Crime Day

This is your pass to duck under the crime scene tape. As part of the 2026 Farsley Literature Festival we are very excited to bring you CRIME DAY at The Old Woollen.

We have THREE exciting crime events in one sitting, and even more authors. Are you ready?

Taking place on Saturday 31st October, what better way to spend an autumn day than celebrating both crime-writing and the art of psychological thrillers. There’ll be time to pop out for some food and bring it back or we can order in pizza. There will also be the opportunity to buy books and get them signed by the authors.

We have a packed schedule of entertaining, hugely interesting and interactive events.

• 11.30am – 12.30pm: MORAL DILEMMAS with Ilona Banister & Jo Murray

• 1pm – 2pm: SECRETS AND LIES with Mel Pennant, LD Smithson, Jess Kitching & Claire Quinn

• 2.30pm – 3.30pm: Can You Solve the Murder? LIVE! with Antony Johnston

About the Events

11.30am – 12.30pm: MORAL DILEMMAS with Ilona Banister & Jo Murray

With this panel, we’re looking at dilemmas in crime novels that force readers to confront impossible choices alongside complex characters. We’re discussing books that might just make you question your own moral compass. These compelling stories explore the grey areas where right and wrong blur, where every decision carries weight and consequence.

1pm – 2pm: SECRETS AND LIES with Mel Pennant, LD Smithson, Jess Kitching & Claire Quinn

Secrets and lies in stories instantly create the conflict, tension and curiosity that drive a story forward. We join a panel of crime writers to discuss how they use secrets and lies to create suspense, up the stakes and add character depth. Is there a sense of relatability in these themes? Every reader has a secret, don’t they?

Four writers bring us the twists, turns and treacheries of secrets that can ruin a best friend’s life, help solve the case of a missing woman, uncover drug running gangs and corrupt police officers, and bring teenage promises of the past back to haunt.

2.30pm – 3.30pm: Can You Solve the Murder? LIVE! with Antony Johnston

It’s time for a NEW exciting interactive experience, where guided by award-winning author Antony Johnston, you are the detective. Work alone or in groups to examine crime scenes, analyse hidden clues and interrogate suspects to piece together the puzzle and figure out who the culprit is, before time runs out.

This workshop is based on Antony’s book ‘Can you Solve this Murder’; his choose-your-own-story murder mystery series, where at the end of every chapter, YOU choose what to do next. (If you came last year, it’s a brand new investigation!)