I was lucky enough to join the exodus north to the glorious
city of Stirling last weekend for the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival for
the panel, The Legacy of Brit Noir. Joining novelists Cathi Unsworth and Harry
Brett and ably directed and moderated by crime writer, Douglas Skelton, the
conversation was free-flowing and the audience ready to engage with the
discussion at Q&A time. All in all a fantastic weekend with some
interesting and thought provoking debate, great scenery, a healthy dose of end of the pier entertainment, and a few beers with old and new friends.
For the most part, the Brit Noir panel covered ground we
knew well: in brief, an attempt to define noir in the US and European tradition, how
the genre in Britain emerges from an influx of European artists, writers and film makers
in the 1930s and 40s and, similarly, blacklisted writers and film makers forced
to leave the US in the 1950s. The noir sensibility, particularly of the film-makers,
permeates Britis…
Hurrah, whoopee, and other excited noises! Great article xxx
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