In Conversation with Stephanie Merritt
'Everything Ann Cleeves writes is incredible' Richard Osman
Sunday Times bestselling author, creator of Vera and Shetland, makes a welcome return to the Festival to talk about her captivating new novel The Dying Light, set in North Devon and featuring Detective Matthew Venn. The page-turning mystery will see the detective investigate the body of a young woman found dead in the pool of a luxury holiday home. The woman’s best friend has disappeared, and the property belongs to a rising political star, leading to intense media scrutiny. As further tragedy strikes, and community tensions rise, Venn must navigate a treacherous path to uncover the truth.
Ann will also discuss The Killing Stones, the latest novel to feature Detective Jimmy Perez, his first appearance since the beloved Shetland series. Gripping and atmospheric, it sees Perez living on the wilds of Orkney and investigating the death of one of his childhood friends, slain by a Neolithic stone.
About the Author: Ann Cleeves is the author behind ITV’s Vera and BBC One’s Shetland. She has written over thirty novels, and is the creator of detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn - characters loved both on screen and in print. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. In 2012 she was inducted into the CWA Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame and is the 2017 recipient of the CWA Diamond Dagger, the highest honour in British crime writing. Ann grew up in North Devon and now lives in North Tyneside. In 2022 she was awarded an OBE for services to reading and libraries. She is a patron of the Appledore Book Festival.
About the Interviewer: Stephanie Merritt (aka S.J. Parris) began reviewing books for national newspapers while she was reading English literature at Cambridge. After graduating, she went on to become Deputy Literary Editor of The Observer in 1999. She is the author of more than a dozen works of fiction and non-fiction. She continues to work as a feature writer and critic for the Guardian and the Observer, and is a regular chair and presenter at the Hay Festival and the National Theatre. Stephanie has been a judge for the Costa Biography Award, the Orange New Writing Award and the Perrier Comedy Award. She lives in the south of England with her son.