For folk in the Northumberland area, I’m running a murder mystery evening at the Little Felton Book Festival tonight! There’ll be a chance to exercise those little grey cells and figure out whodunnit in a mystery written especially for the festival, and then a Q&A with me about my writing process. I’ll also be reading from my new book, The Penford Manor Murders! There’s a bar on site too. Tickets only £10 and profits go to the local Felton school. Period dress optional!

I’ve been making another vintage dress. This one is a 1932 inspired Chanel evening dress in teal Crepe Georgette. It was a challenging make, not least because the instructions on these vintage patterns are so sparse! That and they seemed to have very skinny arms back in those days (well that’s my excuse and I’m going to stick with it.) This is the dress that Miss Clara Vale will be wearing in book 4 in the series, Another Class of Murder. Meanwhile, I will give it a test run at Crime Fest in Bristol next week.

It was an honour to be invited to the 2023 Newcastle Noir crime writing festival held at Newcastle Central Library and hosted by the tireless Jacky Collins (Dr Noir) and her team. I was on an historical crime panel called ‘As Darkness Falls’ which discussed sex, power and feminism in historical crime novels. Hosted by Fiona Erskine (The Chemical Detective), we were joined by the gothic historical crime novelists Bridget Walsh (The Tumbling Girl) and Kate Griffin (Fynshade).

And then after that we all had Greggs mince pies! (You have to when you’re in Newcastle, don’t you? Well, I have to, as my husband, Rodney Smith, works at Greggs!). Happy Christmas to you all!

Join me in conversation with Warwickshire Libraries, Newcastle Libraries and the British Library on Tuesday, 8 March at 7.30pm

From the event website:

Warwickshire Libraries, in partnership with Newcastle Libraries and the British Library are thrilled to be hosting a virtual ‘in conversation’ with crime author, Fiona Veitch Smith.

We will be talking to Fiona, author of the Poppy Denby Investigates series, about her inspiration in creating the 1920s reporter sleuth and how she has drawn on her own experience working as a journalist and lecturer in journalism.

Fiona will also be sharing her knowledge of some of the formidable women journalists of the early 20th century.

This event is part of the Breaking the News exhibition, a partnership between the British Library, the Living Knowledge Network and public libraries throughout the country, launching in late February.

Warwickshire Libraries and Newcastle Libraries are both part of The Living Knowledge Network and will be hosting a display of exhibition panels in their libraries from the end of February.

You can view an archive of previously screened events at living-knowledge-network.co.uk

Tickets are FREE but you need to register here.

Fiona Veitch Smith was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger for her book The Jazz Files.

I’m going to be joining a stellar line-up of crime writers, publishers and agents in the Pro-Writing Aid Crime Writer’s Week on 19 – 23 April. Alongside the likes of Peter James, Leigh Russell, Karin Slaughter and Ian Rankin, I’ll be sharing my experience of crime writing in a session on research for historical mysteries. I will be looking at how to create an authentic historical word. Do join me at 3pm (UK time) on Wednesday 21st April for a totally FREE session. And of course, dip in and out of any and all of the other talks and workshops taking place that week. Visit www.prowritingaid.com/crimeweek to sign up. Full details below.

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