Books & Literature in Harrogate

Susie Dent: Word Perfect

A brand-new tour of the joys of the English language with Britain’s best-loved wordsmith.Following her hit show The Secret Life of Words, Susie Dent is back wit…

Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate

TOPCWF 26 Creative Thursday

9.00am DOUBLE LIVES: WRITING AND WORKING Most writers have a second job, and the second job is writing.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 3 days left

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Awards & Party

Join us as we honour the finest voices in crime fiction with the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Awards, a cornerstone in the literary calendar and a celeb…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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TOPCWF26 Truth, Lies & Alibis

Join crime writers Harriet Tyce and Anna Mazzola for a fast, fun game of secrets and deception.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Can't Get You Out of My Head

Not all crime involves blood or murder, but all crime begins in the mind. This panel examines the insidious control of one person by another, through a distinct…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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TOPCWF26: When Two Become One

How do two writers create a seamless novel, and what happens when one half isn’t in the room?

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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TOPCWF26 Unspoken: Why Are Secrets So Powerful in Crime Fiction?

Clare McGowan and Kia Abdullah, two of crime’s most psychologically astute voices, explore the power of hidden truths.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Special Guest: David Baldacci

David Baldacci’s credentials as one of the world’s leading crime fiction authors are beyond question.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Special Guests: Nadine Matheson & Steve Cavanagh

No one is above the law. And no one is below it. In the ever-twisting world of crime fiction however, people can be above, below and beyond the law, often all a…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Special Guests: Gillian McAllister & Holly Jackson

Spend an hour with two rising stars of crime fiction unafraid to do things differently and whose hallmark is their ingenuity and originality.Gillian McAllister…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Nothing But the Truth?

Crime fiction can be the perfect framework for exploring difficult themes like trauma, class, grief, and identity.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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TOPCWF 26 Come Din̶e With Me

The first of two fantastic opportunities for crime fiction fans to get to know authors in a relaxed but fun dinner environment - and solve a mystery!

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

TOPCWF26 Still Killing It: 20 Years of Doug Johnstone

Celebrate 20 years since Doug Johnstone’s debut and the release of his 20th book. Interviewed by Chris Brookmyre, Doug reflects on two decades of crime writing,…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Special Guest: Chris Brookmyre

Incredibly, it is 30 years since Chris Brookmyre’s debut novel Quite Ugly One Morning introduced us to the hard-drinking, wise-cracking investigative journalist…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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Man About the House

Domestic Noir refers to a particular form of thriller focusing on home, family and children. So that means female writers, right? Wrong!

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

Interview Bingo

Four authors. Questions submitted by readers. A bingo cage of chaos. Each number reveals a mystery question they must answer - from the insightful to the ridicu…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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From Poirot to Podcasts

It is 50 years since Agatha Christie’s death and 100 years since her hideaway in the Old Swan Hotel.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 4 days left

TOPCWF26 The First Crime is the Hardest

Rebecca Philipson’s How to Get Away With Murder is one of the year’s most exciting debuts, and her journey began at Creative Thursday.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

A Way With Words

Words are all I have to take your heart away. And your liver, spleen and limbs. Meet four writers who describe the dark stuff with a dazzling touch of poetry.De…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

Special Guest: Anthony Horowitz

Few writers can match the prolific output of Anthony Horowitz. On screen and on the page, he has racked up a hugely impressive body of work and a deadly body co…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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Special Guest: Lisa Jewell

To have one hugely successful literary career could possibly be considered a lucky accident (it really wasn’t) but to have two is testament to a once-in-a-gener…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

If one genre can get away with unlikeable characters, it’s crime fiction. Four leading authors discuss perfecting the art of the imperfect protagonist.Liz Nugen…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

TOPCWF26 Special Guests: LJ Ross & Jane Harper

Meet two natural storytellers with a gift for using remote and atmospheric locations - Northumberland and smalltown Australia - to spin beguiling stories of mur…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

Whiteboards Versus Empty Screens

Four very different writers discuss (at least) four very different ways of writing a crime novel in a lively and informal panel about the joys of writing and th…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

TOPCWF26 Critics' New Blood

The authors of four outstanding debuts, as chosen by some of the UK’s top crime fiction critics, will discuss their books with head critic Natasha Cooper in thi…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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TOPCWF26 The Late-Night Quiz

Let’s get quizzical at the most fun, frantic and fiercely fought event of the festival weekend.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

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TOPCWF26 Are Spies Heroes Any More?

From glamorous Cold War operatives to flawed modern insiders, the spy hero has changed dramatically.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

TOPCWF26 From Page to Screen

Is crime fiction more powerful on the page or on screen? M. J. Arlidge and Chris Chibnall compare the craft of writing novels and television drama, offering sha…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

TOPCWF26 Dark Minds & Twisted Tales

Ahana Virdi and Will Carver, two standout voices in contemporary crime and psychological fiction, discuss pushing genre boundaries, using darkness and humour, a…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

What Happened to All the Serial Killers?

As technological advances make it ever easier for police to catch criminals, how do killers and crooks (and crime writers) navigate a new world where crime does…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Last chance · 5 days left

Your Local Writer

An author’s workspace is their home from home; whether it’s coffee shops, libraries, pubs or public transport.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Special Guests: Ann Cleeves & Brenda Blethyn

Not one special guest to finish the 2026 festival, but two very special ones. Ann Cleeves and Brenda Blethyn are the two remarkable creatives responsible for br…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Special Guests: Alice Feeney & Chris Whitaker

Make a stylish start to Sunday in the company of two wonderful writers who share a natural gift for storytelling.

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Page To Stage - Our Dramatic Playreading Club

What happens when a great play is stripped back to its essentials? Grab a hot or chilled beverage from the Pouring Room Bar and make your way up to the Loft Stu…

Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate

Top Ten Book Club

The perfect gathering for readers, thinkers and beautiful conversations.A cosy, social book club for people who keep saying they want to read more this is your…

Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate

Raworths Salon North: September

Get ready for a night of curiosity, creativity, and unexpected connections. Raworths Salon North brings the world’s most fascinating ideas in arts, science, and…

The Crown Hotel, Harrogate

Writing Retreat with Rachel Hewitt - on Making History

Acclaimed author Rachel Hewitt (author of 4 non-fiction books, including the best-selling Map of a Nation: A Biography of the Ordnance Survey, and In Her Nature…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

Raworths Salon North: November

Get ready for a night of curiosity, creativity, and unexpected connections. Raworths Salon North brings the world’s most fascinating ideas in arts, science, and…

The Crown Hotel, Harrogate

Writing Retreat with Rachel Hewitt - on Life Writing

Acclaimed author Rachel Hewitt (author of 4 non-fiction books, including the best-selling Map of a Nation: A Biography of the Ordnance Survey, and In Her Nature…

Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate