You might think that an event chaired by the creator of Slow Horses could prove a tad unpredictable, and you’d be right. Mick Herron, at the helm of the 2025 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, brought an element of surprise to four days of book-related festivities in Harrogate, held 17-20 July 2025.
There were some inspired and unusual pairings – including Herron himself interviewing Mark Billingham, who’s celebrating 25 years since the arrival of Sleepy Head with the publication of his 25th novel. Winning the festival’s Crime Novel of the Year award for Hunted, Abir Mukherjee was immediately put to work interviewing Irvine Welsh, while the final day of the festival started with Lee Child chatting to Jackson Brodie creator Kate Atkinson.
Watch our Harrogate 2025 reel for some of the highlights.
For me, the best double act of all came in the shape of Mick Herron and screenwriter Will Smith talking all things Slow Horses – with the previously unannounced appearance of actress Saskia Reeves, who plays Catherine Standish in the Apple TV+ series, the icing on the cake. Chatting to the amazing volunteers at the end of the festival, it appears that their clicker counters agreed – this drew the biggest crowd of the weekend!
Let’s crunch some more numbers – over 19,000 tickets were sold for the festival – the biggest ever attendance – and more than 120 authors took part in 30 programmed events. It’s also 23 years since Theakston first sponsored the festival. Meanwhile, Abir Mukherjee became the 21st holder of the Novel of the Year Award for Hunted, The McDermid Debut Award went to A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman and the work of CFL favourite Elly Griffiths was recognised with The Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award.
Highlights of this hugely entertaining weekend? The On Behalf of My Client panel, which took everyone by surprise by breaking with the usual ‘chatting and sitting on the sofa’ norm. Instead, lawyers-turned-writers Imran Mahmood, Abigail Dean and Guy Morpuss, and actor turned author Dugald Bruce-Lockhart took to their feet and each pleaded the case for a well-known literary villain, later identified by the audience as Moriarty, Hannibal Lecter, Amy from Gone Girl and Annie from Misery. The session was presided over with panache by author Nicola Williams, a part-time crown court judge.
I also enjoyed Critics New Blood, moderated by Herron, that introduced new names to the genre Daniel Aubrey, AE Goldin, Kate Kemp and RS Burnett, while the Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads and Lasses session, overseen by Val McDermid, proved that she can pick a winner or two as four previous New Blood panellists revealed what they’re doing now – step forward Fiona Cummins, Chris Hammer, Stuart Neville and man for every occasion Abir Mukherjee!
In keeping with the general ethos of Harrogate 2025, the weather was unpredictable too. Sunny, sultry days and nights were interspersed with torrential rain that bounced loudly off the roof of the main tent like peas on a drum skin. But that was never going to dampen the enthusiasm of a crowd who were lapping up every minute of the weekend – from the chance to appear on a book jacket or sit in the mockup of an American diner in The Reacher Room to nabbing a free book or two at assorted publisher pop ups, there was fun around every corner.
I’m coming home with a suitcase packed with book proofs and useful linen tote bags, a phone full of author selfies and a head full of happy memories. “Harrogate is the jewel in the crown in the UK. It’s really a readers’ festival rather than a writers’ festival and very approachable – that’s why everyone loves it,” said Mick Herron. I’m not about to disagree. Mark the calendars now – it’s set for 23-26 July next year!
Click here to read last year’s report.
