Crime writing events around the country
New South Wales
Murders Most Foul Sydney True Crime Weekly Walking Tours. Sydney walking tours are guided by historians and archaeologists who take you off the tourist path, into the back streets, hidden bays and coves, and across the secret gardens, in search of forgotten stories, relics and mysteries. From $35. Book here.
Fourth Wednesday of the month, February-November, 12.30-1.30 pm. BAD Sydney Crime Book Club at the Sydney Mechanics School of the Arts. At each session, the conversation will be led by a member of the BAD board, each an expert in various aspects of crime writing. $10 per session, bookings essential. Places are limited, and booking in advance is essential. See you there! BAD book-clubbers receive discounts from Abbey’s Bookstore in Sydney CBD for each month’s selected title after ticket purchase, plus the opportunity to meet the author at the session where we discuss their book. Every month there will also be a lucky door prize of your next great crime read! February booking here. March booking here.
Friday 17 July, 1.45 pm for a 2 pm afternoon tea; tour finishes at 3.45 pm: From Darlo to the Cross: In the Footsteps of Juanita Nielsen. Save the date for July’s BAD All Year event, when award-winning crime author Natalie Conyer and expert tour guide Elliot Lindsay explore the locations of Natalie’s new crime novel Finding the Bones. Inspired by one of Sydney’s most notorious cold cases, the 1975 disappearance of activist Juanita Nielsen, Natalie’s book is a bold reimagining of what might have happened had Nielsen’s body ever been discovered. Meet outside Shuk Café, 61-69 Roslyn Gardens. $35. Book here.
Wednesday 22 July, 12.00 pm arrival for a 12.30 pm start: BAD Sydney Crime Book Club discusses The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein. The mushroom poisoning cases in Leongatha fascinated Australia and the world. Three renowned literary journalists and writers, Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein sat in on the trial and collaborated on The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a triple murder trial, a book which reads like a podcast. ‘Undoubtedly the nonfiction book of the season,’ according to Readings. What will your verdict be? Bring your lunch. Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney. Book here.
Thursday 20 August, 6.00 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Candice Fox, and Nicholas Timms in conversation with Darcy Tindale. Gosford Regional Library, 123A Donnison St., Gosford. Free, but please book.
Friday 21 August, 10.00 am-1 pm – Writing Workshop. Ashley Kalagian Blunt, the Queen of Tech Noir, is holding a writing workshop from the rooftop room of BAD Sydney venue partner, Ardency Trebartha, with coffee and cake as fuel. This session will give you a set of practical tools and techniques to craft strong, engaging scenes that work together to form a compelling and cohesive story. Ardency Trebartha, 61-69 Roslyn Gardens, Elizabeth Bay. $150 ($125 concession). Book here.
Tuesday 25 August, 6.00 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Candice Fox, and Nicholas Timms in conversation with Darcy Tindale. Gleebooks, Upstairs, 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. $15. Please book.
Tuesday 25 August, 6.00 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Candice Fox, and Nicholas Timms in conversation with Darcy Tindale. Gleebooks, Upstairs, 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. $15. Please book.
Queensland
Thursday 23 July, 6.00 pm – 9 pm: Sisters in Crime Queensland Literary Dinner: Thrilling night of mystery and intrigue with novelists Edwina Shaw, KD Aldyn & Shailee Thompson in conversation with Harrie Blake. Darling and Co, 157 Given Tce, Paddington. $65 (includes a drink and alternate drop main course). Book here.
Thursday 30 July, 5.30 pm – 7 pm: All welcome at the launch of Lost, the third book by Sisters in Crime member, Nicole Morris, Director of the Australian Missing Persons Register. Toowoomba City Library, 155 Herries St., Toowoomba City. Free, but please book.
Thursday 6 August, 6.30 pm. Tess Merlin in Conversation with January Gilchrist for a fun and lively discussion of Tess’s new release 🤌(Subtitled: The Pinch). It draws on Tess’s experience as a police officer and her life in Italy, to combine crime, mystery, romance and family saga. Books@Stones, 360 Logan Road, Stones Corner. Free, but please book.
Friday 7 August, 6 pm for a 6.30 pm start: Joanna Jenkins will be in conversation with Fiona Stager about her new novel, Bad Neighbours. Former Brisbane lawyer Ruth Dawson has found her ideal living space in an Art Deco building in Potts Point, The Lumen. It’s perfect until Ben, the homeless guy, dies under the corrugated iron lean-to in the garden where he lived. Her fellow residents are not happy when Ruth brings in a detective. But she’s certain Ben was poisoned, and one of her neighbours knows it too. Avid Reader event. The Loft – 100 Boundary Street, West End (above Archive Beer Boutique) $15.00. Book and ticket deal for $45.00. Book here.
Tuesday 8 September, 5.00 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Amanda Hampson, and Fiona McIntosh in conversation with Georgia Harper, K D Alwyn and Samantha Ross. Noosa Library Service, 7 Wallace Drive, Noosaville $15. Please book.
Wednesday 9 September, 6.30 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Amanda Hampson, and Fiona McIntosh in conversation with Georgia Harper, K D Alwyn and Samantha Ross. Avid Reader, 193 Boundary St., West End. $15. Please book.
