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Members of AIEP-IACW are welcome to submit articles or comments for consideration for inclusion on this site. All reasoned points of view are welcome; however, personal attacks on individuals, ethnic groups, or religions will not be considered "reasoned" and will not be posted. Anonymous material will not be posted. Material with an commercial intent will not be posted.

Nothing on this forum is intended to represent the collective views of the International Association of Crime Writers or its branches, nor of the University of Oklahoma, its administration, students, or faculty members.

AIEP in the Alpenglow

by J. Madison Davis
IACW/AIEP has had many wonderful annual meetings in wonderful locations, but one of the most memorable is certainly going to be this summer’s visit to Zürich. Running concurrently with the Mordstage (“murder days”) festival of the Swiss crime writers and readers, the AIEP functions were organized by Jutta Motz, who made sure that everything ran like a Swiss watch. There were so many delights and highlights, it is hard to describe them all. The only negative that I heard from anyone was the ascent of the Swiss franc, which was, of course, beyond the control of our hosts.
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Lawrence Block Announces New Scudder Novel

by Lawrence Block from IACW/NA Weekly News

It hasn't been my habit to use this forum for publication announcements, but I've got a new book coming out May 12 and I find I want to tell y'all about it. The title is A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF, the publisher is Mulholland Books, Little Brown's brand new imprint, and it's my seventeenth book about Matthew Scudder.

The book's set back in time-¬early 80s, a year or so after Eight Million Ways to Die, with Scudder making his way through his first year of sobriety. Here's a link to the Mulholland website, with the opening chapter that frames the story: http://tinyurl.com/3jrv3rs

The trade reviews have been uniformly strong, and the online buzz is encouraging. The publisher has gone back to press for an additional pre-pub printing of 9000 copies. All of this is particularly gratifying, not least because a couple of years ago I honestly believed¬and duly announced¬that I was probably done writing novels. It turned out that, like Bogart in Casablanca, I was misinformed.

I've learned one lesson: although it seems unlikely, I won't say I'll never write another book about Scudder. But I'm pretty sure I'll never write a better one. I do like the way this book turned out, and hope you'll like it yourselves.

Not an extensive tour, but here's where I'll be:

Oklahoma Business

Full minutes of the June 4 and 5 meetings of AIEP in Oklahoma will be provided at this site later, but highlights follow.

President's Report

President J. Madison Davis reported on the progress with the website and delegates got a glimpse of the new website, designed by Roland van Wanrooy who also is the webmaster of the Genootschap de Vlaamse Misdaadauteurs (the Flemish Crime Writers Association). Members are encouraged to submit articles and commentary to Davis for inclusion on the website. All opinions and languages are welcomed.

In conjunction with

the 10th anniversary of the Swiss crime fiction festival “Mordstage”

we are pleased to announce the

Annual Meeting

of the

International Association of Crime Writers

(IACW)

Event organizers: IACW and Mordstage Schweiz.

Co-organizers: Institute of Popular Culture Studies, University of Zürich and the Zurich City Police

Program

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Arrival at hotel: IBIS-Hotel ZH City – West or trip to Lucerne, Rigi, Zug, Zurich

IACW members only

Thursday, June 9, 2011

10:30 a.m. Metamorphosis: Crime Fiction in/and Translation

Panel discussion with "live translation”

Presentation: Dr. Mary Tannert USA with Beatrix M. Kramlovsky A,

Bob Cornwell GB, Silvija Hinzmann D/CRO

Location: Center Karl der Grosse, Hall

Languages: German and English

1:30 p.m. E-book: A New Media

Presentation: Jerry Healy USA,

Sandra Balzo USA, David Vasella and Sony employee.

Location: Center Karl der Grosse, Hall

Language: English

4:00 p.m.: IACW Reception Hosted by the City of Zürich.

Location: Stadthaus. Language: English.

IACW members only

6:15 p.m.: Crime Series: The Pleasure of Repetition

Panel discussion

Presentation: Dr. Marcy Goldberg M.F.A. CH/CDA,

with Dr. Brigitte Frizzoni CH, Department of Popular Culture Studies, Univ. ZH, Virginie Brac F, Yannis Ragos GR and Michel Bodmer CH, Swiss TV

Location: University of Zürich.

