BAD 2024 FESTIVAL
12-14 Sept 2024, State Library of NSW
Menu
Close
Menu
WELCOME to BAD 22. We’re back in person at the State Library of New South Wales with our trademark blend of crime fiction from established and emerging writers, true crime and social justice panels and interviews from 8-10 September.
Aspiring crime writers have the opportunity to learn from the best in two writing workshops with Candice Fox and Pamela Hart.
Our crime walks now visit Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Woolloomooloo and on Friday night you can enjoy a crime trivia night and meet this year’s Danger Prize winner. Book now!
True crime, social justice and crime fiction, you’ll find it all at BAD. Gary Jubelin is interviewer and interviewee, Michael Robotham talks about his latest book, Nicholas Cowdery explores why jailing is failing, Sulari Gentill brings her new bestseller The Woman in the Library to life, Rosalie Ham talks about coming home, prize winners discuss their work and much more.
Enjoy an evening of lively crime trivia on Friday night, then applaud the winner of the Danger Prize.
Three panel discussions starring some of the best new fiction writers, including books about seeking retribution for current and historical crime and murderous medical crime.
True crime stories can seem implausible in fiction: learn about the exploits of Melissa Caddick, the improbable story of the Drug Grannies and the tale of the murderous Widow of Walcha. Hear two crime novelists talk to two true crime writers about where to stop.
Browse the three days of the Festival below to find out about all our sessions and make your bookings.
Anyone purchasing in-person tickets for four events in one day will receive a gift book voucher worth $20 to use at the State Library bookshop during the Festival.
We would love to see you at the Library but if you can’t join us, all our daytime sessions are streamed live so you can attend via Zoom.
The State Library of NSW and BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival comply strictly with the most up-to-date recommendations from the NSW Government in relation to Covid, to ensure you will be able to attend and be safe. We will keep you updated as Government requirements change.
| # | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings of Crime: the criminal history of Kings CrossKings Cross was the centre of Sydney’s vice industries for a very long time. Crooks like Abe Saffron, Lennie ‘Mr Big’ McPherson and crooked police such as Fred Krahe and Roger Rogerson ruled the roost, while people from the suburbs came for a thrill and then retreated to normal life in the morning. Local residents and authors Duncan McNab and Louis Nowra talk with Michael Duffy about the sleaze, the organised crime, and the murders. You may want to walk the streets of the Cross with Elliot Lindsay immediately after this session. You may want to walk the streets of the Cross with Elliot Lindsay immediately after this session. | Louis Nowra, Duncan McNab Facilitator: Michael Duffy | 10.30 – 11.30 | Dixson Room |
| 2 | Fresh Blood: Setting the sceneSetting is key in crime fiction. From mean city streets, to rural towns and untamed suburbia, settings play a vital role in the works of these four acclaimed debut writers. Don’t miss this opportunity to find out how and why. | Shelley Burr, Sally Bothroyd, Matthew Spencer, Hayley Scrivenor Facilitator: Andy Muir | 10.30 – 11.30 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 3 | ‘Middle Eastern crime’ in Western Sydney’: Myths and realitiesWriting and reporting about crime in Western Sydney is full of prejudice and stereotypes. Four writers who call Western Sydney home go deeper and examine the fictions and the realities behind the ‘Middle-Eastern crime’ label and how Western Sydney is represented, to present a real picture of the area and the varied communities who live there. | Sarah Ayoub, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Amani Haydar Facilitator: Randa Abdel-Fattah | 12.00 – 1.00 | Dixson Room |
| 4 | Whodunnit?Step into the pages of both The Woman in the Library and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone for an immersive Festival session like no other. Allow the line between story and real life blur, meet the characters, size up the suspects and hear the authors, Sulari Gentill, and Benjamin Stevenson, talk about stories within stories and the process of writing them, without giving anything away. A unique metafictional event about two metafictional books.
