Belfast’s NOIRELAND International Crime Festival is returning on 28 March 2020. This year’s one-day festival showcases some of Ireland’s greatest crime novelists, lends a helping hand to aspiring writers, and highlights Belfast significant impact on the world of crime fiction, on page and on screen.
THE PROGRAMME
This year the festival falls into three parts:’ The Writers’ Morning’, ‘A Noirish Afternoon in Belfast’ and ‘A Noirish Night of Stars’. Special guests include bestselling crime writers from the UK – #1 bestseller Mark Billingham, multi-award-winning novelist Abir Mukherjee, and Ann Cleeves creator of the Vera and Shetland series. The programme is packed to the brim with Ireland’s own international bestsellers: Liz Nugent, Brian McGilloway, Adrian McKinty, Jane Casey and Steve Cavanagh – with exclusive previews of their latest novels.
NUTURING TALENT
A keystone of NOIRELAND is the nurturing of new and emerging local talent. ‘The Writers’ Morning’ provides an accessible and affordable introduction to creative writing, followed by a session with publishing professionals offering insights and practical advice on getting into print. Prices for these sessions have been kept deliberately low to encourage anyone with an interest in writing to join in. More information can be found on the NOIRELAND website.
A ONE DAY FESTIVAL
While in previously NOIRELAND has taken place over the course of a weekend, this year it is a one day only event. When planning the festival in autumn 2019, concerns over Brexit and its impact on Northern Ireland convinced the programme committee that a digested version of the festival would be more appropriate in uncertain times. Plans are already being put into place for a return to the full-scale weekend event for 2021.
NOIRELAND takes place 28 March 2020 at Belfast’s Clayton Hotel. For full programme details visit: http://www.noireland.com
