It seems crime really does pay. Well, the literary version anyway. Many authors featuring regularly on the best-seller lists around the world are making their living writing crime fiction. This week alone you’ll see a number of crime novels listed as the best selling books in Australia – The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly, Swimsuit by James Patterson, Genesis by Karin Slaughter (such an appropriate name for a crime writer!), and First Family by David Baldacci.
There are even reference books for true lovers of crime fiction. If you’re really keen to explore the genre further, Bloomsbury Reading guides have a list of the 100 Must- Read Crime Novels.
Perhaps spurred on by the popularity of crime shows on television, crime writing has become extremely popular in recent years, and even seems to be gaining ground as an acceptable literary genre. Australia held its first Crime Writing and Justice Festival last year in Melbourne (2010’s festival is already scheduled for July), while in the US and Europe, crime-writing festivals have been a fixture on literary calendars for some years.
Some of this country’s most popular crime writers include Kerry Greenwood, author of the Phryne Fisher novels, Sydney Bauer, Michael MacConnell, and Gabrielle Lord. Popular international crime authors currently doing well in Australia are Linwood Barclay, Scott Frost and Michael Robotham. (We’ve interviewed all of these authors for our podcast series and many will be appearing soon.)
Another of Australia’s best-known crime writers is Marele Day. She has written four crime novels in the Claudia Valentine series – The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender, The Case of the Chineses Boxes, The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado and The Disappearances of Madelena Grimaldi. She’s also written a how-to on crime writing.
So who better to visit the Sydney Writers’ Centre and hold our first ever Crime Writing Weekend?
On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2009, Marele will hold the workshop for anyone who is interested in writing crime fiction. You’ll learn how to write a credible plot, create believable heroes and intriguing villains, and what rules you should follow when writing your own crime fiction.
It will be a weekend of mystery and suspense with one of Australia’s best writers. So, check out the details here.
Crime Writing Weekend with Marele Day
When: Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2009 (2-day workshop)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395



















