COMING SOON:
HALLIE RUBENHOLD
HALLIE RUBENHOLD: THE STORY OF A MURDER
Friday 30 October 2026.
7- 8.30pm
Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, YO1 9XD
£12 per ticket (concessions available)
The page-turning retelling of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of women
On 1 February, 1910, vivacious music-hall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.
They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.
Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?
In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women.
‘Fascinating. It’s about time Belle became the hero of her own story’
Val McDermid, bestselling author of the Karen Pirie series
Hallie Rubenhold is the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling and Baillie Gifford prize-winning author of The Five: The Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. A renowned social historian whose expertise lies in revealing stories of previously unknown women and episodes in history, she is the author of The Covent Garden Ladies which was the inspiration behind BBC TV’s ‘Harlots’. Her biographical work, Lady Worsley’s Whim, was dramatized by the BBC as ‘The Scandalous Lady W’. She has also written two acclaimed novels Mistress of My Fate and The French Lesson which give voice to the women written out by eighteenth-century literature. She lives in London with her husband.
Criminally Good Books will be supplying copies at the event with signings taking place after the talk.
REFLECTING ON THE 2026 FESTIVAL
The March 2026 festival was one of the best attended festivals we have had to date, and the feedback on the events was consistently kind and generous. People commented on the great venues, the standard of organisation, and how interesting and thought-provoking our artists were.
Our thanks go to our amazing festival director. The 2026 programme was organised and delivered by Chloe Hanks, a York-based poet, academic and bookseller and she did an amazing job curating the 2026 festival. Chloe had a major influence on the success of this year’s festival and we are grateful for her efforts!
As well as our board of trustees, we also had input from a team of York St John University student volunteers, who assisted with the hosting of events and the publicity of the festival, including some amazing photography. Those individuals supporting us at the venues also helped to ensure the festival was a success and we thank you all.
Most importantly, thanks to everyone who came along to our events. We hope you enjoyed it! Come again next year.
March 2027 will be our 20th anniversary, and we are already planning to make it a real celebration of the milestones in our history and in the history of books and publication. Dates will be announced as soon as they are available, so do stay in touch with us!
YORK LITERATURE FESTIVAL GALLERY 2026
See below for a variety of photographs from the 2026 York Literature Festival.
Photo credits: the York St John student volunteers and York Literature Festival team.
While you’re waiting for the next festival…
Author Angela Ranson is launching a new popular history book about our city, named York’s Hidden Treasures. It will take place on 13 August at 6.30 pm at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green.
The book takes an anecdotal, thematic approach by looking at the city’s history of protection, the passageways that make its city centre so unique, the people (and ghosts!) who have shaped its stories, and the cultural history that has developed through chocolate, coffee and hospitality.
Click here to buy tickets or go to Angela’s website, Angela Ranson Author.
The York Howlers
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 7:30pm, head down to the Blue Boar for everyone’s favourite poetry open mic night!
Society of Hauntologists
The York Society of Hauntologists is a reading group embracing all things Folk Horror in England’s most haunted city at the Black Swan Inn on the last Wednesday of the month, 7pm.
Head to their Instagram to find out what they’re currently reading:
YLF 27
Sponsored by York St. John University for the 2027 York Literature Festival.
Join Us
We hope that you will join us at our events taking place across our wonderful city.
