Here's a short film with some highlights:
I ran a panel discussing so-called 'Cosy Crime' with fellow authors J L Blackhurst, Rachel Ward, Derek Farrell, and S J Bennett and we pretty much came to the conclusion that, as a definition, it's sadly wanting!
The definition is 'a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence occur off stage, the detective is an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.'
All of us write books supposedly in this genre but none of us fit the definition.
And nor did Agatha Christie who is often cited as the 'founder' of Cosy Crime.
As it it happens the festival was held in the heart of Cosy Crime country: Dame Margaret Rutherford - the first screen Miss Marple - lived nearby and is buried in St James's Church, Gerrards Cross (along with husband and co-star Stringer Davis). And the four Miss Marple films she starred in were made at nearby Beaconsfield Studios - now the National Film and Theatre School. In addition, Agatha Christie is buried just 35 miles away in Wallingford, the Midsomer Murders TV series is filmed all around the Chiltern Hills and Father Brown and Agatha Raisin are both filmed just a stone's throw away in the Cotswolds.
It was an excellent day and I met a host of wonderful crime writers (we had over 70!) . Roll on next year!
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