Put On 14th May a rising star of crime-writing, Louise Welsh, was our Festival speaker. This was an eagerly awaited event, especially for readers of The Cutting Room and The Bullet Trick, both of which are non-mainstream tales of dark intrigue, written with stark and swift-moving clarity.

Louise began the evening with a full reading of an unpublished short story, tentatively entitled A Simple Life. This recounted the dying moments of a recovered alcoholic lying on a hospital bed with his family at his side. The narrative takes us back to some salient features of his life and the transformation that took him away from his drunkenness. As he drifts off, however, something prompts him to whisper his desire for a final whisky, and, with some reluctance, a dab of the “water of life” is placed on his lips, almost as a benediction, just before the final moment.

What this reading showed was that Louise has skill and interests beyond crime fiction, though for the present she will be sticking to that genre.

After the reading, Louise took a variety of questions regarding her inspirations and working techniques. Her research for The Bullet Trick led her to take up (without much success!) conjuring, as the central character in that book is a magician. It also took her to a number of seedy night-spots, and to Berlin and other places. It was interesting to hear how conscientiously she prepared for her creative work. Continuing literary success and prestige seem assured.