CrimeFest, one of Europe’s leading crime writing conventions, has announced the winners of the final CrimeFest Awards.
It’s a historic year for the annual awards as the convention ends after 17 years; the first convention was hosted in 2008.
The awards honour the best crime fiction and non-fiction books released in the UK in the last year, and feature the hotly-contended Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, which offers a £1,000 cash prize.
This year the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award goes to the Japanese author and journalist, Akira Otani (and translator Sam Bett) for The Night of Baba Yaga (Faber), a no-holds-barred queer gangland thriller.
Award judge Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers, which sponsors the award, said: “I read many crime thrillers mainly at night before going to sleep. However, I could not do that with The Night of Baba Yaga. Totally gripping and, quite frankly, violent, but a book which I had to read in one go – not in bits. So – quite different to the usual scenarios I read. It’s set in Japan and certainly paints a different picture to “cherry blossom” ones. Congratulations to Akira Otani for introducing her writing to us here in the UK.”
Akira Otani said: “I’m immensely grateful to have been chosen for this prestigious award. For someone writing in a minor language like Japanese, there’s no greater joy than seeing your work translated and shared with a wider audience of readers. I also offer my sincerest thanks to the translator, Sam Bett, for bringing this novel into English. This prize is for both of us.”
The winner of the CrimeFest H.R.F. Keating Award for the best biographical or critical book features goes to Mark Aldridge with Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness (HarperCollins).
CrimeFest’s Last Laugh Award for best humorous crime novel is awarded to Mike Ripley for Mr Campion’s Christmas (Severn House).
The CrimeFest E-Dunnit Award for the best crime fiction e-book goes to the American novelist and playwright, Jean Hanff Korelitz with The Sequel (Faber).
The CrimeFest Best Crime Novel for Children (aged 8 – 12) goes to Sufiya Ahmed for her World War Two adventure set in Cairo, Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker (Bloomsbury).
The Best Crime Fiction for Young Adults (aged 12-16) goes to Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis, the sequel to the Waterstone’s prize winning Thieves’ Gambit.
Adrian Muller said: “We are proud of the role our awards has played championing categories that were previously not recognised on the awards circuit. However, it’s our work championing children’s and Young Adult crime fiction that we’re most proud of.
“Crime fiction is recognised as a gateway into reading, and has the important ability to hook young readers, helping forge a life-long reading habit. There’s countless research on the benefits of reading, from improved mental and physical health, enhanced cognitive abilities, and personal growth. It improves focus, empathy and understanding, as well as reduces stress. It’s a gift to any young person on their journey through life.
“As CrimeFest closes, we would like to take this opportunity to challenge the Crime Writers’ Association to incorporate children’s and Young Adult categories into their famed Dagger awards going forward. It is vital the future generations of readers, and the authors that serve them, get the recognition and platform they deserve.”
Leading British crime fiction reviewers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults, alongside the members of the School Library Association (SLA), form the CrimeFest judging panels.
In partnership with the independent Max Minerva’s Bookshop and participating publishers, CrimeFest gifts thousands of pounds of crime fiction books for children and young adults to school libraries.
This year also featured the Thalia Proctor Memorial Award for Best Adapted TV Crime Drama, which celebrates dramas based on a book screened in 2024. The award is named in honour of Thalia, a CrimeFest team member and a much-loved figure in the world of crime fiction.
The winner show is Slow Horses (series 4) based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron on Apple TV+. It’s the third year in a row Herron has won the award, beating hit shows including Apple TV’s Bad Monkey, based on the book by Carl Hiaasen, the BBC’s Moonflower Murders based on the books by Anthony Horowitz, and the BBC’s The Turkish Detective based on the Inspector Ikmen books by Barbara Nadel.
Mick Herron said: “Thalia would be delighted to know of this award being given in her name. She was a great friend to crime-writers, a great boon to the community, and is often remembered when groups of us gather. I’m proud to have known her, and I’ll be proud to have this on my shelf. Thank you, Thalia, thank you, CrimeFest, and thank you all.”
CrimeFest readers established the shortlist and the winning TV show.
The 2025 CrimeFest Awards were announced at a gala dinner hosted during CrimeFest on Saturday 17 May at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, compered by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) chair and author, Vaseem Khan.
Hosted in Bristol, CrimeFest was one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors attending over four days.
The final celebratory event saw long-standing friends attend, led by blockbuster author Lee Child, who attended with his brother and co-Reacher author, Andrew Child.
The final CrimeFest also saw exclusive talks from the actor and screenwriter Mark Gatiss on his upcoming TV series for UKTV’s U&alibi channel Bookish, the TV writer Chris Chibnall with his debut novel, Death at the White Hart, and a tribute to John le Carré, featuring his two sons, the film producer Simon Cornwell and novelist, Nick Harkaway.
CrimeFest was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. Established in 2008, it follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.
All category winners received a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award. Eligible titles were submitted by publishers, and a team of British crime fiction reviewers voted to establish the shortlist and the winning title.
The 2025 CrimeFest Award in full:
SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD
– Akira Otani (and translator Sam Bett) for The Night of Baba Yaga (Faber & Faber)
eDUNNIT AWARD
– Jean Hanff Korelitz for The Sequel (Faber & Faber)
H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
– Mark Aldridge for Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness (HarperCollins)
LAST LAUGH AWARD
– Mike Ripley for Mr Campion’s Christmas (Severn House)
BEST CRIME FICTION AWARD FOR CHILDREN (aged 8-12)
– Sufiya Ahmed for Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker (Bloomsbury Education)
BEST CRIME FICTION AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULTS (aged 12-16)
– Kayvion Lewis for Heist Royale (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
THALIA PROCTOR MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED TV CRIME DRAMA
– Slow Horses (series 4), based on the Slough House books by Mick Herron (Apple TV+)
