FEMALE CRIME WRITER CHALLENGE
Since I noticed the gender inequality in my reading I have read five books in a row by female crime writers. In fact of the last twenty two books I have read eleven have been written by women, and the balance for the year is now 14 female writers to 28 male.
posted by Uriah Robinson at 8:43 AM
8 Comments:
I hope you are enjoying them as much, Norman! I recommend Witness the Night by Kirshwar Desai, which I reviewed at Euro Crime on Sunday. It is short (P/B) and not only by a woman but set in India so that might be good for other purposes. I very much enjoyed Liza Marklund's Red Wolf (out oct) but NOT Sam Hayes's Tell Tale. Have you tried any Karen Campbell? She has written three books - police procedurals set in Glasgow. Urban, gritty, etc. Might be worth checking out?
Nice work Norman. As someone pointed out to me recently, when I was worried about the not 50:50 balance in my 9mm interviewees, the overall male:female crime writing numbers are about 2/3 to 1/3, so your recent XX chromosome splurge brings your annual tally to about right, equity-wise.
For myself, off the top of my head, this year in terms of female authors I've read Ngaio Marsh, Alix Bosco, Laurie Mantell, Liza Marklund, Vanda Symon, Denise Mina, Val McDermid, Linda Fairstein, Leah Giarratano, Paddy Richardson, Shamini Flint, Joan Druett... and probably a few more.
So not too bad, although my stats are probably a little out of whack too. Reading all the Kiwi female authors has saved me a bit - I haven't read that many overseas ones yet this year.
I also have many other female authors in my TBR pile (some of whom I have read books from before, just not yet this year), like Camilla Lackberg, PD James, Caro Ramsay, Faye Kellerman, Andrea Jutson, Margot Kinberg, Tess Gerritsen, Ruth Rendell, Stella Duffy, Sarah Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Asa Larsson, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Chevy Stevens, Karin Slaughter, Tami Hoag, Mo Hayder, , Karen Rose, Kerry Greenwood, Tara Moss, Partricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, V. Merle Grayland, Elizabeth Messenger, Carol Dawber, Joyce West and Mary Scott, Gaelyn Gordon, Nicola Upson, Sophie Hannah, Margie Orford, Stephanie Johnson, and many more...
So plenty to choose from, anyway...
Wow thanks Craig, I definitely won't lack for choice with that list! There are some writers that I have never heard of and others that I must read such as Maggie Orford and Vanda Symon, and it is less than two weeks till the festival celebrating for the most famous female crime writer of all.
Thanks Maxine, I might try that Kirshwar Desai on your recommendation.
What about books by an author from your region--Elly Griffiths. Her books featuring Ruth Galloway, who is an archaelogist, who lives in eastern England, are excellent.
There's also Donna Leon's books, based in Venice, featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti.
There's Malla Nunn, who writes about South Africa.
And in the U.S., in addition to the aforementioned Sara Paretsky, who has a new book out, "Body Work," there are so many more women authors of note, including Nevada Barr, who sets her books in national parks all over the country.
So glad to see all of these women authors from Australia listed above. It gives me ideas, too.
Thanks Kathy I am making a list. I must try new to me authors Elly Griffiths and Malla Nunn.
I'd recommend both of those, too, Norman (Elly Griffiths and Malla Nunn). Unfortunately, I have already passed on my copies of these. Elly Griffiths is a traditional read set on the Norfolk coast, with a great main character (an archaeologist). Malla Nunn is set in South Africa and a bit more political, also historical (set in early 1950s).
Thanks Maxine. I shall bear these in mind but I have to catch up on some male authors now; Jan Costin Wagner, and Hakan Nesser for instance.
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