South Australia
Tuesday 1 September, 6.30 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Margaret Hickey, and Fiona McIntosh in conversation with Margaret McGovern. Burnside Library, 401 Greenhill Rd., Tusmore. $10. Please book .
Keep up to date with South Australian activities on Sisters in Crime’s dedicated Facebook group.
Victoria
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 7.30 pm: Melbourne’s True Crime Tour. ‘Enjoy a leisurely guided walking tour revisiting historic true crime spots that will leave you speechless.’ $35. Book here.
Tuesday 21 July, 6.30 pm-7.30 pm. Two crime authors discuss their books – Penny Tangey and Victoria Brownlee. Penny’s debut adult crime novel, What Rhymes with Murder?, is a witty cosy mystery set in at East Melbourne Library – with a murder during Baby Rhyme Time! Inspired by her time on maternity leave, she imagined a bored and curious new mum-turned-amateur detective, bringing humour and heart to the genre. Victoria, an internationally published writer and editor, has built a diverse career across food, travel, and lifestyle, with work featured in TimeOut, ArtsHub, and more, plus appearances at major writers festivals. She now steps into the thriller space with her suspenseful debut, The Writers Retreat. Emerald Hill Library, 195 Bank St, South Melbourne. Proudly presented by the Friends of Emerald Hill Library. Free, but please book.
Friday 24 July, 8:00 pm: Sisters in Crime – Law & Disorder. Drawing on the rich tradition of lawyers dominating crime and legal fiction are three Australian authors, Rebecca Lim (The Graduate), Joanna Jenkins (Bad Neighbours), and Eve Thomson (Smother). Their investigations traverse top male-dominated law firms, an Art Deco apartment complex, and an elite school’s girls’ football team. They’ll be admitting all to host, Melbourne author, Lyn Yeowart. Fee includes dinner from 6.30 pm. The Rising Sun Hotel, 2 Raglan Street, South Melbourne. Book here.
Sunday 26 July, 10.30 am – 11.30 am. Apollo Bay Wordfest, Crime Fiction: The Darkness Within. Ask any librarian or bookseller, and they’ll tell you: crime fiction is getting darker and more and more popular. J.P. Pomare (The Gambler, The Wrong Woman), Christian White (The Long Night, The Ledge), and Louise Milligan (Shellybanks, Pheasants Nest) will explore why we are increasingly drawn to true crime and darker fictional settings. Apollo Bay Mechanics Hall, 21 Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay. $15-$25. Book here.
BOOKED OUT! Tuesday 28 July, 6:00 pm- 7:00 pm: Melbourne Rare Book Week event. Digging for Dirt – Criminal inspiration from the archives. Tara Oldfield and Lucy Sussex will be discussing the critical role that archival research plays in creating historical crime writing, both fiction and non-fiction. Prahran Mechanics Institute 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran. Free, but please book here.
Wednesday 5 August, 10 am-4 pm/Saturday 8 August, 10 am-4 pm/Weekend option Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 August, 10 am-4 pm: Online thriller writing workshop with AnnaSnoekstra. This will guide you through every twist and turn of crafting gripping crime and mystery fiction, how to create unreliable narrators and fascinating antagonists, how to use setting as character, and how to plot and structure. $185 or $395 for the weekend. Book here.
Saturday, 15 August, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Local Word Writing Festival. Sisters in Crime author, Dr Tanya Scott, on Writing Realistic Illness and Injuries. Does your story feature a character with a disability or illness, or someone who sustains an injury? Are you writing about a doctor or healthcare worker? This interactive workshop with Dr Scott explores writing about illness, injuries, and healthcare realistically and respectfully. Torquay Library, Surf City Plaza, Beach Road. $20 (concession) or $40. Book here.
Thursday 20 August, 6.30 pm: Jane R. Miles will discuss her new psychological thriller, Stay Buried. As Cyclone Tracy tears through Darwin, four girls disappear into the heart of the outback. No tracks. No bodies. No answers. Readings, State Library Victoria, 285-321 Russell St, Melbourne. Free, but please book.
Sunday 20 August, 1.00 pm: Crime? Romance? Fantasy? Thriller? What is a book genre anyway? Two new romance writers and a crime writer talk about what they write and why – Olivia Tolich, Bridie Blake & Sandi Wallace. Festival of Stories, Phillip Island. $27.50 Book here.
Tuesday 1 September, 6.00 pm. Amie Kaufman hosts the launch of the new YA murder mystery, Five Voices, by WA Sister in Crime, Tamara Moss. Readings Emporium, Level 1, Emporium Melbourne, 287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne. Free, but please book.
Wednesday 9 September, 6.00 pm: Join crime fans in celebrating the launch of The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis. When two convicted rapists walk free on appeal, the town of Deception Bay splits down the middle. When Antigone’s mother, a doctor, vanishes while responding to a call for help, Antigone enters a desperate race to find her. Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon St., Carlton. Free, but please book here.
Thursday 10 September, 6.30 pm: Riley James in conversation about her gripping survivalist thriller, The Wreck, set around a remote island in Bass Strait. Readings State Library, 285-321 Russell Street, Melbourne. Free, but please book here.
Western Australia
Wednesday 2 September, 6.30 pm Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Margaret Hickey, Mercedes Mercier, and Rachael Johns in conversation with Michael Trant. Wanneroo Library, 3 Rocca Way, Wanneroo. Free but please book.