David Hewson

Category: Venice Noir

  • Venice Noir launches at Harrogate

    Left to right: Suzy Lishman, Philip Gwynne Jones, Erin Kelly, Anna Mazzola, me, Catherine Fletcher, and Tim Rideout

    Just back from a surprisingly warm and sunny Theakstons Crimewriting festival at Harrogate where we launched the international edition of Venice Noir 2026. Here are some of my co-conspirators after the event — Suzy Lishman, our resident super pathologist who has a fantastic panel on her hands this year; Philip Gwynne Jones, Erin Kelly, historian Catherine Fletcher and fiction expert Tim Rideout.

    You can now read the full Venice Noir International programme online here and see our sparkling array of writing and expert talent here.

    Four days in the Ateneo Veneto, La Fenice, Sant’Apollonia, the Querini Stampalia and Casanova’s old casino, the Ridotto, next to Harry’s Bar. All locations you can’t normally walk into as a visitor. But with us you’re welcome… and, yes, it’s true. Every panel event is free to attend.

    All we ask is that you sign up for our newsletter to hear the latest information, and book your free ticket when registration opens in a little while. The main programme is essentially in place now but we have some extras in the work you will want to know about… so stay tuned.

    Many thanks to all those who made this possible, especially Philip and Patsy Irwin, our resident media guru and general grown-up in the room, and the team back in Venice who put all the complex logistics for our fast-growing event together. And our friends at Harrogate who helped us get off the ground in the first place.

  • Countdown to Venice Noir… Harrogate here we come

    Countdown to Venice Noir… Harrogate here we come

    We’ve been working on the international line-up for Venice Noir 2026 for months… and I’m delighted to tell you now it’s done.

    Unfortunately I’m not going to tell you what we have in store. Only that it’s even bigger and better than last year, now running across four days, and we’ve added La Fenice opera house to our venues.

    If you want to find out the rest come along to the great Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate next weekend here’s the chance to be the first to hear — and meet some of the team.

    We’ll be previewing the festival at a special event on the Swift Half Stage on Saturday July 25. I’ll be there along with my fellow co-founder Philip Gwynne Jones, Erin Kelly, one of our early author supporters, and Suzy Lishman, pathologist star of last year’s festival who’s returning this year to teach us all a bit more about death (and life) in her own uniquely entertaining way.

    Like Venice Noir’s main panels, the event is free, though you will need a pass to be in the festival itself of course. But we do advise booking since space is limits to 150 people. To do that just go here.

    I’m incredibly grateful to my volunteer colleagues, Philip, Silvia Bandolin, Marco Vidal and Gregory Dowling in Venice for their help in putting this together, and in the UK Patsy Irwin who has coordinated our media side. And, of course, the fine folk at Harrogate without whom we’d never have got off the ground in the first place.

    Avanti!

  • Venice comes to Harrogate

    Venice comes to Harrogate

    If you’re coming to the great Theakstons Crime Festival at Harrogate next month please put 1pm on Saturday in your diary. That’s when we’ll be announcing the programme for Venice Noir 2026… and quite a few surprises along the way.

    I’ll be there along with Philip Gwynne Jones. Erin Kelly and Noir’s resident pathologist and Venice fan Dame Suzy Lishman talking about the authors who are coming, what they’ll be discussing, the amazing venues we have, and how to make the most of a weekend of free events in one of the world’s most amazing cities. And we’ll all be around for a chat afterwards too.

    Hope to see some of you there. Please note you need to reserve and there is a £5 booking fee (Harrogate’s not ours).

    More info here…