Hillingdon crime festival returns on 13 June: what residents need to know

More than 15 crime authors will take to the stage in Hillingdon for a full day built around live talks, book discussion and writing insight.

The Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival returns to the Winston Churchill Theatre on Saturday 13 June, running from 10am to 5pm. Tickets cost £12, and the event is aimed at readers and aspiring writers who want a closer look at how bestselling crime fiction is written, discussed and read.

A full-day crime writing line-up at Winston Churchill Theatre

Hillingdon Council says this year’s festival will be its biggest line-up yet, with more than 15 bestselling authors appearing at the Winston Churchill Theatre.

The named authors include Tom Hindle, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, TM Logan, Louise Candlish and Araminta Hall. The programme is set to cover live talks, book discussions and writing insights, giving readers a chance to hear directly from crime writers working across the genre.

The festival follows last year’s sell-out event, when more than 200 visitors heard from nine leading crime writers. That first response has helped turn the Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival into a returning date for local book lovers rather than a one-off author event.

For readers comparing local literary events, our earlier Hillingdon crime festival guide also sets out the core date, ticket and venue details.

Date, time, venue and ticket details

The source material does not list transport, food stalls or accessibility arrangements, so attendees should check booking information before travelling if they need specific venue details.

Built from Hillingdon libraries’ crime events

The festival has grown out of the regular “Coffee and Crime” events at Hillingdon libraries. This year’s edition expands that idea into a full-day theatre programme, bringing together readers who follow crime fiction for pleasure and writers who want to understand the craft behind it.

The timing also places the event inside a wider 2026 library programme connected to The National Year of Reading. That campaign is being used to promote literacy, encourage reading for pleasure and support events that bring people into library spaces.

Daniel Kennedy, Hillingdon Council’s Corporate Director of Residents Services, said the festival was “a fantastic event for book lovers” and part of the council’s work to connect people with reading. He also said libraries were “welcoming community spaces” where residents and visitors could discover new authors and share a love of reading.

More reading events later in the summer

Hillingdon Council says more author events are planned through the year, with details available through its author events listings.

Young readers aged four to 11 will also have a separate summer programme, with the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge launching on Saturday 4 July. Sign-up information is listed at www.hillingdon.gov.uk/summer-reading.

Source: Hillingdon Council

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This preview is based on the published Hillingdon Council notice and keeps practical details limited to the confirmed event information.

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• Confirmed the event name as Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival.
• Checked the listed date, time and venue: Saturday 13 June, 10am to 5pm, Winston Churchill...
• Checked the ticket price as £12.
• Checked named authors and the link to the wider 2026 National Year of Reading programme.

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Hillingdon Council

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Hillingdon

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2026-06-04 20:04

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Article contextPeople & topics3#7

Tom HindleSarah Yarwood-LovettDaniel Kennedy

#author events#crime fiction#Hillingdon#Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival#library events#National Year of Reading#Winston Churchill Theatre

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