| Sulari Gentill, Benjamin Stevenson | 12.00 – 1.00 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 5 | Once the violence is overWhat happens when the violence has stopped and physical wounds are healed? Does life just go on as before or is there another less visible price to pay? Join Suzanne Leal as she explores these questions with Marion Frith author of Here In the After which tells the stories of two survivors of trauma, Mercedes Mercier whose debut crime novel, White Noise, explores the after effects of crime, and psychologist Dr Ariana Krynen who works with survivors of PTSD. | Mercedes Mercier, Marion Frith, Dr Ariana Krynen Facilitator: Suzanne Leal | 2.00 – 3.00 | Dixson Room |
| 6 | The Queen of the ConThe queen of Sydney crime journalism turns her eye onto the Queen of the Con. Kate McClymont and Tom Steinfort who have created a gripping podcast about the story of Melissa Caddick tell us more about this woman whose Ponzi scheme involved betraying family and close friends in conversation with Vikki Petraitis. | Tom Steinfort, Kate McClymont Facilitator: Vikki Petraitis | 2.00 – 3.00 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 7 | The dangers of coming homeHome can be dangerous. What happens when you return after many years to encounter your past? Time and perspective change the past and the present and can lead to murder. Three outstanding writers explore homecomings with Sue Turnbull. | Peter Papathanasiou, Rosalie Ham, Charity Norman Facilitator: Sue Turnbull | 3.30 – 4.30 | Dixson Room |
| 8 | Doctors who killed: Murder or misadventure‘Sydney’s Jack the Ripper;’ was how the press sensationalised the discovery of a large box containing the mutilated remains of a young woman in 1895 in Woolloomooloo. Was the culprit a doctor and abortionist recently released early from prison after serving time for killing five young women? Was he a careless malpractitioner, or a serial killer? Tanya Bretherton and Elliot Lindsay discuss this tragic case and attitudes towards maltreated ‘wayward’ female patients in the context of the medical industry, legal systems and social perspectives in late 19th and early 20th century Australia. | Tanya Bretherton, Elliot Lindsay | 3.30 – 4.30 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 9 | Kings Cross: A tour of Sex, Vice & Murder with Elliot LindsayKings Cross was the epicentre of Sydney’s vice scene and the setting for many stories about crime lords, sex workers, night clubs and murder. On this tour, you will journey the golden strip and back lanes to discover the scenes of the most legendary crimes, murders and scandals. Myth and legend will become a reality. Each participant receives a copy of the casefiles ebook which contains police evidence, photos, articles from the press and further information about each case. | Elliot Lindsay | 11.45 – 1.45 | Meet opposite the State Library bookshop |
| # | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | And now for something COMPLETELY slightly differentYou don’t like too much blood and guts in crime fiction. You prefer it with a nod and a humorous wink at the crime genre conventions, and this session has been made for you. Pamela Hart, Sue Williams and Benjamin Stevenson don’t do deadly serious, they play with the conventions, and have fun with their characters – Poppy McGowan makes a habit of coming across bodies, Cass Tuplin does the best takeaway fish and chips in Rusty Bore, and everyone in Ernie Cunningham’s family has killed someone. | Sue Williams, Pamela Hart, Benjamin Stevenson Facilitator: Andy Muir | 10.30 – 11.30 | Dixson Room |
| 2 | Jailing is failingOur prisons are overflowing but sentencing is a discretionary process and may be shaped by the judiciary, argues Nicholas Cowdery AO QC in Discretion in Criminal Justice. Which groups are at particular risk of ending up in the prison system, why are they there and what can be done to reduce the overuse of prisons? Nicholas Cowdery discusses this with Mindy Sotiri, Executive Director of the Justice Reform Initiative, Claude Robinson from Rainbow Lodge, Australia’s oldest halfway house for men leaving prison and lawyer Peta McGillivray, a researcher on a range of criminology, legal services and community development projects across Australia. | Aysha Kerr, Peta McGillivray, Mindy Sotiri, Claude Robinson Facilitator: Nicholas Cowdery | 10.30 – 11.30 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 3 | Page to screen, screen to pageWhat happens when your story is turned into a film as happened to Rosalie Ham’s The Dressmaker which became one of the most successful Australian films ever? Or when Candice Fox’s Crimson Lake is transformed into the major ABC TV series Troppo? How do you start to write a novel if you’re already a successful writer of screenplays and scripts like Roger Simpson and Michael Bennett? What happens next? Sue Turnbull explores these questions and more. | Rosalie Ham, Roger Simpson, Michael Te Arawa Bennett, Candice Fox Facilitator: Sue Turnbull | 12.00 – 1.00 | Dixson Room |
