We are very pleased to announce that delegates to the Bodies From The Library conference will have the opportunity to buy copies of the next two British Library Crime Classics novels before they go on sale to the general public. The British Library will have copies of Lessons in Crime – an anthology of short stories set in academia and Tour de Force by Christianna Brand for sale at their pop up shop at the conference.

Series editor Martin Edwards will be speaking at the conference and, if you ask nicely, may be persuaded to sign your copies.

We are extremely grateful to HarperCollins for generously sponsoring a wine reception to close this year’s conference at the British Library. We look forward to relaxing together with delegates before we all head home after what we hope will have been another enjoyable and interesting day. The reception will take place immediately after the closing panel session “Ask The Experts”.

The programme for the conference has now been finalised and we are delighted to confirm the speakers and topics.

9:30 Doors Open and Registration

9:55 Welcome

10.00 Simon and Lucy Brett: Lord Peter Wimsey on Radio 4

10.30 Martin Edwards and Christine Poulson discuss ‘John Bude and the British Library Crime Classics’

11.00 Mark Aldridge: Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness  

11.30 COFFEE

12.00 Tony Medawar: The Man Who Lost His Head: The Life and Works of Edmund Crispin

12.30 Dolores Gordon-Smith and Jake Kerridge: True Crime influences on the Golden Age

1.00 – 2.00 LUNCH

2.00 Ronaldo Fagarazzi: BBC’s ‘Detective’: 1960s Golden Age TV Adaptations

2.45 Moira Redmond: Fancy Dressed to Kill: The Costume Party in the Golden Age

3.15 John Curran: Golden Age College Crimes

3.45 COFFEE

4.15 Jim Noy: Enid Blyton, Detective Novelist

4.45 Ask the Experts

The organisers reserve the right to amend the programme if necessary.

To book your ticket go to:

We are very pleased to confirm the names of more speakers who will be appearing at Bodies From The Library 2024.

In addition to those previously announced, the following speakers will also be at the conference: Lucy Brett, Ronaldo Fagarazzi, Dolores Gordon-Smith, Jake Kerridge, Jim Noy, Christine Poulson and Moira Redmond.

Topics that will be covered at this years conference, with more yet to be announced, include: Radio adaptations of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories of Dorothy L. Sayers, John Bude, Miss Marple, True Crime Influences and College Crime.

To book your ticket click on the link below:

We are delighted to confirm the first speakers for the Bodies From The Library conference on 1st June 2024.

Tony Medawar makes a welcome return along with Simon Brett, Martin Edwards and John Curran. We are also hugely excited that Mark Aldridge will also be making his first appearance at the conference.

We will be announcing some of the topics that will be included in the conference very soon.

To book your conference place go to:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bodies-from-the-library-2024-tickets-785835002647

We are delighted to announce that tickets for the Bodies From The Library conference are now on sale.

The conference will take place at the British Library on 1 June 2024.

To secure you place go to:

I’m taking a weekend off from the final preparations for this year’s Bodies From The Library conference, which is now only two weeks away, to attend the Alibis in the Archive conference at the wonderful Gladstone’s Library at Hawarden, near Chester. I must say it is great to be able to relax while somebody else is doing all the hard work (in this case the indefatigable Martin Edwards ably supported by the Gladstone’s Library team).

Today’s sessions have featured Dolores Gordon-Smith talking on the mysterious true crime from the Victorian era, the murder of Charles Bravo, Martin himself talking on the 70 year history of the Crime Writers’ Association from its inception on Bonfire Night 1953, Felix Francis talking about how his parents carved out a new career writing bestseller thrillers after the end of his father Dick Francis’s illustrious career as a top jockey, and Len Tyler on the often difficult balancing act to avoid lapses into bad taste when including humour in writing crime fiction.

We were also privileged to be given access to items from the archive of the Crime Writers’ Association which has been transferred to Gladstone’s Library under a long-term agreement that will see the archive protected and properly catalogued for use by scholars of its history.

Tomorrow promises further treats including a look at adapting classic crime fiction for TV and film, investigating just how “cozy” golden age detective fiction was and Chrissie Poulson will be taking a look at detective fiction with university settings.

And, of course, I am looking forward to seeing and hearing Martin, Dolores, Chrissie and Len again very soon when they give their talks at Bodies From The Library on 24th June.

We are delighted to announce some of the speakers who will at this year’s Bodies From The Library conference. They include:

Simon Brett
Martin Edwards
Kate Jackson
Tony Medawar
Richard Reynolds
and
Len Tyler

More speakers will be announced shortly.

Topics they will be covering include:

S. S. Van Dine
Agatha Christie
Impossible Crimes
One-off Golden Age Novels
Clifford Witting
and
How “Golden” is the Golden Age?

But who is talking on which subject? All will be revealed…

Tickets are now on sale for the eighth annual Bodies From The Library conference.

To book your place at the foremost conference on Golden Age Detective Fiction, taking place at the British Library on 24th June 2023, click on the link below:

Book Your Tickets

We are delighted to announce that the 2023 Bodies From The Library conference will take place at the British Library Conference Centre on 24th June.

We are currently putting together the programme and will be announcing speakers shortly.

Tickets will go on sale within the next few weeks so watch this space for more information as it is announced.