Chris Whitaker at literary festivals

Last checked: 28 October 2026

Chris Whitaker writes novels in which a crime reaches beyond an investigation into the lives of families and communities. His books include All the Colours of the Dark and We Begin at the End, alongside the young-adult novel The Forevers. His 2026 festival programme included Harrogate’s crime-writing weekend and a Cheltenham panel about place and crime fiction. Those appearances offered a conversation between novelists at a specialist festival, and a discussion of how a story’s setting can shape its possibilities.

Quick facts

Best known for: We Begin at the End and All the Colours of the Dark
Genre or subject: Crime fiction, thrillers and young-adult fiction
Latest book: All the Colours of the Dark (2024)
2026 festivals: Cheltenham Literature Festival, Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

About Chris Whitaker

Whitaker was born in London and lives in the UK. His publisher identifies Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls and We Begin at the End among his earlier adult novels. His work has received awards including the CWA John Creasey Dagger, CWA Gold Dagger and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

We Begin at the End won the Theakston award in 2021. That connection gives a reader another reason to explore Harrogate’s programme history, while keeping an award separate from an individual festival booking. Winning a prize does not confirm that an author will return in a later year.

The books offer more than one reading route. You could choose the latest adult novel for a story of lives changed by a crime, or explore The Forevers for a different premise and readership. The subject of a new event should guide the choice. An author’s work for younger readers does not make every appearance a family event.

For your own preparation, think about how a location changes what a character can do. A small community, a journey away from home or a place associated with a family’s past can raise questions about information and trust. Keep a question connected to the book you have read, and separate your interpretation from an assertion about the author’s intentions.

A future interview may use a different format from either 2026 conversation. Check who is sharing the stage, what book is named and whether the session is a panel, performance or conversation before choosing between overlapping events.

Where to start with their books

All the Colours of the Dark

The novel begins in 1975, in the Missouri town of Monta Clare, where girls are disappearing. A boy called Patch intervenes when a wealthy family’s daughter is targeted, and the consequences reach into the lives of people who love him. The story combines suspense with questions about devotion and obsession. Notice how a single act changes the relationships around it. That can begin a discussion of the scale of a novel without revealing where its search for answers leads.

This is the closest starting point if an event names Whitaker’s latest published adult novel. The British title uses “Colours”; American editions use “Colors”. Those spellings refer to the same book.

We Begin at the End

Duchess Day Radley protects her younger brother Robin while police chief Walk remains bound to the California town where he grew up. Walk’s past includes testimony that sent his friend Vincent King to prison. Vincent’s release brings old actions back into the present. The novel places family responsibilities alongside the consequences of crime, offering another route into Whitaker’s work beyond a search for a culprit alone.

Before an event, consider which relationships seem chosen and which are imposed by circumstance. That question can connect the premise with a discussion of character while leaving the resolution untouched for other readers.

The Forevers

Whitaker’s young-adult novel follows Mae and her friends as the approaching end of the world changes their sense of actions and consequences. A death raises the question of whether someone jumped or was pushed. The premise places a mystery inside a coming-of-age story, offering a contrast with the adult novels above.

You could compare what the imagined deadline does to the characters’ choices. Keep that as a reading question, not a prediction of an event’s audience or content. Use published age guidance when choosing a festival booking for a young person; this book’s existence does not supply that guidance by itself.

Festival appearances

For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.

2026

Chris Whitaker: featured events in 2026
Festival	Date	Event and venue	Official source
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival	26 July 2026	Alice Feeney & Chris Whitaker Theakston Stage, Old Swan Hotel	Official listing
Cheltenham Literature Festival	16 October 2026	Scene of the Crime Pillar Room, Cheltenham Town Hall	Official programme

What their events are like

Harrogate’s official programme included Alice Feeney & Chris Whitaker on 26 July 2026 at 09:00, on the Theakston Stage at the Old Swan Hotel.

Cheltenham’s programme included Scene of the Crime on 16 October 2026 at 12:30, in the Pillar Room at Cheltenham Town Hall. Whitaker joined Jane Harper and Abir Mukherjee, chaired by Tim Hubbard, to discuss place and crime fiction. Both appearances have finished; use their programme sources for 2026 event details.

The Harrogate conversation paired Whitaker with another novelist. Cheltenham connected writers working with different settings, with landscape, culture, history and the circumstances in which justice is pursued as subjects for discussion.

Where to see them next

No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.

Wait for a named programme event before making an author-specific booking. A festival’s return does not by itself confirm who will be speaking.

Plan your trip

Our Harrogate and Cheltenham guides cover the destinations associated with these appearances. Follow their stay pages to compare accommodation for a festival visit.

For a future session, decide whether it is the main reason for travelling or one event in a wider break. That decision changes how much flexibility you may want in a room reservation. Keep the organiser’s ticket terms and the accommodation’s cancellation deadline where you can review them together.

When building a day around several authors, include meals and the time between actual venues. If you want to carry books for signing, first check that a signing is announced. A bag collection after checkout can also change the departure you should book. Work backwards from the last commitment instead of treating travel as a separate task once the programme is full.

Cheltenham Literature Festival: festival guide · Where to stay · 2027 programme
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival: festival guide · Where to stay · 2027 programme

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Crime festivals

Your questions about Chris Whitaker

Which book should I read before a talk?

Start with the one named in the event description. All the Colours of the Dark and We Begin at the End provide two adult-fiction routes into the work described here.

Are these books part of a detective series?

The titles discussed here have different premises and central characters. You can choose by the story that interests you without learning a continuing detective’s history first.

Can I still book the Harrogate appearance?

The July 2026 event has finished. A later festival may have published dates without confirming its authors, so look for an individual event page.

Will there be a signing or audience questions?

Check the organiser’s description for your chosen session. Past formats do not guarantee those details at a new event, even when the same author returns.