Crime Stories
From Myra Hindley's unpublished prison letters to Howard Marks' autobiography, Mr Nice, what explains the modern desire to speak publicly about crime? Also, 'hardman' biographies.
Laurie Taylor explores the fascination for true crime stories. He's joined by Jennifer Fleetwood, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at City, University of London, whose latest work considers the remarkable rise in the number of people who speak publicly about their experience of crime. Personal accounts used to be confined to the police station and the courtroom, but today bookshops heave with autobiographies by prisoners, criminals, police and barristers while streaming platforms host hours of interviews so how easy is it for the 'truth' to come out?
Louise Wattis, Assistant Professor in the Department: Social Sciences ·at Northumbria University, Newcastle looks at the skyrocketing interest in true crime as a form of popular entertainment. What do we know about the appeal of 'Hardman' biographies of violent criminals, a hugely popular subgenre, particularly for male readers?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
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Guests and further reading
- Jennifer Fleetwood, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at City, University of LondonÌý
What We Talk About When We Talk About CrimeÌý (Notting Hill Editions)
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- , ÌýAssistant Professor in Criminology at Northumbria University, Newcastle
Gender,ÌýTrue Crime and Criminology:ÌýOffenders,ÌýVictims and Ethics (Emerald Publishing Limited)
Broadcasts
- Tue 28 Jan 2025 15:30ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4
- Sun 2 Feb 2025 06:05ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4
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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Thinking Allowed is produced in partnership with The Open University
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