| 4 | Dreaming Inside: Voices from Junee Correctional CentreFor the past ten years, First Nations inmates in Junee Correctional Centre have been writing poetry through the Ngana Barangarai (Black Wallaby) program. Aunty Barbara Nicholson, the Program Director, Simon Luckhurst, the Program Coordinator and Luke Patterson, a program tutor talk to Rudi Bremer about the success of the program and how contributing to these books is important for the inmates – and read some powerful and moving poems. | Simon Luckhurst, Luke Patterson, Aunty Barbara Nicholson Facilitator: Rudi Bremer | 12.00 – 1.00 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 5 | The times they are a-changin’In these three accomplished thrillers, women of all ages fight back against danger and threat to take control of their own lives no matter the cost. Anna Downes, a writer herself, talks to Rae Cairns, Petronella McGovern and Anna Snoekstra about their latest books in which female protagonists refuse to be victims, and they discuss the changing roles of women in crime fiction. | Rae Cairns, Petronella McGovern, Anna Snoekstra Facilitator: Anna Downes | 2.00 – 3.00 | Dixson Room |
| 6 | Betrayed: The Drug GranniesIn 1977, Vera ‘Toddie’ Hays and Florice ‘Beezie’ Bessire thought they were about to embark on the trip of a lifetime when Vera’s nephew, Vern Todd, offered them a campervan to drive from Germany to India. In fact Vern and his accomplices would secretly pack two tonnes of hashish into the vehicle along the way and they were arrested by Australian Federal Bureau of Narcotics agents, faced a trial and a long prison sentence with no parole period. Journalist Sandi Logan who reported on the story at the time became their friend and advocate. He talks to Michael Duffy about the two women and their fight for justice. | Sandi Logan Facilitator: Michael Duffy | 2.00 – 3.00 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 7 | Three Prizewinners walk into a bar…It’s a dream to win an unpublished manuscript prize and see your book in print. In this session sponsored by Openbook, Phillipa McGuinness talks to the recent winners of three new manuscript prizes. Vicky Petraitis who won the initial Allen and Unwin crime talks about The Unbelieved where women whose allegations of sexual abuse are dismissed fight back, Veronica Lando takes us into the world of The Whispering which won the Harper Collins Banjo prize for fiction and James Mckenzie Watson winner of the Penguin Literary prize talks about Denizen, his Gothic thriller set in outback New South Wales. Enjoy having the State Library bar to yourselves with a special drink. Openbook is a quarterly magazine about books, history, art and ideas, published by the State Library of NSW. Over 100 pages you’ll find feature articles, new writing, photo-essays, author profiles, reviews and more. Subscribe/ give as a gift: sl.nsw.gov.au/openbook | Vikki Petraitis, Veronica Lando, James McKenzie Watson Facilitator: Phillipa McGuinness | 3.00 – 4.00 | The Library Bar, SLNSW |
| 8 | Last man standingOne of Sydney’s most well-known gangsters, Graham ‘Abo’ Henry is the last man standing of a time when Neddy Smith and others committed crimes of intimidation and violence, protected by corrupt police like Roger Rogerson. From his abusive childhood which was followed by a violent career in crime, Henry is best-known as a key figure in a crime gang he ran with Neddy Smith, who was convicted of drug trafficking, theft, rape, armed robbery and murder. Graham talks to Gary Jubelin talks about his life and his book ‘Last Man Standing’ | Graham Henry Facilitator: Gary Jubelin | 3.30 – 4.30 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 9 | Woolloomooloo: Maritime Murder and Mayhem. A WALKING TOURExplore the old colonial port town of Woolloomooloo, once surrounded by alleys and slums where street gangs, cutthroats and serial killers lurked in the shadows. While walking the streets and alleys, you will hear forgotten history while investigating the scenes of the horrifying Woolloomooloo Outrage, Girl in the Box and the William Macdonald cases. Each participant receives a copy of the casefiles ebook which contains police evidence, photos, articles from the press and further information about each case. | Elliot Lindsay | 9.00 – 11.00 | Art Gallery of NSW |
| 10 | Danger PRIZE – and crime quiz nightJoin us for a Crime Trivia Quiz night with drinks and nibbles followed by the announcement of the 2022 Danger Prize winner and an interview with the winner.
