There are plenty of sub-genres in crime writing and one of my favourites is historical crime. Sins of the Past: Historical Crime is on Friday 31st May at 10am, at the Leonardo Royal Hotel, St. Paul’s, 10 Godliman Street, London, EC4V 5AJ. Tickets can be bought here.

On the panel is Laura Shepherd-Robinson, L.C. Tyler and Sally Smith. S.J. Parris is the participating moderator. Between them they cover from the sixteenth century through to the early twentieth century. Writing historical crime doesn’t just require a great plot, it also needs authentic historical details. How do the authors do it? Come along and find out.

 

Authors

Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Laura Shepherd-Robinson was born in Bristol in 1976. She has a BSc in politics from the University of Bristol, an MSc in political theory from the London School of Economics, and a MA in creative writing from City University. She is the author of three novels, Blood & Sugar, Daughters of Night, and The Square of Sevens.

 

L.C. Tyler

L. C. Tyler was born in Essex and educated at Jesus College Oxford and City University. His comic crime series featuring author-and-agent duo Ethelred Tressider and Elsie Thirkettle has twice been nominated for Edgar Allan Poe Awards and he won the Goldsboro Last Laugh Award with Herring in the Library. His latest crime series is set in the seventeenth century and features lawyer John Grey.

Sally Smith

Sally Smith is a barrister and KC who has spent all her working life in the Inner Temple. After writing a biography of Sir Edward Marshall Hall KC, a renowned Edwardian barrister she retired from the bar to write fulltime. This, her first novel, was inspired by the historic surroundings in which she lives and works and by the centuries of rich history in Inner Temple Archives and Library. This is the first in a series introducing the amateur and unwilling sleuth Sir Gabriel Ward KC.

 

S.J. Parris

S.J. Parris is the pen name of Stephanie Merritt who began reviewing books for national newspapers while she was reading English literature at Queens’ College, Cambridge. After graduating, she went on to become Deputy Literary Editor of The Observer in 1999. She continues to work as a feature writer and critic for the Guardian and the Observer and from 2007-2008 she curated and produced the Talks and Debates program on issues in contemporary arts and politics at London’s Soho Theatre. She has appeared as a panelist on various Radio Four shows and on BBC2’s Newsnight Review, and is a regular chair and presenter at the Hay Festival and the National Theatre. She has been a judge for the Costa Biography Award, the Orange New Writing Award and the Perrier Comedy Award.