Sunday 21st September 2025, 12:00am

The Never-Ending Golden Age - Taking Christie's Blueprint in New Directions

Super Panel: Janice Hallett, Vaseem Khan and Steph McGovern

Agatha Christie is as synonymous with the Golden Age as Poirot is with Hastings, or Tommy is with Tuppence. In her Golden Age detective novels, Christie and her contemporaries created the blueprint for future detective fiction. Common tropes such as amateur sleuths, locked-room mysteries or seemingly impossible crimes, a small group of suspects, clues and red herrings, often feature in detective fiction written today. In our second Super Panel event, bestselling authors, Janice Hallett, Vaseem Khan and Steph McGovern discuss the never-ending Golden Age and how their novels are taking Christie's blueprint in new directions.

Janice Hallett is the author of five best-selling novels. Her debut, The Appeal, was a Sunday Times’ Bestseller and Waterstones’ Thriller of the Month. Her second The Twyford Code won Crime & Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2023. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was a Richard & Judy Bookclub pick and an instant bestseller on its launch in January 2023, as was her novella The Christmas Appeal, in October 2023 and her latest novel The Examiner was published in August 2024. Her first murder mystery for children aged 8-12, A Box Full of Murders, is published in June 2025 by Puffin.

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India, and the upcoming Quantum of Menace, the first in a series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the CWA Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. In 2023, he was elected the Chair of the UK Crime Writers’ Association.

Steph McGovern is an award-winning broadcaster who currently presents The Rest is Money podcast with Robert Peston. Steph has worked in journalism for over twenty years, eight of them as part of the BBC Breakfast family. She went on to present her own BAFTA-nominated live daily show, Steph’s Packed Lunch, on Channel 4 and is a regular Have I Got News for You panelist and host. Steph is an avid crime reader and has interviewed countless authors including Val McDermid, Harlan Coben, Ann Cleeves, Hilary Clinton, Lee Child and Don Winslow, as well as judging the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award at the Harrogate Crime Festival since 2019. Deadline is her first novel.

Venue: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey

Accessibility

There is a drop-off point and limited parking within the grounds for disabled visitors. Entry to the Spanish Barn is relatively level, but there are a few cobble stones to cross, before entering the completely flat interior. We have space for wheelchairs, although if you let us know in advance, we can ensure that there is ample dedicated space for the number of wheelchair users. We have again raised the height of the main stage this year, so that guest speakers can easily be seen and have a hearing loop in the front half of the Barn nearest the stage. We also have two TV screens midway down the barn screening what is happening on the stage. There is a disabled toilet available to the rear of the Spanish Barn.

If you have any particular access requirements or enquiries, do please get in touch and we will do whatever we feasibly can to accommodate you. Please email admin@iacf-uk.org

Getting there

Getting to the venue

The Spanish Barn is in the grounds of Torre Abbey. This is on Torquay seafront and walkable from most hotels in the area. It is also right next to Torquay Train Station.

Parking

There is no parking in the grounds of Torre Abbey except for disabled parking. The nearest car park is Torre Valley - Torbay Council. This is a five-minute walk from the Spanish Barn.

Toilets

Toilets are available to the rear of the Spanish Barn for the duration of the Literary Festival.

Inside the Spanish Barn

Whilst we have no evening events in the Spanish Barn this year, it can get cold so please dress with this in mind.

Food and Drink

The cafe at Torre Abbey is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am till 4pm and is dog friendly.

A short 10-minute walk away from the Spanish Barn are a variety of cafes, bars and takeaways.

Dogs

Dogs, except for assistance dogs, are not allowed in the Spanish Barn.

If you have any further questions, please email admin@iacf-uk.org

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