It was the highpoint of the year last weekend for fans of crime fiction: the
Bodies from the Library
conference at the British Library, celebrating its 10th
anniversary. Glastonbury for GA fans. This picture looks as though distinguished
reviewer Jake Kerridge has gathered the suspects together to solve the crime and accuse the
murderer, but is actually the traditional final panel of Ask the Experts.
There was the usual great programme of talks, discussions,
panels: there were books everywhere, and everyone got the chance to chat
endlessly and meet new and old friends. A triumph, as it is every year.
Jake and I did a presentation on Building a GA Reference
Shelf, which we greatly enjoyed. We didn’t get to the end of our collection of books to talk about, and
many people have asked to see our list – the works we mentioned and those we
didn’t get to. So I am including it here:
1. Taking Detective Stories Seriously, Dorothy L Sayers
2. Murder for Pleasure, Howard Haycraft
3. Snobbery with Violence, Colin Wilson
4. The Golden Age of Murder, Martin Edwards
5. Guilty But Insane: Mind and Law in Golden Age Detective
Fiction, Samantha Walton
6. Deadlier than the Male, Jessica Mann
7. The Hooded Gunman, John Curran
8. Talking About Detective Fiction, PD James
9. Murder Ink and Murderess Ink, Dilys Winn
10. A Catalogue of Crime, Barzun and Taylor
11. Bloody Murder, Julian Symons
12. A Bedside Companion to Crime, HRF Keating
13. The Puritan Pleasures of the Detective Story, Erik
Routley
14. Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? Pierre Bayard/novels of
Gilbert Adair
15. A Talent to Deceive, Robert Barnard (about Agatha
Christie)
This is our working list so is unadorned with dates and
publication details, but you should be able to track down info on all of these
easily online (whether you can find cheap copies of some might be another
matter…) If you want to know more than that, or about our important judgements,
let me know in the comments.
I was also part of a panel on the Pleasures and Pitfalls of Golden Age Books Blogging, with Kate Jackson (Cross-Examining Crime) and Ronaldo Fagarazzi (Witness to the Crime), which was tremendous fun.
Kate is just celebrating her 10th blog anniversary, and has done a post called 10 Things I Loved About Bodies From the Library which gives an excellent rundown of the event.
A great day, and we are all already looking forward to 2026 Bodies.
It sounds like a terrific time, with some great presentations. And I love that set of reference books, too, Moira. GA crime fiction is such a fascinating era, with so many entries, that it's useful to have some books to help sort it all out.
ReplyDeleteYou have to come to Bodies from the Library one of these years Margot!
DeleteSo much enjoyed it all! Always a bright spot in the year. Chrissie
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a highlight of the year? So many lovely people in one place.
DeleteThoroughly enjoyed your sessions (indeed the same goes for all of the presentations).
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words! I enjoyed everyone's sessions too - and (apart from natural nerves) it was fun to do the panels.
DeleteIt sounds like a mist enjoyable weekend, and I would love to know more about your reference books. Are there Puritan Pleasures (about anything, let alone murder)?!
ReplyDeleteWell now - I didn't get to talk about the Puritan Pleasures book, because we ran out of time, so this is an opportunity to use some of my prepared notes specially for you, and not waste them! So: the author has a view that crime fiction flourished in Anglo-Saxon culture, because of the Puritan ethic – which isn’t as stern as it sounds. He does go into it in some depth, but my take is that puritans believe in right and wrong but also perfectablility of human nature – as opposed to a Calvinistic view that we are all depraved and desperate, and he says that suits the traditional Golden Age crime book.
DeleteIs the Puritan ethic that strong in Britain? I thought the Puritans got out of there as soon as possible after the Restoration! The Catholics and Anglicans must have been the biggest influence, and surely they believe in right and wrong? (Dorothy Sayers comes to mind, she wasn't what I'd call "puritan" and certainly Lord Peter wasn't.) People all over the world enjoy mysteries regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. People who probably never heard of the Puritans...I guess I should stay away from this book.
DeleteI would say a Puritan ethic is very much alive in Britain - as much as anywhere else. I don't think anyone could claim that all the puritans had left Britain at the Restoration...
DeleteErik Routley was a Congregationalist Minister, so he knew whereof he spoke. He's talking about a view of the world, which people of all religions can share, and he most certainly does not claim that any group has a monopoly of right and wrong. I don't know how you took that from what I said!
Sorry I misunderstood, I just think that enjoyment of mysteries can be separate from religion proper.
DeleteYes of course, and I don't think Mr Routley would disagree! My 2-line summary can''t have done justice to his quite complex argument.
DeleteI've had "Guilty but Insane" on my reading list for about a year; clearly I need to fire up the Cornbelt* Library System's inter-library loan request.
ReplyDelete(*Not kidding).
I hope you find and enjoy, and yes, great name
DeleteThis seems like a great day out - well over 20 years since I last set foot in London but maybe I should brace myself and make the effort next year.
ReplyDeleteSo many interesting books, so little time! “Guilty But Insane “ sounds fascinating, and the latest Persephone newsletter highlighted a new book on working women’s accommodation which might be relevant to the interests of this blog (“Hostel, House and Chambers” by Emily Gee - £40 though …). I’ve read a few of the other reference books on your list - favourites probably Martin Edwards and Murderess Ink - IIRC both Colin Watson and Julian Symons were distinctly judgmental about classic Golden Age authors.
Sovay
I'm sure you would enjoy bodies!
DeleteI know - too many interesting books, I am just looking at the pile beside where I am sitting and I want to read them all but I don't know when i will get to them all...
Barzun and Taylor certainly are spicy in their reviews. I think many of the fine current blogs give reviews averaging 4 or 4.5 out of 5 across the range. Barzun and Taylor were much less generous -- I would say they average more like 3 or #.5 even for authors they like.
ReplyDeleteI had never been a huge fan of Barzun and Taylor's book, and was hoping Jake - whose choice it was - would convince me otherwise, but he didn't!
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