Do you like the idea of becoming a crime fiction author like Lee Child, Dennis Lehane, Megan Abbott or Laura Lippman? Well one way of getting there could be to attend crime fiction school.

The Center for Fiction in New York – founded back in 1820 – has established a new Crime Fiction Academy. The CFA is open to applications for workshops beginning in February next year. Tutors include the authors mentioned above, alongside several others such as Lawrence Block, Karin Slaughter, Thomas H Cook and Linda Fairstein. Meanwhile the program director is the accomplished noir writer/editor Jonathan Santlofer. The instructors are true quality writers, and in the future it will be interesting to see work from some of the graduates.

“Crime fiction doesn’t just engage and entertain,” says author Megan Abbott. “It tells us volumes about the world we live in, and has helped form the foundation of American literature and storytelling. I am honoured to be a part of a program that celebrates crime fiction and, more importantly, will serve as a launching pad for the next generation of crime writers and a vital incubator for hundreds of rich and exciting novels to come.”

The curriculum includes 14 weekly workshops, monthly master classes, and reading seminars. Classes will take place at the CFA’s impressive building on 47th Street in Manhattan, which is very exciting. However if you enroll but show up late, watch out… it could be murder. For more click here.