On 9 August 2023, Penguin Random House AU hosted our first-ever in-house author event for Penguin Noir: A Crime Author Showcase.
What do you get when you put crime authors Amanda Hampson, Benjamin Stevenson, Candice Fox, Darcy Tindale, Kerryn Mayne and Margaret Hickey in one room?
A fabulously thrilling night, of course!
The inaugural Penguin Noir event, hosted by the Penguin Random House Australia (PRH AU) team, featured an afternoon and evening of tasty treats, exclusive gifts, gripping entertainment, and plenty of books. In addition to two sold-out in-person events, an evening livestream allowed bookworms from around the country to join in the fun. The night consisted of a trivia game, author panel, penguin-themed treats and merch, concluding with the opportunity for readers to purchase books. After hearing from the authors, readers were eager to read and purchased nearly one hundred books at the in-person events.
‘I look forward to reading all of the books!’ said one attendee, Denise. ‘Please keep me in the loop for the next one!’
Another bookworm, Carolyn, shared that she could’ve spent another two hours at the event. She ‘loved every minute [and] wanted to hear so much more from the authors. You could hear a pin drop in the room as people hung on every word.’
Authors also loved the event and, having debriefed at breakfast the following morning, ‘agreed that [they] could have stayed all day chatting,’ according to author Amanda Hampson.
Benjamin Stevenson echoed the sentiment. ‘On behalf of the authors, we all felt very well looked after - so thank you!’
While this Penguin Noir event was the first of its kind hosted by PRH AU, it certainly won’t be the last!
Stay tuned for more upcoming events, and subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-date announcements.