Looking for something to do this weekend? If you’re a crime fiction lover in the vicinity of Brighton, why not head over to First Fictions, an event for and about people with first novels coming out. The event isn’t only about crime fiction, but Ian Rankin is speaking there on Friday night which means there’s every reason crime book fans will love it.

Rankin will be interviewed by Lesley Thomson, who is herself a crime thriller author. Her book A Kind of Vanishing won the People’s Book Prize for Fiction in 2010. You’ll know Ian Rankin for his Rebus series set in Edinburgh, and also for his 5-star effort The Impossible Dead which we reviewed a few months ago. He’ll be reading from his first unpublished novel, and also helping judge a graphic novel competition. On the Sunday author Andrew Pepper will be talking about the tensions between crime writers and literary critics.

Throughout the weekend other talks and discussions are set to take place covering everything from emerging genres to sex in fiction and on to Jane Austen in the digital age. You can take a look at the First Fictions website here. Events are £5 – except the Ian Rankin interview which is the headline attraction at £10. It takes place at the University of Sussex, which organised First Fictions with Myriad Editions. If you go along, let us know what you think of the event by commenting below.