Novelist and leading criminologist to appear at The Apex later this month

Why do some novels inspire people to commit murder?  How does crime fiction become crime fact?

Novelist and presenter, Marcel Theroux, and one of the country’s leading criminologists, Professor David Wilson, are set to be on stage at The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, later this month, to combine their professional backgrounds and delve into the realm of murder in fiction, and the characters, plots and locations that arouse lethal violence in the real world.

Under discussion will be familiar books, such as “A Clockwork Orange” and “The Catcher in the Rye”, Joseph Conrad’s “The Secret Agent” and “The Collector” by John Fowler.

 With his 40-year career in criminal behavior, and as a host of many television crime shows, including Channel 4’s “In The Footsteps of Killers”, David Wilson is no stranger to what motivates murderers and the triggers that can set them on a killing spree.

He says: “I’m used to killers explaining that they murdered their victim because they were jealous, out for revenge, or that they had merely killed in ‘five minutes of madness’. 

“Discussing this one day with Marcel, we discovered that there were also a surprising number of murderers who had killed because they had been ‘inspired’ to do so by a fictional character or by the plot of a novel. 

“But how does lethal violence emerge from the pages of a novel and seep into real life, creating genuine victims?  Frankly, we have become obsessed with this question, and we think that when you hear the stories of real murders that Marcel and I want to tell, you too will become fascinated by killer books.”

David will be in conversation with novelist Marcel Theroux, who most recently presented “The Playboy Bunny Murder” on ITV1 and has over 20 years’ experience in the literary field. 

Marcel explains: “As a novelist, I’m fascinated by the way we make up stories and the power that stories have over us. But I’m also wary of that power.

“Stories have the power to do immeasurable harm: to isolate people, to justify violence, to strip away someone’s rights and humanity. In ‘Killer Books’, Professor David Wilson and I will look at the role certain stories have played in acts of murder. We’ll be looking at books that have been cited as inspiration for the most terrible crimes.”

Professor David Wilson and Marcel Theroux: “Killer Books” is at The Apex, on Monday, September 30, at 7.30pm. 

See www.theapex.co.uk ring 01284 758000 for tickets or visit The Apex box office in Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds.