Crime chat set to be centrepiece of festival

VERA creator Ann Cleeves will be talking about her much-loved detective at Durham Book Festival this autumn where the famous author will be in conversation with another well-known name - who's also making her debut as a crime novelist.

- BARBARA HODGSON Reporter

Ann will be chatting about her career with TV presenter Steph McGovern, who has her own first book out.

The local pair are pals and the Whitley Bay author has supported Steph’s foray into writing. They have appeared together at various events including an emotional farewell to Vera night in Newcastle - hosted by Steph and attended by Vera star Brenda Blethyn - to mark the end of the long-running ITV series based upon Cleeves’ crime books.

Now the award-winning broadcaster, from Middlesbrough, has published her first thriller Deadline, inspired by an idea she had while working on BBC Breakfast, which tells of a reporter who has her live broadcast hijacked. The conversation between the two at the Durham Book Festival will take in Ann’s international bestseller success including her other books and the series which inspired BBC’s Shetland.

It's set to be a highlight of the festival whose October 10-12 programme has plenty more, including an appearance by another local success story in Dame Pat Barker who is described as ‘one of the UK’s most revered living authors’