International Thriller Writers (ITW), founded in 2004 at Bouchercon, the World Mystery and Suspense Conference, is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to support thriller authors worldwide (a thriller is considered to be “any form of page-turning fiction”). ITW now has over 5,500 members in 53 countries who together have more than 3.2 billion books in print. Every year in June ITW holds a conference, ThrillerFest, in New York, a week-long extravaganza that includes educational workshops, pitching opportunities for aspiring authors, a debut author breakfast, panels , spotlight interviews, cocktail parties, an awards banquet, and more. The entire week is dedicated to education and networking as well as a showcase for ITW’s ThrillerMaster of the year, a lifetime achievement award. Past recipients of this award include Anne Rice, Scott Turow, Ken Follett, Jack Higgins, George R.R. Martin, Diana Gabaldon, David Morrell, John Sandford, R.L. Stine, Sandra Brown, and many others.
For the past two years the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has been a ThrillerFest sponsor, with SIBF representatives enjoying visits to New York during the festival as well as welcoming thriller writer members of the organisation to the Sharjah International Book Fair. This year guest authors to SIBF include thriller writers Lisa Gardner and Gregg Hurwitz.
In May this year Mariam ALQassab, Executive Manger in the SBA Chairman’s Office, took the opportunity to visit New York to experience ThrillerFest at first hand. “I had the opportunity to dive into and experience the phenomena behind the genre “thriller,” she said, continuing: “What fascinated me about ThrillerFest this year was the masterclasses provided to delegates, providing a platform for them to familiarize and educate themselves about the thriller genre. Also, having best-selling thriller authors giving advice, tips and assistance to advance attendees’ writing techniques was something that I thought was extremely helpful.”
Kimberley Howe, Executive Director of International Thriller Writers, said: “We really want to emphasize the “I” in ITW and Sharjah is a valued part of that effort. Having attended the Sharjah International Book Fair twice myself, I was incredibly impressed by the unparalleled hospitality and the hosting of a major event that includes authors and publishers from around the world. Many of our thriller authors have had the pleasure of attending and others are eager to travel to the UAE in the near future. At ThrillerFest, there is a real collegiality, with many top authors sharing their knowledge and experience with newer writers. Education is key at ITW, and that’s why we have such respect for the school program at Sharjah. Visiting the various schools and connecting with the students was one of the highlights of my involvement with SIBF. There is such a palatable emphasis on literacy in Sharjah, and that dovetails with ITW’s philosophy. Our exchange of ideas and speakers have helped bring ITW and SIBF to new levels of success. We are passionate about our genre, and bringing an awareness of thrillers to the worldwide audience that Sharjah offers is important to us.”
This collaboration between ThrillerFest and SIBF paves the way for even greater cooperation over the next few years. It is hoped that a particular focus on thriller writers at this year’s SIBF will encourage even more potential thriller writers among the artistic community of Sharjah.
