Announcing ThrillerFest V

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Kathie AntrimA few years ago, I was asked, "What is ThrillerFest?"

After a moment of thought, I replied that it was Summer Camp for thriller readers, fans, writers and industry professionals. That definition stuck, and the truth of those words grows with each ThrillerFest as we come together to make more new friends, learn and share amazing experiences.

This is my third year at the helm of ThrillerFest. This four day event has over a million moving pieces, the details are mind-boggling. And I can attest to the fact that without our outstanding team of "Executioners" ThrillerFest would not be such a success. There's one "Executioner" who began his ITW career with me at Costco, as we shopped for booze and snacks for that first meeting at Bouchercon 2005 in Chicago. In 2006, we roped him into chairing the ThrillerFest Charity Auction and he graciously continued this duty through 2008. Gradually, we added to his load and he ran AgentFest in 2008 and 2009, becoming the Deputy Chairman of ThrillerFest in 2009. If he noticed that we were piling on the work, he never complained. Now, I have the immense pleasure in announcing Shane Gericke (pronounced YER-key) as the 2010 ThrillerFest V Chairman.

But Shane isn't just another pretty "Executioner" face. He's a national bestselling author, who began writing professionally in high school. He spent 25 years as a journalist, most prominently at the Chicago Sun-Times, before plunging into crime thrillers. His first, Blown Away, was named Debut Mystery of the Year by RT Book Reviews, and appears in translation around the world. It was quickly followed by Cut to the Bone, and in summer 2010--just in time for ThrillerFest--Moving Target, the third in his cops vs. serial killers series featuring hard-charging police detectives Emily Thompson and Martin Benedetti. Shane is an original member of International Thriller Writers and director of ThrillerFest in New York City. He belongs to Mystery Writers of America and Society of Midland Authors, and his essay on John Sandford will appear in next summer's The 100 Best Thrillers of All Time being published by ITW. Catch him every Friday at
www.7criminalminds.com, where he blogs about life and writing with six other crime authors. He lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, where the series is set and which, ironically, is the home of world-famous crime fighter Dick Tracy. Shane invites you to visit him at www.shanegericke.com. He'd love to buy you coffee while there, but it's digital, and the powdered creamer wouldn't dissolve.

Along with Shane, Dennis Kennett will continue on as our fabulous Registrar. And Liz Berry, our incredibly talented Executive Director, will be with us once again to keep all of us in line.

Please join me in congratulating Shane, and thanking all of our returning staff and volunteers!

ThrillerFest V is going to be a blockbuster! Register is opening soon--join us for the time of your life.

We can't wait to see you there!

Kathleen Antrim
Vice President of National Events--ThrillerFest
Board of Directors
International Thriller Writers

 



The first thing ITW asked me to do was buy liquor.  

 

And snacks.

 

It was 2005. I'd just signed a contract with Kensington for my first thriller book, after a quarter century as a newspaper editor and writer. While I'd devoured thrillers all my life, starting with the Hardy Boys, progressing through Mickey Spillane and Robert B. Parker, re-reading The Day of the Jackal till the pages fell out, then leaping into the vast ocean of thrillers available today, I didn't know a thing about the thriller business. I needed to learn fast, so I wouldn't sound like more of an idiot than I normally am when conversing with agents, editors, publishers and, most of all, the authors I admired so much.

 

I asked my editor what I should do.

 

"There's a new organization for thriller writers," she said. "It's called ITW. I've heard good things about it. You should get involved."

Gericke, Shane Captioned.jpg 

I looked it up, and dropped a letter with my check and copy of my contract. Gayle Lynds responded, which bowled me over because she was, like, famous, and she was welcoming me. I asked her if there was anything I could do--ITW was hosting a party at Bouchercon, which in 2005 was being held in my hometown of Chicago, and I was available to do most anything needed.

 

"Can you go shopping?" Gayle asked. "One of our members is going to Costco to buy refreshments for the party, and it'd be a huge help to have a car."

 

That I could do, with as much panache as an aging Honda Civic could muster. I met up with Kathleen Antrim, who, as I've found with almost every ITW member I've met since, was warm, gracious, and a delight to pal around with. We headed to Costco and loaded a cart with the two things guaranteed to attract thriller writers: booze and snacks. The resulting party, the first official meeting of this group of internationally bestselling thriller superstars--and unknowns like me--was a rousing success.

 

And now, I'm the minty-fresh chairman of ThrillerFest 2010. I credit the liquor.

 

I've been involved with the festival since its 2006 debut in Phoenix, running the first live auction for charity under the tutelage of then-ThrillerFest Chair CJ Lyons. (Brad Meltzer was our auctioneer, and an ace one at that.) We raised thousands of dollars thanks to the baskets of goodies from more than a dozen ITW superstars. I ran the auction again in 2007, when we moved to our current home in New York City.

