Scotland is to hold its first crime writing festival next year, supported by Stirling Council, Creative Scotland and the University of Stirling, and working closely with Stirling's general literary festival, Off the Page.

What better way to start my trip to this year's Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival than a chat with the grande dame of the genre, PD James? Particularly as the festival's bucolic Harrogate setting seems to have put her in a murderous mood. "This would be a wonderful setting for a murder," she enthuses as we admire the hotel gardens. "The contrast between the beauty, the peace, the tranquillity and the appalling crime, that would be very effective."

Ratchet plotting of her gripping psychological thrillers has established McDermid and her Hill/Jordan detection team at the very top of crime fiction. She talks about writing, morality, crime and punishment

The creator of Wallander talks about his crime fiction, his novels and his African theatre company.

Producers are harnessing new distribution methods and making more thought-provoking television as TV supplants Hollywood as the home of moving picture excellence, experts say.

Acclaimed crime writer Ruth Rendell will discuss with David Grylls the latest edition of the Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes, for which she has supplied the introduction. How important has Holmes been in the history of detective fiction? What differences does she see between Conan Doyle's great detective and her own sleuth, Chief Inspector Wexford? Would she ever kill off her own creation?

Crammed with exciting firsts and special events, this year’s festival will play host to more well-known faces than ever before...

Ruth Rendell in conversation with the creator of Inspector Banks novels and Festival Patron Peter Robinson. Saturday 26 September, 2009.

George Baker – also known as TV star Inspector Wexford – has stepped into the shoes of detective novelist Kate Atkinson after she had to pull out of Buxton Festival's literary series.

The undisputed Queen of Crime, Ruth Rendell, signs a book for a fan behind the Everyman Theatre at the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2008.

Crime queen PD James will accept the first Honorary Fellowship of the festival at a special dinner attended by the Duke of Kent.

Leading crime writers join forces to discuss the motives and methods behind their numerous novels. Thu 23 Oct, 5.30pm 2008

Hats off to crime writer Baroness (Ruth) Rendell who has weaved the plot of her latest Barbara Vine mystery around kinky sex without having to carry out any field research.

PD James, the nation's empress of extermination, monarch of murder and queen of crime will discuss with Kate Summerscale how far crime fiction mirrors the actuality of homicide and detection.

St. Marys Church, Battersea Church Road. Friday, 19 September 2008, 8:00PM. Tickets £6

Crime Queen Ruth Rendell was at Hay to talk about her latest book The Water's Lovely. Still complex and tightly plotted, but Phil sees a development from her earlier novels..

Will Self, Victoria Hislop and Ruth Rendell are among the line up for the 2008 SW11 Literary Festival. The event held by Waterstone¹s at Clapham Common and Wandsworth Council will run from 8th to 28th September.

10 - 19 October 2008

ITV3 has teamed up with Cactus TV to launch a six-week Crime Thriller Season this autumn, culminating in televised ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards to celebrate crime fiction in film, TV and books.

With regard to the Wexford television series, Rendell admitted that at first she did not feel that George Barker was right for the role - "too handsome", (but now he's wonderful), and that Christopher Ravenscroft was "Burden made flesh."

It is now more than 40 years since Rendell wrote her first crime novel "just for fun, to see if I could do it", and her extensive oeuvre also doubles as a fictional record of social change in those years.

No other author in any genre can boast the type of reputation and world-wide recognition that Ruth Rendell can.

Britain’s top two female crime writers both sleep in handmade beds fashioned from wood from the same forest. Probably not a forest in which to take a walk after dark.

The Ruth Rendell session was absolutely fantastic. What an amazing women both as an author and a human being.

Ruth Rendell, soon to see her 23rd Wexford novel in print - coming in August 2007 - was interviewed at the Hay Festival by Stephanie Merritt of The Observer.

Ruth Rendell talks to Stephanie Merritt (Hay - 2007). The great psychological thriller and crime writer discusses her work.

Ruth Rendell discusses crime, punishment and genre snobbery.

Ruth Rendell talks to Stephanie Merritt. Sunday 27 May 2007.

I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d expected Ruth Rendell to look like, but certainly not like the perfectly ordinary, rather stern woman seated I front of me.

CrimeSquad Events

Harrogate Festival

Vivian White in conversation with Ruth Rendell: Fri 22 July 6.30pm

BBC