IT'S A CRIME! (OR A MYSTERY...): Is the CV of the crime author changing in the UK?

07 December 2008

Is the CV of the crime author changing in the UK?

Following on from the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards season, Martina Cole came up as a presenter on the lesser-viewed ITV channels as a presenter on a programme/series focused on crime. Then, earlier yesterday evening, historical crime writer Andrew Martin popped up as presenter on Time Shift on BBC2, exploring the history of our railways in the UK. (His novels concentrate on the railways in days gone by.) And last night we had John Harvey exploring Henning Mankell on BBC4, as noted in the previous post.

Is "TV presenter" the next arm to a successful crime fiction author? Can such an author succeed without this element of exposure on TV? What do we want as readers: dedication to the author for the author's sake and value, or loyalty to the fictional stories they deliver?

Does TV presenting work enhance or detract from the author's main focus of work, in written form?

I am interested in your comments, fellow readers. So please leave your thoughts here.

7 Dec 2008 19:01:14 | Author News, Television

3 Comments

All you say is true, Tom. It is a different world now! All the best for your launch in Jan! I look forward to reading your novel over the festive season.

Posted by: crimeficreader | 08 December 2008 at 19:07

And John Harvey intereviewed Henning Mankell over the weekend - though I didn't see it. I think it is nice when someone who actually knows about a subject is involved in a TV programme about it ;-) But I don't watch much TV, so I can't offer a valid opinion.

Posted by: Maxine | 08 December 2008 at 18:40

Looking at the effect Richard & Judy have had on book sales, I suspect getting your face on TV can only help to promote your work and reach a wider audience. For that reason I'm sure their publishers were very keen on the idea, even if many writers - myself included - feel a lot more comfortable behind a desk than in front of a camera. (That old saying, "A great face for radio" comes to mind.)
These days it's undoubtedly an advantage for a writer to have various media skills, or, God forbid, a "platform"! But I do believe that, in the crime genre at least, it's still the book that counts above everything else.

Posted by: Tom Bale | 07 December 2008 at 21:09

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