 

In 2008, Kathie, having graduated from shopper-in-chief to Vice President of National Events, asked me to direct a new event she'd dreamed up: AgentFest. Essentially speed-dating for writers, I'd recruit four dozen big-name literary agents and publishers, put them in a room with more than a hundred authors looking for representation, and make sure nobody killed each other. (Plus run the charity auction, which we'd now expanded to two separate live events, one for the folks attending CraftFest, the other for those attending ThrillerFest. With me as auctioneer for both. Oy.) Somehow it all worked out, and I volunteered again for 2009, primarily because a lot of ITW people helped me become a thriller writer and I wanted to return the favor, but mostly because it's fun. I've also been a contest judge, I've written for ITW publications, and I've done other things that needed doing.

 

Chairman is a great job, because I get to see every part of the festival, from loading dock to ballrooms. I get to work arm-in-arm with my shopping pal Kathie; indefatigable executive director Liz Berry; hundreds of authors, editors, publishers, agents, reviewers, booksellers, publicists and other industry pros; readers; and all the authors who are our committee chairs, without whom this festival simply would not exist. I can't emphasize that enough: from marketing to ad design to the website to the program book to helping Barnes & Noble stock the onsite store with thousands of copies of our members' books, committee chairs do the hard work, and do it with intelligence and flair. My job is to get that talent the stuff they need to provide you the biggest and best ThrillerFest yet.

 

Because ultimately, this festival is about you.

 

Shane Gericke

ThrillerFest V Chair

International Thriller Writers 

 

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International Thriller Writers Inc represents professional authors from around the world. Here you can learn more about them, their work, and the sources from which they draw their inspiration.


ThrillerFest

ITW's annual celebration of the thriller world is the largest event of its kind, a meeting place for authors, readers, budding writers, and publishing industry professionals.

For 2010, we’ll be back in the heart of New York in July with the ThrillerFest conference including CraftFest and AgentFest.

Grand Hyatt NYC

ThrillerFest V will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

The dates will be July 7-10, 2010. You must register for the conference prior to making hotel reservations. Call the Hyatt at 1-800-233-1234 or 212-883-1234. Ask for the ThrillerFest or International Thriller Writers rate of $199. If you prefer, use the direct online reservation link by clicking here. Conference rates apply July 6-11, 2010. If your stay is longer, please call the hotel to make your reservations.

Would you like to place an ad in the ThrillerFest Program Book or Banquet Book? Please contact us.

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Calendar

Use our calendar system to see where ITW authors are appearing around the world, check publication dates, and browse international book events. You can submit your own public events too.

Coming events

About ITW

ITW welcomes new author and associate members. Here you can find out about our organization, its history and its background.

You can read about membership qualification and how to apply. And current members can learn how to maintain their account on our new online system.

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The Big Thrill

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Community

Discover who belongs to ITW. Find out about the Debut Author program. Browse our online events calendar which is open for submissions from everyone.

Patrons (Actives)
Clive Cussler*
Dirk Cussler*
Faye and Jonathan Kellerman*
John Lescroart*
Karin Slaughter


Sponsors (Actives)
Kathleen Antrim*
David Baldacci*
Steve Berry*
Gary Braver*
Sandra Brown*
Dale Brown*
John Case*
Lee Child*
Glenn Cooper
Richard Curtis*
Jack F. Du Brul*
David Dun*
Joseph Finder*
Brian Garfield*
Tess Gerritsen*
Leslie Glass*
Vicki Hinze*

Lisa Jackson
Alex Kava*
Deborah LeBlanc
Eric Van Lustbader*
D.P. Lyle, M.D.*
Gayle Lynds*
Steve Martini
Brad Meltzer
David Morrell*
Katherine Neville*
Michael Palmer*
James Patterson*
Andrew Peterson
Douglas Preston*
Christopher Reich*
James Rollins*
M.J. Rose*
JoAnn Ross
Hank Phillippi Ryan
John Saul*
Susan Arnout Smith
R.L. Stine*
Brad Thor*

Supporters (Actives)
Steve Alten*
Ted Bell*
Emily Benedek
Janet Berliner-Gluckman*
Allison Brennan
Jan Burke*
Lorenzo Carcaterra
Lincoln Child*
Stephen Coonts*
Brian DAmato
Eileen Dreyer*
Linda Fairstein*
Vince Flynn*
Chris Fox
Joel Goldman*
Heather Graham*
Thomas Greanias
Humphrey Hawksley


*original member joined
by June 4, 2005

Bonnie Hearn Hill*
Alan Jacobson
Judith Kelman*
Harley Jane Kozak
Jon Land*
Dennis Lynds*
Michael McMenamin
Francine Mathews*
Kyle Mills*
Twist Phelan
Christopher Rice*
James Siegel*
Taylor Smith*
Carl T. Smith*
Mariah Stewart*
Peter Straub*
M. Diane Vogt*
Stuart Woods*

Patrons (Associates)
Tucker Andersen

Sponsors (Associates)
Maria Carvainis
Leisure Books*
Ed Mitchell*
Henry Morrison*
Adrian Muller*
Bill Sewell
Tor/Forge Books*

Supporters (Associates)
Linda Adams*
Brilliance Audio*
Emory Hackman*
Inkwell Management, LLC*
Mario Mastro
L.A. Starks
The Mystery Bookstore