Lucy Foley: The Big Read - Durham Book Festival

About

We are delighted to announce that the Sunday Times number one bestselling novel The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is our 2026 Big Read. We will distribute 3,000 free copies of The Hunting Party to libraries, businesses and hospitals, and to students across County Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle, as well as working with Durham’s library service to offer reading groups and workshops in local communities. Whether reading is part of your every-day routine or you’ve not read in years, the Big Read is the perfect opportunity to rediscover and share the joy of reading with like-minded people across the North East. 

Set in a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, this locked-room mystery sees a group of old friends gather to celebrate the New Year, but before their trip ends, one of their party is dead and everyone is a suspect.  

Lucy Foley will discuss The Hunting Party, and her latest novel, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, which sees her picking up Agatha Christie’s reins 50 years on in a brand-new Miss Marple mystery. Expect a new cast of delightfully complex characters, with the shrewd eye and sharp wit from Miss Marple we all know and love. 

Lucy Foley is the bestselling author of seven novels, including The Paris Apartment, The Midnight Feast, and The Guest List, which was a Reese’s Book Club pick. As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan, Lucy also contributed to the short story anthology, Marple. Lucy is a graduate of Durham University. 

Chaired by Professor Naomi Booth, Durham University

Supported by Swinburne Maddison