Quiz Host Sue Turnbull
Danger Prize presented by Gary Jubelin
Danger winner interview by Sue Turnbull | Sue Turnbull, Gary Jubelin | 6.00 – 7.30 | Gallery Room |
| # | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresh Blood: When carers don’t careLyn McFarlane, Kayte Nunn, Susan White have written gripping crime stories about medical systems which are failing patients and staff. From the hospital where mysterious deaths happen to young women, to the treatment given in the past to the girls at a home for unmarried pregnant mothers and finally to the hospital where a talented young doctor trying to become the first female surgeon in a major Melbourne hospital’s surgical team is subjected to discrimination and assault, the same questions arise. What happens when those who have a duty of care misuse their power? | Susan White, Lyn McFarlane, Kayte Nunn Facilitator: Margaret Hickey | 10.30 – 11.30 | Dixson Room |
| 2 | Truth is stranger than fictionTim Ayliffe talks to two true crime and one crime fiction writer. Whose stories are the most improbable? Would the coincidences and twists in the factual crimes described by Mark Tedeschi and Emma Partridge be laughed at as far fetched in one of Michael Robotham’s books? | Michael Robotham, Mark Tedeschi AM QC, Emma Partridge Facilitator: Tim Ayliffe | 10.30 – 11.30 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 3 | RetributionPunishment and vengeance link these two novels. Better the Blood’s Māori detective Hana Westerman hunts a killer and the discovers that motive for seemingly unconnected deaths goes back to past crimes in the brutal and bloody colonisation of New Zealand. In feminist revenge thriller Daughters of Eve Detective Emilia Hart is faced with a series of murders. A manifesto taking credit for the crimes published by a group calling themselves Daughters of Eve confirms that all the victims were unconvicted perpetrators of sexual violence against women and children. In both cases searching for the killer brings them close to home. Is revenge ever justified? | Nina D. Campbell, Michael Te Arawa Bennett Facilitator: Charity Norman | 12.00 – 1.00 | Dixson Room |
| 4 | BadnessGary Jubelin used to face murderers, rapists and more sitting opposite them on one side of the interview table. Now disgraced, forced out of the police and with his own criminal record, he looks at the world from a different perspective. In his second book Badness, he talks to criminals, victims, scientists and forensic psychologists to look at some of Australia’s worst crimes and asks where evil comes from, what drives people to carry out criminal acts and how we can prevent them His answers may surprise you. | Gary Jubelin Facilitator: Grace Tobin | 12.00 – 1.00 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 5 | Small places, Big crimesMurder happens in the smallest of places. Michael Brissenden talks to three writers who have set their stories of death in small towns. Greg Woodland’s second novel brings back Sergeant Mick Goodenough in the small town of Moorabool where people vanish and have gruesome accidents. Adrian Hyland’s first novel for ten years is well worth the wait as he takes us to the small town of Canticle Creek where secrets and scorching heat combine to create catastrophe. Margaret Hickey’s Cutter’s End Detective Mark Ariti now home in Stone Town land looks for the killer of a property developer but runs into the disappearance of a police detective. Why is the small town setting so inviting? | Margaret Hickey, Greg Woodland, Adrian Hyland Facilitator: Michael Brissenden | 2.00 – 3.00 | Dixson Room |
| 6 | Autopsy: The big revealProfessor Johann Duflou is one of the most experienced specialists in Australia when it comes to performing autopsies and explaining them in court. He talks to Michael Duffy about his extraordinary career, and explains just what autopsies can – and cannot – tell us about murder. | Johann Duflou Facilitator: Michael Duffy | 2.00 – 3.00 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 7 | Lying beside youDon’t miss the latest instalment in the story of Evie Cormac, the traumatised and troubled teenager who can tell if someone is lying and Cyrus Haven, the psychologist whose brother Elias killed every family member except Cyrus. After nearly 20 years, Elias is being released from psychiatric hospital into the care of Cyrus who still shares his house with Evie. What will happen as Evie, Elias and Cyrus try to live together while Cyrus is called to investigate a murder and two disappearances of women who vanished from the bar where Evie works? Nailbiting and heart stirring don’t come close to describing this story. | Michael Robotham Facilitator: Tim Ayliffe | 3.30 – 4.30 | Dixson Room |
