No, it’s not a noir reboot of Clue, it’s Wrocław's crime writers' line-up, the Międzynarodowy Festiwal Kryminału. Poland’s premier celebration of all things criminal (in a strictly literary sense) kicked off on Wednesday and runs until Sunday.
Now in its 22nd edition, the festival has come a long way since its beginnings in 2004.
Since 2009, it has been part of the city’s official cultural calendar, complete with an international name and international guests to match.
This year, two literary stars will shine particularly brightly: Spanish thriller maestro Juan Gómez-Jurado, here to collect the festival’s Honorary Wielki Kaliber Award, and British author Janice Hallett, whose twisty debut The Appeal became a Sunday Times bestseller and earned her the CWA Debut Dagger.
Among the Polish heavyweights headlining book premieres and panels are crime fiction favorites Wojciech Chmielarz, Robert Małecki, Maciej Siembieda, and Marek Stelar, plus the Dębski duo, Beata and Eugeniusz, known for writing together. Do they argue over plot twists at breakfast?
Festivalgoers can expect lively discussions on crime fiction tropes, including whether criminals come with a gender bias (Agnieszka Graca, Anna Kańtoch, and Ewa Przydryga will weigh in), how taboo topics are tackled in the genre (featuring Izabela Janiszewska, Magdalena Majcher, and Małgorzata Węglarz), and how well crime novels survive screen adaptations (with the likes of Igor Brejdygant and Michał and Małgorzata Kuźmiński).
If panels aren’t your thing, perhaps lectures will tempt your inner sleuth. There’s self-publishing advice from Michał Kuzborski, psychological profiles courtesy of Maciej Klimarczyk. who will explain whether we should be afraid of narcissists and psychopaths, and crime scene medicine from forensic specialist Łukasz Szaszkowski.
For a more literary lens, Anna Marchewka will look at minority representation in crime fiction, while Jarosław Szczyżowski considers whether mountains have a dark side.
For budding detectives aged seven and up, there’s a crime-themed children’s game called “The Mystery of the Missing Cat” and workshops with Tomasz Duszyński, who will be leading the next generation of tiny crime-solvers through a maze of suspects, clues, and alibis.
The highlight of the week is the awarding of the Wielki Kaliber Prize for the best Polish crime novel of the past year.
Among this year’s finalists is Sues Dei by Jakub Ćwiek, a suspenseful story set in the picturesque Podlasie region. Tomasz Duszyński returns with Człowiek bez przyszłości, a murder mystery unfolding just before the outbreak of World War II.
Weronika Mathia’s Szept offers a layered, generational puzzle. Jędrzej Pasierski has two novels in the running – Kły and Źródło, both part of his popular series featuring Inspector Nina Warwiłow.
Maciej Rożen’s Zła krew places detective Ada Heldisz in a claustrophobic small town, where she must track a ruthless killer while battling her own inner demons. Joanna Ufnalska’s Psy gończe takes readers back to interwar Łódź for a gritty serial killer drama steeped in 1920s atmosphere.
In addition to the main award, the festival will also present the Readers’ Choice Award and the Janina Paradowska Special Prize.
Attendees will have the chance to meet all of this year’s finalists and, after the awards ceremony, hear directly from the winners in a special post-gala conversation.
As Ewa Dąbrowska from the festival’s press office puts it, “This year, readers will have the chance to meet Juan Gómez-Jurado and Janice Hallett”—and, judging by past editions, leave with a reading list long enough to make even the most hardened detective nervous.
Live streams of many events will be available on the festival website and its Facebook page.
Entrance is free for most sessions—though some special events may require a reservation. Just remember: trust no one, bring a pen, and maybe don’t sit too close to the writers. You never know where they get their ideas.
(rt)