PRESS RELEASE

The Crime Writers Association, National Crime Reading Month

NI Crime Writers team up with Libraries NI and local bookstores to celebrate National Crime Reading Month with a host of events across the province throughout June.

Following the enormous success of recent years, NCRM is set to return to NI shores again come June and promises to be bigger and better than ever before. National Crime Reading Month is an annual initiative spearheaded and developed by the Crime Writers’ Association. It runs throughout June, this year in collaboration with The Reading Agency. It promotes crime reading right across the genre through bookshops, libraries, and venues such as museums and theatres, as well as online.

National Crime Reading Month aims to bring new books to existing readers and new readers to the world’s most popular and best-selling genre. With its close links to the small screen, gaming, theatre and film, there’s something for everyone. Ahead of the launch event, Belfast born crime writer and CWA Library Champion for Northern Ireland, James Murphy spoke of his excitement for the month in prospect.

“I’m thrilled to be overseeing the celebrations of NCRM in NI again this year. We have such a wealth of crime writing talent amongst us with almost every county boasting at least one successful crime writer amongst its residents, and a steady stream of aspiring and emerging writers keen to progress on their own crime writing journey. We’re also lucky to have equally amazing booksellers and our network of libraries keen to celebrate the talent of our local writers too. We have seen the range and number of events grow and grow over the last few years and have lots planned to make June 2024 our biggest year yet.”

Libraries NI Services Manager, Jillian Mc Fredrick is also eagerly anticipating NCRM in June. “When James approached us with the offer of coming on board as an event host again this year we jumped at the chance. The success of previous years has been seen excellent levels of engagement with our libraries in customers attending the events and asking for repeat visits from writers, as well as customers who had not yet had the opportunity of attending such an event in their local library, asking if one could be arranged. To that end we have, with the kindness of our local crime writing fraternity, been able to increase the number of events we are hosting, and of course, being able to champion the work of the rich vein of local writing talent we have made it a win-win for us.”

National Crime Reading Month is officially launched on 1^st June with an evening of craic in the company of a murder of local crime writers at The Secret Bookshelf in Carrickfergus, to include the reading of a range crime fiction in the form of extracts, short stories and poetry, and will also feature interviews and a panel event, music from The Fuzz Tones, NI’s own band of crime writers and the launch of James Murphy’s eagerly anticipated psychological thriller, Write Me A Murder. 

Further details of events can be found at www.crimereading.com where you’re sure to find something happening near you and will give you the chance to #pickupapageturner

James Murphy is available for interview. Contact via jmrphyjames@gmail.com or on 07834562180