Hillingdon’s crime-writing festival returns on Saturday 13 June with more than 15 bestselling authors due at the Winston Churchill Theatre for a full day of talks, book discussions and writing insight.
The Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival runs from 10am to 5pm, with tickets priced at £12. The event follows last year’s sell-out debut, when more than 200 visitors heard from nine crime writers, and this year’s programme has been expanded for readers, book groups and aspiring authors.
Festival details for readers planning a visit
The festival will take place at the Winston Churchill Theatre in Hillingdon on Saturday 13 June. Hillingdon Council says the day will bring together live author sessions, discussions about crime fiction and practical insight into how writers build plots, characters and suspense.
Tickets cost £12. The council has directed readers to its Discover Hillingdon booking page for the Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival, with further author events listed through the same council-run events service.
The confirmed timing gives visitors a full-day format rather than a single evening appearance. That matters for readers travelling across the borough or from nearby west London areas, as the programme is being positioned as a dedicated literary festival rather than a one-off library talk.
Bestselling names on the line-up
The council has confirmed a line-up including Tom Hindle, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, TM Logan, Louise Candlish and Araminta Hall. More than 15 bestselling authors are expected to appear across the day.
That mix gives the festival a broad crime-fiction pull. Hindle is associated with contemporary mystery writing, Logan and Candlish have strong thriller readerships, while Yarwood-Lovett and Hall add further range for readers who follow modern suspense, psychological fiction and murder-mystery storytelling.
For aspiring writers, the attraction is not only hearing from published names but seeing how different authors approach the mechanics of crime writing. Festival sessions built around discussion can offer a closer look at pacing, clues, unreliable narrators and the publishing journey than a standard book signing usually allows.
From Coffee and Crime to a full-day programme
The Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival grew out of the popularity of regular Coffee and Crime events hosted through Hillingdon libraries. Last year’s festival sold out after drawing more than 200 visitors to hear from nine leading crime writers.
The 2026 edition is described by the council as its biggest line-up yet. The larger author list suggests the event is becoming one of the borough’s clearer cultural fixtures for readers, particularly those who want book events without travelling into central London.
Libraries have increasingly used author talks and genre-led events to reach residents who may not attend more formal literary programming. Crime fiction is a practical fit for that approach: it has a large general readership, strong book-club appeal and a wide spread of subgenres, from police procedurals to domestic suspense and classic-style whodunnits.
Part of Hillingdon’s National Year of Reading events
The festival is part of a wider 2026 programme at Hillingdon libraries marking the National Year of Reading. The campaign is aimed at promoting literacy, encouraging reading for pleasure and helping more people discover books through local activities.
Daniel Kennedy, Hillingdon Council’s Corporate Director of Residents Services, said the festival was “a fantastic event for book lovers” and described it as part of the council’s work to connect people with reading.
“Our libraries are welcoming community spaces that bring people together, and during the National Year of Reading residents and visitors will have even more opportunities to enjoy events and activities that help them discover new authors and share a love of reading,” he said.
The council is also promoting further author events through Hillingdon libraries during the year. For younger readers, the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge for children aged four to 11 is due to launch on Saturday 4 July.
Booking and next library dates
Anyone planning to attend should check ticket availability before the day, as the previous festival sold out. The confirmed price is £12, and the event runs from 10am until 5pm at the Winston Churchill Theatre.
The next reading-linked date in the borough’s programme is Saturday 4 July, when the Summer Reading Challenge opens for children aged four to 11.
Source: Hillingdon Council
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This article was adapted from Hillingdon Council’s published notice about the 2026 Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival.
- Checked the announced date, time and venue against the council notice.
- Kept the stated £12 ticket price and did not add unconfirmed concessions or schedules.
- Used only the author names listed in the source material.
- Separated the crime festival from the later Summer Reading Challenge date.
- Source
- Hillingdon Council
- Scope
- Hillingdon
- Updated
- 2026-05-29 10:56
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