Fit to an NFT

The National Film Theatre's annual Crime Scene Festival makes its return to the South Bank, and for whatever reason, the literary content has dropped considerably since the time I went. But no matter, as there's still lots of good stuff like:

• Anthony Horowitz in conversation with Charlie Higson about writing thrillers for teenage boys
• Maxim "I'm the Literary Director and I'll tell you this every time I introduce a panel" Jakubowski in conversation with Ian Rankin
• Spy thrillers post-9/11 with Robert Littell, Henry Porter and John Lawton
• Film noir with Max Allan Collins, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Simon Kernick, Stephen Leather & Nicholas Royle

The film portion is of higher star wattage:

• Quentin Tarantino talking about directing the final episode of CSI
• Mark Billingham, Martyn Waites and Kim Newman talking with Michael Carlson about Dashiell Hammett & THE MALTESE FALCON's 75th anniversary
• John Harvey & Teddy Hayes dissecting the work and life of Robert Mitchum
• and lots and lots and lots about Donald Westlake, his work, his screenplays and the new French/Spain coproduction based on his novel THE AX

And no doubt in a few days' time we'll be seeing pictorial coverage by intrepid photog Mary Reagan, who'll be covering Crime Scene for Crime Spree.

UPDATE, 6/30: Ayo Onatade has informed me that Quentin Tarantino has dropped out of Crime Scene, which will no doubt disappoint all those who bought enough tickets to sell out his appearance.

Comments

[Guyot]

Quentin Tarantino talking about... anything.

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

[Ayo Onatade]

I aim to be there after the day job on Friday and for the best part of Saturday. I have decided not too attend on the Sunday. I am very disappointed with the literary side of things as it appears that every year it gets smaller and smaller. All the tickets for the Tarantino have sold out and went to NFT members only!

Ayo

[John Rickards]

And for it to only be updated 3 weeks before the event, and not, AFAIK, announced to anyone much at all... sigh. I got the mailing/invite about the press launch in April, way ahead of that part of things, but bugger all about the actual event itself.

And I was going to try to make it to some of the after-hours social stuff this year as well, but alas, no.

[Mary]

Made it there for the Friday and Saturday events. I agree that the literary events aren't extensive but they have been very good. On Friday I went to The Thriller post 9/11 which was really good, The Other Britain where I got to discuver a few new authors, and of course Ian Rankin. Today it was 75 years of the Maltese Falcon, which was excellent, Exploring Violence: Women and Crime where I found even more new writers to check out, and Donald Westlake who was fantastic. I had to miss Writers on Film since it conflicted with the Maltese Falcon panel and I had to see Mark Billingham. But I managed to get together with Simon Kernick later in the day and he introduced me to Stephen Leather. Really wish I had been able to make their panel. Its a shame they had the schedule overlap. All in all I had a great time. Don't think I'd go out of my way to see it if I wasn't already in town. But it was definitely worth my while. Pictures going up either Monday or Tuesday depending on whether I can connect in from Leicester.