Capital Crime 2025 – First Authors Announced!

 

Capital Crime is the highlight of my year and so I'm thrilled to be able to share the first authors announced as attending Capital Crime 2025 today!

With the full schedule and lineup being announced in early 2025, book your tickets now at early bird prices to save over 20% while stock lasts!

ORDER YOUR 2025 EARLY BIRD TICKETS HERE!

CAPITAL CRIME 2025 RETURNS IN JUNE, INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL HEADLINERS LINWOOD BARCLAY AND KARIN SLAUGHTER; HOMEGROWN BESTSELLERS RUTH WARE, RICHARD ARMITAGE; AND ACCLAIMED SCREENWRITERS SUK PANNU AND CHRIS CHIBNALL

 

The 2025 festival to return to the Leonardo Royal Hotel, on 13^th and 14^th June, and Fingerprint Awards on 12^th June

 

Capital Crime, the celebrated crime and thriller festival led by Goldsboro Books’ co-founder and managing director David Headley, has announced that it will be returning in June 2025, with a star-studded programme drawing crime fans across the UK and internationally to London.

 

The festival returns to the Leonardo Royal Hotel in St Paul’s, and confirmed authors and speakers so far include: 

 

• Sunday Times bestselling Canadian author Linwood Barclay
• Ruth Ware, author of critically acclaimed psychological thrillers including Sunday Times bestsellers In A Dark Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10, currently being adapted by Netflix, with Keira Knightley to star
• Karin Slaughter and Mark Billingham, who will be in conversation with Louise Minchin celebrating 25 years in publication
• Award-winning Sunday Times bestseller Dorothy Koomson
• Thriller writer and Fool Me Once star Richard Armitage
• British Book Award-winning thriller writer Lisa Jewell
• Spy writing royalty Charlotte Philby and Nick Harkaway
• Multi-million bestselling author Conn Iggulden
• Suk Pannu, former Goodness Gracious Me writer, and creator of the Mrs Sidhu Investigates television, radio and book series
• Doctor Who and Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall

 

The programme also includes authors at all stages of their writing careers, from critically heralded debut novelists Ram Murali and Erin E. Adams to million copy bestsellers Erin Kelly and Clare Mackintosh; and from all around the world, such as Iceland’s Oscar nominated screenwriter Jon Atli Jonasson, to Australia’s leading crime writers Chris Hammer and Hayley Scrivenor. The panels will cover all sub-genres of crime and thriller, from historical and Golden Age crime, to psychological and supernatural thrillers.

 

The full line-up will be announced in March next year.

 

Also returning are the Fingerprint Awards, this year to be presented by Steph McGovern, which celebrate the best in the crime and thriller genre, and are voted for by readers. Previous winners include bestsellers Louise Candlish and Lisa Jewell, for the Thriller Book of the Year and the Overall Best Crime Book of the Year respectively.

 

Headley and his team at Goldsboro Books have helped launch the careers of so many authors since it opened 25 years ago, by uniting incredible writing with their loyal, ever-growing community of passionate readers. Capital Crime is a brilliant extension of that vision: ahead of its fifth festival, it is well-established as an unmissable fixture in the literary calendar, one of the largest crime fiction festivals in the UK, and the only one to be owned by an independent bookshop. With a line-up which fully reflects the vibrant and culturally diverse city that it calls home, Capital Crime’s goal is to create a year-round home for crime and thriller readers and authors, celebrating books and stories, and nurturing the next generation of talent and book enthusiasts. The festival attracts authors from around the world, to create a unique, innovative and entertaining programme, pairing debuts with household names. In 2024, Capital Crime welcomed more than 1,000 attendees, for events with Anthony Horowitz, Lynda LaPlante, Irvine Welsh and Abir Mukherjee, and the majority purchasing full weekend passes.

 

Capital Crime co-founder and Goldsboro Books managing director David Headley, said:

“Capital Crime is going from strength to strength, year on year. We were delighted to welcome record crowds in June, and many attendees immediately bought early bird tickets when the festival closed. Our programme is shaping up brilliantly, with incredible authors from around the world gathering in a celebration of crime fiction, from spy thrillers to cosy crime. We’ll be seeing bestselling fan favourites, but we’re also really pleased to be bringing to the stage extremely exciting emerging voices, who we know our audiences will love just as much as we do.”

 

Capital Crime Festival Director Lizzie Curle, said:

“It has been overwhelming to see the support for Capital Crime growing since our launch in 2019, and I can’t believe that we’re approaching our fifth festival! I’m overjoyed to welcome some of the best crime writers in the world, from returning headliners Richard Armitage and Lisa Jewell, as well as the international sensation Linwood Barclay, but I’m also so proud of our commitment to championing debut writers and up and coming voices, such as Remi Kone, Mel Pennant, Ram Murali and Barnaby Martin – all of whom have huge careers ahead of them.”

I'm so excited to see some of my favourite authors – and to discover new favourites. Capital Crime excels at balancing the established writers with those at the start of their career and there really is something for every crime fiction lover at this superbly run, welcoming festival. I hope to see some of you there too!