his
books now.
The Blues night was great fun and different. John Harvey
(Resnick).
Stella Duffy and Deaver all read from there shorts stories in
"Blue
Lightening" and Harvey read Resnick accompanied by a Jazz
trio.
Val MacDermid was top gun the whole weekend. Great. She did a
bit
about how she resaerched her new book based in Manchesters Gay
Village in the 60's.
The CWA 'big dinner' was a good 'un as well and I sat next to a
young new
Brit authour called Scarlet and old Fred didn't win the 1998
John
Creasy memorail prize prize but Denise Mina did for what looks
like a
great book (and she kissed me!) Then, of course I got pissed.
I even went to see "Gumshoe" with a few people.
Wonderful and they are doing it next year again!
Peter
----------------------------------------------------
Crimetime. The best magazine of its kind.
Issue 2.2 out now: Oct 98
www.crimetime.demon.co.uk
ct@crimetime.demon.co.uk
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