A dozen CWA authors have joined forces with Newcastle-Upon-Tyne based literary group, Noir at the Bar, to publish a collection of short, fictional crime stories to raise funds for NHS Charities Together.

Running for over four years from Newcastle’s The Town Wall public house, the physical Noir at the Bar event is usually an opportunity for authors of the genre to showcase their creative prowess with fellow writers and crime fiction enthusiasts, and CWA authors are regular participants.

When the coronavirus lockdown started, Noir’s founder, writer and creative writing tutor Vic Watson, looked to move the event online. She dug into her contact book to invite authors to a free weekly virtual get together. Simon Bewick, a marketing consultant and writer, agreed to provide marketing and technical support, and just one week later the first Virtual Noir at the Bar launched.

In less than two months, the weekly live event has been seen by hundreds of attendees live and thousands watching the recordings the following day. Over 70 authors have already appeared at Virtual Noir at the Bar, with over 100 more scheduled up to August.

The duo wanted to create something lasting from these virtual events, and so Noir from the Bar was conceived – a collection of 30 short crime stories. Created and published in just six weeks, the anthology includes stories by CWA members Roz Watkins, Rob Scragg, Olga Wojtas, Robert Parker, Dave Sivers, Zoe Sharp, Chris McDonald, Margaret Kirk, Louise Mangos, Trevor Wood, Fiona Veitch Smith and Derek Farrell – plus some of the best up-and-coming writers in the genre today, stretching from Newcastle to New Zealand.

All contributors: authors, editors and designers have given their time and work for free and have agreed that all proceeds should go towards supporting our fantastic NHS.

Noir from the Bar is available from Amazon in paperback and ebook. All profits will go to NHS Charities Together.

Those interested in joining future Virtual Noir at the Bar live author readings can sign up for more information via the Virtual Noir At The Bar website.