| 8 | Executing Justice?Capital punishment was only abolished in New South Wales in 1955 and the last hanging was carried out in 1939. Executions require executioners and Robert ‘Nosey Bob’ Howard, the noseless hangman was once a household name. Rachel Franks has set his story in the context of the movement towards the abolition of the death penalty which still exists in many countries. As a new edition of Barry Jones’ classic 50 year old study of capital punishment The Penalty is Death comes out in Australia, Rachel and Stephen Keim SC discuss Nosey Bob and capital punishment with Nicholas Cowdery. | Stephen Keim SC, Rachel Franks Facilitator: Nicholas Cowdery | 3.30 – 4.30 | Metcalfe Auditorium |
| 9 | A walking tour of Surry Hills with Elliot LindsayMeet at Central Station and meander through dark alleys and winding lanes, unravelling the dark history of Surry Hills, Sydney’s trendiest inner-suburb that was once its down-trodden centre of vice and crime. Investigate historical murder scenes using genuine police evidence, discover Sydney’s forgotten cocaine queen and finish with morning tea in the former home of the notorious underworld figure Kate Leigh. | Elliot Lindsay | 9.00 – 11.00 | Central Station |
| # | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thriller Writing: Crash Course with Candice FoxTHURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 12.30 – 4.30PMThis four hour crime-writing crash course touches on everything from structure to use of research. We explore different crime fiction genres, what works and what doesn’t, and examine the process of getting your idea published. We apply real-life cases to the fiction world and learn about pitching ideas to publishers and agents. Candice helps students understand the difference between a concept that will carry the weight of a novel and a flash in the pan idea and helps you flesh out characters to avoid cliches. Candice has a student-led style. She will drill into the subjects that those in the class feel they want to capture most thoroughly. This workshop is led by Candice Fox. Hades, Candice Fox’s first novel, won the Ned Kelly Award for best debut in 2014 from the Australian Crime Writers Association. The sequel, Eden, won the Ned Kelly Award for best crime novel in 2015, making Candice only the second author to win these accolades back-to-back. She is also the author of the bestselling Fall, Crimson Lake and Redemption Point, all shortlisted for Ned Kelly and Davitt Awards. In 2015 Candice began collaborating with James Patterson. Their first novel together, Never Never, went straight to number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Her books are published in fifteen languages. | Candice Fox | 12.30 – 4.30 | Jean Garling Room, Ground Floor, Mitchell Building |
| 2 | Mystery Writing: The Victim is the Story with Pamela HartFRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 12.30 – 4.30PM To create an enthralling mystery, where suspects abound and red herrings are intriguing, you need the right victim. Creating a victim who has many people who’d like them dead is the key way to ensure your plot both puzzles and ensnares the reader. In this four hour workshop, you’ll learn a variety of techniques to make sure your victim is a vivid character, generating a complex plot even after they’re dead. The process for creating a multi-faceted, complex victim with many options for suspects will solve plot problems and give you a head start in misleading your readers. This course is perfect for those who want to write a classic whodunnit – whether that’s a police procedural, a cozy mystery or an historical mystery. It’s all about following the clues and finding the murderer! This workshop is led by Pamela Hart. Pamela is a multi-award winning author of more than 40 books. As Pamela Hart, she writes the Poppy McGowan mystery series and historical novels, including Regency romances and Roaring Twenties’ dramas. As Pamela Freeman, she writes children’s books and epic fantasy. Her most recent children’s book, Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu, won the Book Week Eve Pownall Award. Her newest mystery is An A-List for Death, the second in the Poppy McGowan series. Pamela is also director of creative writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre and has a doctorate in writing. | Pamela Hart | 12.30 – 4.30 | Jean Garling Room, Ground Floor, Mitchell Building |
Subscribe for the latest news and information about all BAD events and Festivals.
