‘Queen of Crime’ Val on way

BOOK lovers and aspiring writers will have the chance to meet one of Britain’s most successful crime authors at a free event hosted by the University of Leicester.

Dubbed the “Queen of Crime”, Val McDermid, pictured, will deliver the 10th Annual Creative Writing Lecture on Thursday.

The event, titled “Killing For Fun and Profit”, will give literary fans the chance to hear about her writing, inspirations and the fatal attraction of crime fiction.

The lecture is free but guests are encouraged to secure their places online via Eventbrite.

To date, Val has sold over 15 million books and her work has been translated into over 40 languages. She is perhaps bestknown for her “Wire in the Blood” series, featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan, which was adapted for TV starring Robson Green. Her most recent novel Out of Bounds was a number one bestseller.

Val said: “I’m really looking forward to giving the 10th Annual Creative Writing Lecture. Hopefully, I can provide some inspiration and enjoyment to readers and writers in one of the UK’s most diverse cities.”

This year marks the 10th year of

Leicester’s Annual Creative Writing lecture – a series of events that has attracted some of the world’s finest writers to Leicester.

The lectures discuss all aspects of creative writing and they are completely free and open to all.

Previous speakers include Ben Okri, Laura Esquivel, Jonathan Coe, Edna O’Brien, Robert Macfarlane, Michael Morpurgo, Lemn Sissay, Blake Morrison and Marlon James.

Dr Harry Whitehead, director at the Centre for New Writing said: “We’re delighted to welcome Val to Leicester for what promises to be a hugely entertaining and inspiring event. Leicester has a rich and diverse literary history with many famous authors originating here; the Centre for New Writing celebrates this, as well as engaging future generations of local writers.”