THE Oscars of the crime fiction world, debates between the genre’s most celebrated international authors and the opportunity for readers to discuss murder and mayhem with up to 80 of their favourite writers make the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate the event of the year.

Crime fiction is all about the unexpected and the festival is no exception to the rule with fun, friendliness and the generous nature of the authors thrown into the plot. It’s rare to have a drink with leading writers and even be offered onions with your burger by Rory Bremner, as he did to me, as he passed by the snack counter after interviewing Jack Reacher creator Lee Child.

Other highlights included Eddie Izzard baring his soul about transgender and breaking into Pinewood Studios as a teenager to former stand-up now novelist Mark Billingham and Shameless creator Paul Abbott detailing his abusive childhood to BBC Breakfast business presenter Steph McGovern.

News stories often break at the festival; Abbott revealed there will be second series for his crime drama No Offence and his 2003 thriller State of Play. He twitched with energy as we could virtually see his brain whirring while saying he had seven projects on the go.

And there was an unbilled appearance by Brenda Blethyn who plays Vera in festival programme chair Ann Cleeves’ television series, who loves crime fiction and went to many sessions.

The festival opened last Thursday with the coveted £3,000 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, chaired by Mark Lawson. Sarah Hilary’s Someone Else’s Skin beat off five shortlisted heavyweights including Peter May and Belinda Bauer.

The event has form for attracting international stars that seldom go on tour. This year’s coups included Chicago’s Sara Peretsky speaking to Val McDermid who was inspired by the US writer who encouraged her early in her career. Sara received the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction award from sponsor Simon Theakston.

This session kick started the festival whilst Icelandic guest Arnaldur Indridason closed it on Sunday. Programming chair, the Vera and Shetland series author Ann Cleeves said it was a great triumph to lure him to the UK, as he usually says “no” so he can stay at home and write.

Readers were keen to find out more about the forthcoming and controversial fourth Stieg Larsson Millennium book penned by Swedish journalist David Lagercrantz. Secrecy prior to the launch on August 27 is one of the most fiercely guarded in literary history. The late Larsson’s original Swedish editor Eva Gedin kept the secret but did tell the audience all proceeds of the book, which will probably run into many millions of pounds will go to Expo, the radical anti-racist magazine that Larsson gave his life to.

Another interesting session saw Brian McGilloway, Stuart Neville, Steve Cavanagh, Eion McNamee and Adrian McKinty discuss the phenomenal rise of Irish Noir. They noted they were all dressed in black and are all white males from Northern Ireland. Whilst Tartan Noir from Scotland has many female authors, such as Val McDermid, Louise Welsh and Denise Mina, there are only one or two north of the Irish border.

Neville said there has been a shift in people accepting writing about The Troubles although there have been Twitter trolls and death threats associated with it. Apart from The Fall, Northern Ireland is still waiting for its big break into TV crime.

The worth of readers is celebrated at the festival; they had their own instant conversation about books session and a reader-in-residence David Mark running a book group. And they picked the six category winners of the Dead Good Readers’ Awards.

Readers received more advice through The Perfect Match panel. Stewart Bain of Orkney Library (UK Library of the Year 2015) spoke of the part his library plays in helping readers find those matches and Fife farmer and crime writer James Oswald and others added their own experiences and tips.

Tables were turned when critics came under scrutiny for their black art with the question: should you ever trust a review or book blurb? Former government minister and author Ann Widdicombe said she doesn’t care when she is reviewed. When she was asked to review 50 Shades of Grey she thought it was a book about ageing. Historical thriller writer SJ Parris (Stephanie Merritt) who is also a critic said she could remember every line of every bad review she had received for her work. The audience consensus was that critics could be trusted.

I confess I couldn’t get to see all 80 speakers; there were so many other things to do, like catch up with authors and readers in the bar, play the Pan Macmillan locked room game and attempt to show off my knowledge at the Late Night Quiz devised by Val McDermid and Mark Billingham.

Our team scored half what the winners achieved. When I complained to Val it was too hard she said hardcore competitors swot for it all year.

Now I know what I will be doing until the 2016 festival next July.

By Catherine Turnbull