Thank you for expressing an interest in the
AWARDS ACADEMY for the
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.
The voting Academy is a select group of journalists, reviewers, booksellers, bloggers and industry experts, chosen for their authoritative knowledge of modern crime fiction, that help us to select the longlist and shortlist titles for our annual Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.
The Awards Academy members are all avid readers of crime fiction, so we expect they will already have read a significant number of the books that are submitted for longlisting over the course of the previous year. The longlist provides a snapshot in time of the genre, and with the Academy being large and reflecting a range of tastes and viewpoints, we do not expect every member to have read every book that is submitted. All titles are available digitally to members of the Academy on request, and Awards Academy members are offered an honorarium for their contribution on the Academy.
We are always interested to hear from potential members within the industries listed above to join the Awards Academy. We are particularly keen to hear from those who feel they would bring a different perspective to our existing Academy and who can help us achieve our aim of being truly representative of all sections of society – including those who may be underrepresented in the UK crime writing scene – this includes, but is not limited to, ethnically diverse backgrounds, those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, or individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Places on the academy are limited, so to ensure we are able to present an academy that is balanced and representative, please answer the questions in this short survey. We review our Awards Academy make up each year, and we will be in touch to let you know if we are able to formally invite you onto the Academy in 2026 or beyond. If there are any questions in the meantime, please contact Marc Dunleavy on
marc@harrogate-festival.org.uk