Launched in 1994, this conference offers the audience the unique experience of hearing their favourite authors exploring a theme. It has become a significant entry in the calendar of crime fiction conferences and is a wonderful way to spend a weekend with like-minded devotees of crime fiction. This year's theme is ’Another Crime, Another Place: The role of location in crime fiction’.

Speakers will examine the many areas crime fiction covers: the police detective, historical, ‘hard- boiled’, clerical, classical fairy tales, domestic, the golden age gems, and the light-hearted. We offer challenging talks, excellent meals, on-site accommodation, Oxford itself and amazing camaraderie. The St Hilda's Mystery and Crime Weekend has become a most significant entry in the calendar of crime fiction conferences. This is a wonderful way to spend a weekend with like-minded devotees of crime fiction. Book here.

For our 24th Conference, we are proud to announce that Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is our Conference Guest of Honour and Natasha Cooper is Conference Chair. 

Friday 18th August

6.45pm: Reception

7.30pm: The Guest Speaker Dinner with Mark Billingham: 'Where Jokes Go To Die …'

Saturday 19th August

8.00 - 9.00am: Breakfast

9.10am: Welcome from the Committee

9.20 – 10.50am

Val McDermid: "I now describe my country as if to strangers."

Lin Anderson and Lorna Dawson: Place, People, Particulates and Provenance: How soil trace particulates help track a killer in ‘None but the Dead’

10.50 – 11.20am: Coffee Break 

11.20 – 12.50pm

Andrew Taylor: The Cinderella of Crime: is setting is the unsung heroine of crime and other fictions?

Henry Sutton: On The Edge: East Anglian Noir

12.50 – 1.50pm: Lunch

2.00 – 3.30pm

Belinda Bauer: The Devil’s In The Detail You Can’t See On Google Maps.

Sharon Bolton: The Entirely Unnecessary Research Trip or, as Einstein put it: "Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

3.30 – 4.00pm: Tea Break 

4.10 – 5.40pm

Abir Mukherjee: Place, time and committing murder to scratch an itch: how writing a crime novel helped me make sense of my heritage

Miranda Carter: Wheredunnit: Crime fiction’s worlds and how they got me to Thuggee

5.45 – 6.30pm: Signing session with all authors

7.15pm: Drinks

7.45pm

The Crime and Mystery Dinner with a Murder Mystery written and hosted by Ann Cleeves and Professor Lorna Dawson

Cast:  The Usual Suspects …

Sunday 20th August

8.30 – 9.30am: Breakfast

9.30 – 11.00am: Conference Lecture by our Guest of Honour, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

11.00 – 11.30am: Coffee

11.30 – 1.00pm

Jake Kerridge: Mayhem Parva: The Perfect Place for a Murder

Stella Duffy: Writing Ngaio Marsh’s ‘Primordial' New Zealand in the 21st Century

1.00pm: Closing Remarks      

1.15pm: Lunch

The Bookstore

The bookstore, provided by Blackwell’s and situated in the Foyer of the JdP Building, will be open throughout the weekend.  It will have all the speakers’ available books and also books of other crime-writers attending the conference.

About St Hilda’s

St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford, is on the banks of the River Cherwell overlooking the meadows and spires of the city. Its lovely gardens sweep down to the river, which is famous for punting and picnics. The centre of Oxford is a few minutes walk away, but the College itself lies in a pleasantly secluded area away from the noise and bustle of the city. B&B is offered and can be extended before or after the conference. Access by train is good and there are excellent coach services to Oxford from Central London and from Heathrow & Gatwick airports. Parking may be available for conference guests.

Accommodation

Accommodation at St Hilda’s is mainly in single rooms but we do have a few twin rooms and where a twin room is not available couples are put in adjoining rooms. Unfortunately the college cannot guarantee en-suite accommodation but all rooms have washbasins and all buildings have bathrooms with showers which are private, individual units that have recently been modernised. Tea & coffee making facilities are provided in every room.

Queries

For further information including booking extra B&B dates or with any special requirements not mentioned on this site please call Triona Adams at St Hilda's College Development Office 01865 276 828.