Nicci French joins literary festival

One of contemporary British crime fiction’s most famous double-acts Nicci French has joined this year’s Fishbourne Literary Festival.

Nicci French is the pseudonymofhusbandandwife writing team Nicci Gerard and Sean French. Both journalists, the pair met when working at the New Statesman and married in 1990.

Their first novel as Nicci French was The Memory Game in 1997. Since then they have written a popular series featuring psychotherapist

Frieda Klein and numerous standalone psychological thrillers, most recently House of Correction, The Unheard and The Favour.

Nicci French replaces Tom Holland at Fishbourne after he pulled out.

Alsospeakingattheatthefestival on March 25 will be Claire Fuller, Phil Hewitt, Deborah Moggach and William Shaw in a full day’s programme from 104pm. The day will include book signing,salesandasecond-hand bookfair,plusgiftsandpromises tree and a prize draw. Lunch will be available in the church hall. Tea, coffee and cake will also be available throughout the day.

Tickets are £25 for the day, available on fishbourneliteraryfestival.co.uk. The money raised from the event will go to St Peter & St Mary Church and the chosen charity for 2023, the Snowdrop Trust.

The timings for the speakers will be Phil Hewitt – 10-10.45; Claire Fuller – 11.15-12; William Shaw – 12.30-1.15; Deborah Moggach – 2-2.45; and Nicci French – 3.15-4pm.

Deborah Moggach has written 20 novels and two books of short stories. She adapted several of these novels for TV, includingSeesaw,StolenandFinal Demand.