The first ever CrimeFest at Ludlow Castle is on course to be a success, after the last few tickets were sold this week.
Organiser Kate Charles, an author herself, will chair a panel of eight other writers including former journalist Phil Rickman, who used to work for this paper’s sister title, the Mid Wales Journal.
During that time, Phil lived in Ludlow for eight weeks while he looked for somewhere to live.
He said: “I did a book set in Ludlow, The Smile of a Ghost – and I hope Stanton’s got a few in stock! It’s set entirely in Ludlow, it’s a complete Ludlow crime novel.”
Phil added: “Ludlow is a great setting for crime, it’s entirely unique.
“I discovered when I was doing my research that it’s one of the first towns that was actually a resort.
“Even back in the 1700s, it was always considered a really attractive town, when people didn’t really bother with that sort of thing.
“In my novel, someone has an obsession about Ludlow and what goes on there.
“It’s a town that’s very easy to get obsessive about.”
CrimeFest will take place just before the annual St Hilda’s Crime and Mystery Conference in Oxford which Kate has also organised for the last 15 years.
The other writers attending include Caro Peacock and Rebecca Tope from Herefordshire, Priscilla Masters from Staffordshire, Andrew Taylor from Glouc-estershire, Anne Perry from Scotland and Deborah Crombie and Marcia Talley from the USA.
Stanton Stephens at Castle Bookshop has been selling the tickets for the event.
He said: “Kate’s been the main organiser and it’s been a great success.
“It’s created a lot of interest and I hope it’ll go ahead next year.
“People have been ringing and booking from all over the country.
“It’s definitely struck a chord.”
