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The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival is the region’s largest annual celebration of crime writing and one of the fastest-growing literary festivals in the UK.
Many incredible crime writers have attended the festival in recent years, including Val McDermid, Attica Locke, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Louse Doughty, James Runcie, Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Peter James, Anthony Horowitz, Nicci French, Paula Hawkins and Benjamin Black.
Noirwich is about the reading and the writing of crime fiction. We explore how the genre works and where it is going, thanks to our unique connection with the University of East Anglia's creative writing department. Our crime writing workshops provide attendees with the opportunity to enhance their own skills.
The festival is a co-production by the National Centre for Writing and the University of East Anglia, bringing together our expertise to deliver a celebration of crime writing like no other.
In 2021, Noirwich will take place in a hybrid online and in-person format. A small number of workshops will take place in Norwich, with everything else airing online.
Download a one-page PDF overview of the Festival programme here.
Some of our creative writing workshops will take place online via Zoom. This is a password protected environment with 15 students per workshop.
We will send you further details on how to access the online workshop and use the Zoom platform a few days prior to it taking place. You can choose to download the Zoom desktop or phone app, or alternatively log-in to the session via the website.
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All of our 2021 author events will take place on YouTube and are entirely free to watch.
We recommend signing up in advance via the event pages so that we can contact you with a reminder of the event and send you a direct link for streaming.
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The 2021 Festival is taking place in a hybrid format, with most events and workshops taking place online.
However, Norwich is still the perfect destination for a weekend getaway! It is a compact Medieval city built on a river, running over with stories. Small enough to walk around on foot, while still offering the vibrancy and variety of a large metropolitan city.
From the winding Tudor streets of Elm Hill, to the peaceful Cathedral Close and through to the bustling Market, alive with bright colours and delicious smells, this vibrant and beautiful city is the beating heart of the east of England. Whether you're travelling hundreds of miles to be with us or are just around the corner, Norwich is a city where there is always another secret to uncover.
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Fiction writing advice from Mary Paulson-Ellis, the award-winning author of The Other Mrs Walker.
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Paul Willetts, the critically acclaimed author of King Con and Rendezvous at the Russian Tea Rooms, recommends six essential true crime reads for readers and writers.
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We've teamed up with The Crime Vault to gift one lucky winner with ten unmissable crime fiction books.
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Internationally acclaimed writer Megan Abbott ('A legend for good reason' – The Washington Post) will deliver the 2021 Noirwich Crime Writing Festival Lecture, it has been revealed today.
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Subscribe to the Noirwich newsletter and be the first to get the latest news about the festival. We'll tell you when new events are added and let you know about new interviews and articles.
Arts Council England
Norwich City Council
The Crime Vault
Norwich BID
Norfolk county council
Jarrold
Visit Norwich
