Having only decided to hold an online version a month before it was due to take place, I was concerned (yes, middle of the night wake-ups) that it would be a hollow shell of a festival.

As of this post (15th Jan… eek 10 days to go), it still has more patches than it should but thanks to Donna Morfett (fabulous woman, crime writer, my marketing guru and festival committee member – not necessarily in that order) and all the lovely authors for whom the festival is on their radar, the crime panel’s full to overflowing (it has actually overflowed) with ten out of eight authors wanting to take part.

So in cunning Baldrick style, I’ve come up with a cunning plan, which actually is cunning (sorry, Baldrick – you’re one of my favourite characters). Instead of a 1pm workshop on ideas and inspiration, I will run a panel on that topic but be joined by crime writers! And other genres if there is space but there is currently space on the other panels so the crimies – of which I am one – take priority.