Free two-day festival of panels, writing workshops and author sessions for secondary and FE students, led by Patrice Lawrence.
The Young Adult Crime Fiction Fest runs at The British Library on Friday 20 and Monday 23 November, a two-day festival for young adult readers. It's part of the library's free schools' programme, which runs workshops, tours and teacher CPD events across London, Leeds and online for secondary and FE students in years 9-13. The whole thing is tied to the library's major exhibition, Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery, so if you're joining online you can explore Christie's letters, notebooks, photographs, personal belongings and early manuscript drafts through the Bloomsbury app.
Patrice Lawrence leads the programme. He's the 2026-2028 Waterstones Children's Laureate, and his young adult books often look at the aftermath of a crime; before that, he spent more than 20 years in the voluntary sector championing equality and social justice. The sessions mix panel discussions about inspiration and writing techniques with a creative writing workshop, and the festival aims to encourage reading for pleasure alongside the legacy of Christie's work.
The line-up brings together a good range of names: Patrice Lawrence, Lucy Foley, Benjamin Dean, Sharna Jackson, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Ravena Guron, Jenny Valentine and Rachael Davis-Featherstone. Between the panels and the workshop, there's plenty to pick from across the two days.
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It's free, though booking is essential. The in-person sessions are already sold out, but the online ones are still available and come with live captions.
