Ann Cleaves with Jock Serong

Ann Cleeves is the author of more than thirty-five critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger.  She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope (ITV's Vera), Jimmy Perez (BBC One's Shetland), and Matthew Venn (ITV's The Long Call) 2022 marks 30 years of publishing with Pan Macmillan.

Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. Ann also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and support access to books. In 2021 her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the Northeast of England.