National Crime Reading Month

Hi and welcome to National Crime Reading Month 2026! This is our annual campaign, which happens every June, to encourage new readers, avid readers, non-crime readers and in fact all readers to take a fresh look at the wide and wonderful range of crime fiction and non-fiction books/short stories and articles which are out there, just waiting to be read. Led by the Crime Writers Association, with our partners the Reading Agency, we spend a whole summer month focussing on the pure pleasure of crime reading. We are enthusiastically supported by some famous crime writing ambassadors (see list) who will also be active throughout the month at events, book signings and on socials.

Across the UK and Ireland, many authors will be holding events in libraries, theatres, church halls, bookshops, schools, colleges and online to talk about their books and explain what writing crime means to them. Authors will be getting readers involved with Q&A sessions, book group discussions, running workshops and signing books. We launch on 30 May at Criminally Good Books, an independent crime-only bookshop in York. And you can join in our big month by coming along to support our authors at any of the events listed.

We are keen to know your plans for June so do tell us (link to the form below) whether you are a reader, author, library, reading group or book club. Let us know if we can support you if you’re planning an event of any kind and be part of the momentum of NCRM which made last year the most successful June yet. Meanwhile happy reading!