Introduction: N.N.

Language: English.

7:00 p.m. The Eastern European Connection, or Murderous Influences from Eastern Europe

Location: Peripher, near Schmiede Wiedikon train station

Presentation: Dr. Katarina Graf

Silvija Hinzmann, D/CRO, Emanuel Ikonomov, BG

Languages: German.

Friday, June 10, 2011

11:00 a.m.: From Brecht to Joyce and Dada

Walking tour of the city for foreign visitors by Dr. Fritz Senn.

Location: Spiegelgasse, Bellevue, Rennweg, etc.

Language: English.

IACW members only

2:00 p.m. IACW Annual Meeting – IACW members only

Location: Center Karl der Grosse, Erkerzimmer

Language: English.

6:00 p.m. Cop or “Bulle”? – The Police in English and German novels

Presentation of a genre with short readings from several authors

Petra Ivanov CH, Jim Madison Davies USA,

Tim Heald GB, Christoph Badetscher CH.

German texts will be read by Barbara Falter.

Location: Police Station of the City of Zurich

Languages: English and German

Ticket Reservation 044 381 06 66 (Buchhandlung Hirslanden)

7:30 p.m. Cocktail Hour

Location: Police station, Giacometti Hall

Short introduction into the murals by art historian Kristina Piwecki

IACW members and guest only

Saturday, June 11, 2011

10:00 a.m. IACW Annual Meeting – IACW members only

Location: Center Karl der Grosse, Erkerzimmer

Language: English.

12:00 p.m. Krimitram I

Crime fiction reading with German-speaking authors

Marcus Richmann CH

Almut Heuner D

Helmut Maier CH

Departure: Bellevue, special tram station

Language: German

1:00 p.m. Krimitram II

Crime fiction reading with English-speaking authors

Janet Laurence GB

Charles Edet NGR

Susan Moody GB

Language: English.

Departure: Bellevue, special tram station

3:00 p.m. Gessnerallee, Stall 6: Whisky, Cake und Crime

Presentation: Jutta Motz CH

Stephan Pörtner CH

Paul Lascaux CH

Peter Zeindler CH

Sabina Altermatt CH

Ticket Reservation 044 381 06 66 (Buchhandlung Hirslanden)

Language: German

7:00 p.m. Cocktail hour - IACW members only

Swiss authors meet members of AIEP/IACW.

Members of the press and representatives of German and Swiss publishing houses will also be invited.

Location: Restaurant Alt-Klösterli, Zoo

8:00 p.m. Group dinner – IACW members only

Location: Restaurant Alt-Klösterli, Zoo

Sunday, June 12, 2011

One day trip to Berne by train, starting at 11 am at ZH Main Station.

IACW members only

Translators

Dr. Annelies Biörnstad: Norwegian-German

Dr. Katarina Graf: Czech-German, Slovenian-German, Polish-German, Russian-German

Ms. Birgit Hildebrand M.A.: Greek-German

Ms. Silvija Hinzmann: Croatian-German, Serbian-German, Russian-German

Ms. Beatrix Kramlovsky: English-German

Mr. Ruben Mullis lic.phil.: Croatian-German, Serbian-German, Russian-German

Ms. Barbara Stiner: Spanish- German, Turkish- German

Dr. Mary Tannert: German-English

Actors for reading:

Ms. Barbara Falter: Actor

Mr. Marcel Keller: Actor, director

Getting to Know Oklahoma

by J. Madison Davis

Where the Wind Comes Whippin' Down the Plain

June 4 was one of the hottest days on record in Oklahoma City and Norman. Despite that, for most of AIEP’s meetings in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma, the delegates were crossing their arms against the cold. One thing for sure, the air conditioning in the new Gaylord College is incredibly efficient.

The annual AIEP conference opened this year on June 3 with a short walk from the hotel to Bricktown Ballpark, where delegates enjoyed a barbeque supper in the “Cool Zone,” an air conditioned room in the stadium. As the evening’s game between the Oklahoma Redhawks and the Memphis Redbirds began, delegates proceeded to box seats where they watched the Redhawks fall behind 9 to 0, then come from behind to win in the ninth inning 10-9.