Best known for blending dark crime with sharp wit, Mark Billingham has published 26 novels, been translated into 25 languages and sold more than four million copies worldwide. In 2025 he received the Crime Writers’ Association’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, recognising an outstanding lifetime contribution to the genre. Here, he joins his friend Julia Wheeler to discuss The Shadow Step , the latest instalment in his DS Miller series, and reflect on a career that has taken him from stand-up comedy to bestselling fiction. He shares insights into his writing life, the enduring appeal of crime, the pleasures of wrong-footing readers and, of course, playing Glastonbury with his band, The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. Get ahead of your Festival reading and visit the Waterstones Cheltenham Literature Festival bookshop and support Cheltenham Festivals with every purchase.

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