Noir at the Bar Dundee

What a fantastic night this was! Fabulous line-up of authors and an incredible atmosphere. The place was packed (the poor staff had to keep bringing more and more chairs down to the lower level where we were) and everyone seemed to have a brilliant time.

For those of you who haven't been to a Noir at the Bar event, the format is that all the names of the authors go into a hat and then a member of the audience draws out a name. That author stands up, gives a short bio of themselves, says a little about the book and then gives a reading. The person who drew the name out of the hat gets a free, signed copy of the book from the author.
All pictures are reproduced, with permission, from Love Books Group, who did an amazing review of the night. Go check them out. Great site!

Some of the authors
Back row (L-R_ Claire MacLeary (just seen), James Osald, me, Stephen Watt
Front row (L-R) Sandra Ireland, Wendy H Jones, Chris Longmuir
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

The event was organised by Wendy H Jones who is an excellent, award-winning author (check out her website here). She was a brilliant compère for the evening, as well as reading from her latest book, Killer's Crypt, due out very soon.

Wendy H Jones and me
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

Rather alarmingly, I was drawn first, but I managed my reading without too many calamities (though the microphone wasn't working! I just bellowed!).

Me, mid-thespian mode!
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

As well as hearing all these brilliant writers speak and learning about them and their books, it was a great chance to catch up with some friends - both Stephen Watt and Sandra Ireland were fellow Crime in the Spotlight authors at Bloody Scotland last year (you can see my interviews with them here for Stephen and here for Sandra and also here for a review of Stephen at StAnza). It was also lovely to meet people I've only 'known' via social media too - finally putting faces to names.

Some more of the authors:

Claire MacLeary reading
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

Jackie Maclean
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

James Oswald reading
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

Stephen Watt reading
Photo from Love Books Group (with permission)

All in all it was an amazing night and if you see a Noir at the Bar advertised as happening near you, go! It's free entry, great fun and you might even win a book.

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