Partners in crime, The Reading Agency and the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), are plotting to get the nation reading. Clues, crimes, and cliffhangers await this June as National Crime Reading Month (NCRM) ushers a month-long festival of reading, celebrating the UK’s obsession with crime fiction.
The month-long festival is hosted by the CWA in partnership with the national charity, The Reading Agency, with support from ambassadors, including bestselling authors Steve Cavanagh, Vaseem Khan, Robin Stevens, Victoria Selman and Penny Batchelor.
This June is set to be the biggest yet as it coincides with the Department of Education initiative, the National Year of Reading. The CWA, founded in 1953, is one of the UK’s oldest associations designed to support, promote and celebrate the genre and its authors.
Nadine Matheson, Chair of the CWA, said: “Crime fiction is the world’s most popular and best-selling genre and for good reason. From police procedurals to psychological thrillers, historical mysteries to cosy crime, Nordic noir to the Deep South, small town to vast cities, there is truly something for everyone. These are the stories that have given us unforgettable characters, such as Jack Reacher and Vera Stanhope, and brought them to our screens. National Crime Reading Month celebrates the full, expansive world of crime fiction, welcoming readers of every age, lifelong crime readers and inviting new readers to discover why this genre endures. There has never been a better time to pick up a crime novel.”
Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The Reading Agency said: “Crime fiction is a powerful gateway into reading, bringing together compelling storytelling, rich characters and page-turning suspense. Its breadth and diversity mean there is something for everyone, helping more people discover the joy and benefits of reading. At The Reading Agency, we know that reading can change lives – supporting wellbeing, confidence and connection. Crime fiction has a unique ability to draw people in, and through NCRM we hope to inspire more readers across the UK to pick up a book and experience those benefits for themselves through events in libraries and communities nationwide.”
The Reading Agency’s research* shows just 53% of UK adults consider themselves to be regular readers. Almost half of adults (46%) struggle to focus on reading due to distractions, while one in three multitask while reading. The charity’s State of the Nation’s Adult Reading report found reading had a profound impact on wellbeing:
- Compared to non-readers, regular readers are 86% more likely to report feeling a sense of belonging to their community, 58% more likely to report feeling generally happy, 51% more likely to report finding it easy to relax and 45% more likely to report sleeping well.
- They are also 35% more likely to say they don’t feel lonely and 32% more likely say they don’t feel anxious or depressed.
- An official launch event for NCRM is hosted on 30 May in York with Noir at the Bar at All Saint’s Church, hosted by the independent bookshop, Criminally Good Books, and the CWA. Nine authors including will read extracts from their books, and the event will feature author signings and a book stand.
London-bound crime fiction fans can attend a panel at Capital Crime on 20 June: ‘If You Don’t Read, You Can’t Write’. It will be chaired by author and CWA co-ordinator, Heather Fitt, with last year’s winner of the CWA’s John Creasey First Novel Dagger, Katy Massey, and authors, Luca Veste and Erin Young.
There will also be an online launch at 7pm on 7 June, hosted by the writer Emma Christie in conversation with authors from across the crime fiction genre, supported by the CWA and The Reading Agency.
Up and down the country throughout June, readers can join author Q& A sessions, book groups, and workshops in bookshops, local libraries, museums, theatres, as well as free, accessible online sessions.
For NCRM events, visit: Events – National Crime Reading Month