Philip Gooden (Chair)

Philip  writes both fiction and non-fiction. His historical novels include the Nick Revill series, set in Elizabethan London, and a Victorian sequence, the most recent title for which is The Durham Deception. Philip Gooden also writes books on language, including Who’s Whose? and Faux Pas?, which won the English Speaking Union award for the best English Language book of 2006. He was Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association in 2007-8

Helen Pepper

Helen Pepper’s first job was with the Forensic Science Service. She later moved on to become a scene of crime officer with West Yorkshire Police. She was appointed a senior scientific support officer with Durham Constabulary, and later forensic trainer, then acted as Head of Crime Scene Investigation before leaving Durham to join Teesside University.

Helen has a wealth of experience in the investigation of all crime types, from simple thefts to murders and terrorism.

She advises crime authors and TV script writers on forensic and crime scene matters and is a judge for the Crime Writer’s Association Non-Fiction Dagger Award.

Carol Anne Davis

Carol Anne Davis is the author of seven true crime books, the latest of which is Parents Who Kill. She has also authored seven novels, the latest being the kindle-only Near Death Experience. She regularly contributes in-depth features to Serial Killer Quarterly and is a judge for the CWA’s non-fiction dagger. Her website can be found at www.carolannedavis.co.uk

Vanessa Thorpe

Vanessa Thorpe has worked in national Sunday newspapers, covering culture, heritage, media, politics and entertainment, after a training in local newspapers. Following three years at the The Independent on Sunday she joined The Observer as Arts and Media Correspondent in 1999. She also writes features, reviews and profiles for her newspaper and is a fan of crime fact and crime fiction.

Read her work here: http://www.theguardian.com/profile/vanessathorpe.

Kate Godsmark

After a false start in academic publishing, Kate moved to Piatkus, initially as a Subsidiary and International Rights Manager; she was then fortunate enough to enable to indulge her lifelong passion for crime writing on a daily basis when she became Commissioning Editor for crime. In recent years she has worked as a freelance editor.