Robert Galbraith: One Fan reports

Photo courtesy of  Fenris Oswin
 http://www.fenris.co.uk/robert-galbraith/

Robert Galbraith in Sell-out Exclusive UK Appearance

Robert Galbraith (or Bob, as Val McDermid affectionately called him) was dressed immaculately in a light grey suit and stylish peach coloured tie.  He was over the moon that Val prior to knowing his real identity had said of his first book : “The Cuckoo's Calling reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place.”

With endearing vulnerability Galbraith explained that he wanted to know that his book was published and received under its' own merit and not on the back of his alter ego's status. 

Not sure what to expect from Mr Galbraith I was pleased to witness a funny humble and likeable person, honest enough to confide that he loves Robin as a character, hates Matthew and disagrees with Cormoran on a political level.

Photo courtesy of Fenris Oswin
http://www.fenris.co.uk/robert-galbraith/

Named after his alter ego's political hero Bobby Kennedy and his childhood attachment to the name Galbraith during imaginative play (the creativity began early it seems) , Robert has written two novels The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm and has plans for many more books in the series (huge gasps of relief all round at that announcement).

Galbraith explained that having lived with her disabled mother and seen first hand how day to day life is an on-going relentless struggle and in Cormoran she wanted to express that from the point of view of someone who lives and adapts and copes with his disability whilst experiencing a range of emotions from anger and frustration to happiness, resolve and contentment.

Inspired by the 'Golden Age' of crime fiction (Christie, Allingham, Marsh and Sayers) Galbraith wanted to write a Who Done It but make it more contemporary. 

Galbraith does an enormous amount of research for his books and reveals that the kernel that inspired The Silkworm doesn't appear until Chapter 48 of the book - (Now don't spoil it for yourselves by flipping to chapter 48 you'll only regret it- Take your time, relax and wait - The Eureka moment will be so much more satisfying if you do.)

J.K. Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith appeared in conversation with fellow crime writer, Val McDermid, exclusively at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival  and was her first and only UK appearance this year as Robert Galbraith.  It was the fastest selling event in Harrogate International Festival’s 50-year history with a sell-out 978-strong audience.  Demand for tickets came from all over the world and sold out in just 90 minutes with some fans camping overnight for tickets.  A live streaming room was created at the Festival’s hotel partner, the Old Swan Hotel, to accommodate the unprecedented demand.

J.K. Rowling said: “I'm thrilled to have appeared at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival for many reasons, foremost of which is to have shared a stage with a true master of the genre, Val McDermid.  It is a particularly fitting venue for Robert's first appearance because part of The Silkworm is set in Harrogate and its environs.” 

The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival,  has become the world’s biggest celebration of the crime genre, ranked as one of the top three literary festivals in the UK by The Guardian, and featured in The Independent’s ‘The 50 Best Festivals’.

Val McDermid said: “It's always been part of our aim at the festival to bring new writers to the attention of the reading public -- even when they turn out to be not quite as new as we thought! It was a real treat to share the stage with Jo and I think the audience enjoyed the experience as much as I did.”

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston, said: “It is a mark of the dedication and hard work of the Harrogate International Festivals and the constant support of several world renowned authors that our crime writing festival has reached the status sufficient to attract world renowned authors such as J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith. We remain delighted to be the headline sponsor of the festival and to be associated with its growing success.”

If you haven't read it yet, here's a little bit about The Silkworm

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days - as he has done before - and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as he investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were published it would ruin lives - so there are a lot of people who might want to silence him  so when Quine is brutally murdered in bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any he has encountered before...

 A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, The Silkworm is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant Robin Ellacott.