An Afternoon with Ann Cleeves

This autumn, Ann celebrates 40 years as a published author with the release of her 40th novel, The Dying Light. This autumn, Ann celebrates 40 years as a published author with the release of her 40th novel, The Dying Light – a dark new mystery marking the return of Detective Matthew Venn. Join us at The Word for a special afternoon celebrating four decades of unforgettable crime fiction with Ann Cleeves for the 10th Anniversary of the opening of The Word The Dying Light. Detective Matthew Venn is called in to investigate a puzzling death. The body of a young woman has been found in the swimming pool of a luxurious holiday home in North Devon, and her best friend is missing. The property, Tide House, belongs to Paul Armstrong – a rising political star; a fact that quickly draws intense media scrutiny. As a scorching heat wave rages and further tragedy strikes, Venn and his team begin questioning a community brimming with secrets. The dead woman and her friend had been spotted at a nearby music festival the day before, an event which brought locals and outsiders together. Some of whom may have been more connected with the Armstrongs than first thought. Caught between a powerful family's secrets and a powder keg of local tensions, Venn must navigate a treacherous path. Knowing that the real answers lie not in what people say, but in the silence that they keep . . . Ann Cleeves is the author of 40 critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV’s Vera, BBC One’s Shetland and ITV’s The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021, her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries Ann will be interviewed by James Routledge an award-winning bookseller with over a decade of experience connecting readers with new voices. He is the founder of Opt Indie Books, supporting small presses and bookshops across the UK, and hosts Books Unpacked, a podcast exploring the life-cycle of a book. In 2026, he joined Inpress Books as Key Accounts and Sales Manager, continuing to connect independent publishing with booksellers and readers nationwide.