Crime fiction conferences widespread during Summer 2010

Mystery fiction fans will have an abundant supply of conferences to attend during the summer of 2010. From June through August they can meet with their favorite authors in locations as diverse as Oxford, England and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Las Vegas provides the setting for the Public Safety Writers Association annual conference. To be held June 17th through June 20th, this event is open writers and readers of crime fiction and nonfiction. Simon Wood will deliver the keynote speech, "Creating Suspense."

The Deadly Ink Conference will take place across the country in Parsippany, New Jersey from June 25-27. Gillian Roberts (Amanda Pepper series, Emma Howe and Billie August series) is the conference Guest of Honor. Cheryl Solimini is its Toastmaster. Deadly Ink conference participants will vote on the winners of the 2010 David G. Sasher, Sr. Award for the best mystery published during the prior year and the 2010 and the Ida Chittum Award for Best Young Adult Mystery.

A quick crossover to Washington D.C. will take mystery devotees to the American Library Association's  annual meeting, scheduled for June 24-29. Dennis Lehane (Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro series) and John Grisham (Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer series) are scheduled speakers.

Another east coast event is Thrillerfest, the fifth annual conference of the International Thriller Writers Association. Held in New York City, this July 7th-10th event has Shane Gericke as the 2010 ThrillerFest Chairman.  Spotlight Authors for ThrillerFest V are Harlan Coben (Myron Bolitar series), Lisa Scottoline (Rosato and Associates series), and Gayle Lynds (Covert-One series with Robert Ludlum). Ken Follett (Century series) will receive the 2010 ThrillMaster Award..

It will be worth leaving the country for Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. Harrogate, England is the site of this conference, held from July 22nd-25th. Conference organizers say, "This will be an event packed with passion, pace and pump-action prose, propelling you through an unforgettable weekend." Guest authors include Ian Rankin (Inspector Rebus series), Christopher Brookmyre (Jack Parlabane series, Angelique De Xavier series), Jeffery Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme series), Joanne Harris, Jeff Lindsay (Dexter series) and Karin Slaughter (Grant County series).

Corte Madera, California is the location of the 17th annual Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference. This July 22-25 meeting has as its co-chairs Sheldon Siegel (Mike Daley series) and Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series).

Fans of vintage popular fiction will head to Columbus, Ohio from July 30-August 1 for the PulpFest 2010 convention. Convention's Guest of Honor.William F. Nolan (Logan series, Sam Space series) will lead  panels on Western and hard-boiled detective fiction.

It's back to England on August 13th-15th for the St. Hilda's Mystery and Crime Weekend.  Andrew Taylor (Lydmouth series) is the conference Chair, and Simon Brett (Fethering series) will be Guest of Honour.  Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse series) will be the Saturday Dinner Speaker at this Oxford event. 

The Wolfe Island (Ontario) Scene of the Crime Mystery Writing Festival, will be held on August 14th. Michael Blair (Granville Island Mystery series), Vicki Delany (Constable Molly Smith series, Klondike Mystery series), Susanna Kearsley, James W. Nichol, and Gail Bowen (Joanne Kilbourn series) are Special Guests.

Jeffery Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme series) is the Guest of Honor for Killer Nashville. This Nashville, Tennessee international literary conference will hold its fifth annual meeting from August 20th-22nd.

These meetings should keep crime fiction fans busy for the summer. Those who want to plan even farther ahead will note that the Reading (UK) Festival of Crime Writing will be taking place on September 17-19,  Writers Police Academy on September 24-26, Bouchercon on October 14-17, Magna cum Murder on October 29-31, Noir Con on November 4-7, Poisoned Pen WebCon 2 on November 6, and Murder and Mayhem in Muskego on November 12-13. In Reference to Murder provides further information on these fall conferences.