Julie Hirst

Henry Sutton, born September 8, 1963, is an accomplished crime novelist and a significant figure in creative writing education. He has authored nine works of fiction, including notable titles like 'My Criminal World' and 'Get Me Out of Here'. His career began in journalism before transitioning to academia, where he now holds a Senior Lecturer position and co-directs the MA in Prose Fiction at the University of East Anglia. Sutton also founded the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival and has been a writer-in-residence at the British Centre for Literary Translation.

Sutton's novels often delve into the complexities of human relationships and societal settings. His debut, 'Gorleston' (1995), examined a widower's adjustment to loss in a seaside resort. Subsequent works like 'Bank Holiday Monday' (1997) and 'Flying' (2001) explored different facets of human interaction and environments, from family gatherings in a windmill to the dynamics aboard an airliner. His crime fiction, such as 'Get Me Out of Here' (2011) and 'My Criminal World' (2013), often features unreliable narrators and meta-fictional elements. Sutton also writes under the pseudonym Harry Brett for his noir series.

Henry Sutton has established a notable career as a crime novelist, with his works frequently praised for their insightful portrayals of characters and settings. Beyond his writing, Sutton plays a crucial role in fostering new literary talent as a Senior Lecturer and co-director of the MA in Prose Fiction at the University of East Anglia. His academic contributions extend to founding the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival, a significant event for the crime fiction community. He has also served as a writer-in-residence at the university's British Centre for Literary Translation, underscoring his commitment to literary scholarship and practice. His earlier career in journalism provided a foundation for his narrative skills, contributing to his development as a fiction writer.

Sutton's novels often engage with themes of loss, human connection, and the darker aspects of ordinary life. His debut novel, 'Gorleston,' depicted a pensioner grappling with grief, while 'Bank Holiday Monday' offered a nuanced look at family dynamics during a holiday. 'Flying' extended this thematic range to the enclosed environment of an airplane, exploring the consequences of interpersonal events. His crime fiction, such as 'Get Me Out of Here' and 'My Criminal World,' frequently delves into psychological landscapes, employing unreliable narrators and meta-fictional devices to examine the nature of storytelling and crime itself. This consistent engagement with the complexities of human experience, often through the lens of the crime genre, marks his distinct literary voice.