British crime writer defend the genre

Best-selling British writer Sophie Hannah has no qualms about being labeled a crime novelist, but rejects charges the genre is inferior to mainstream literature.

In addition to being a full-time writer, Hannah has also been elected a fellow of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, which organizes the Women's Word literary festival every year.

Hannah has also published five books of poetry, children's books and a collection of short stories called the "Fantastic Collection of Everybody's Secrets," for one of which she won the 2004 Daphne du Maurier Prize for suspense short story.

"Two things. I know a lot of crime writers think there shouldn't be any distinction. Now I disagree with that because I think the genre label of crime or mystery is useful for readers.So somebody like me who loves mysteries, if I go to the crime and mystery section of the book shop, I know that I will find lots of books in which the mystery aspect is important for the writer," the author told Reuters news agency. "What I strongly disagree with it is when it has value judgments attached, so I don't agree with what a lot of people think which is that somehow crime and mystery fiction is a lesser species, because I just don't think it is.You only have to read really brilliant crime or suspense novelists like Barbara Vine or Patricia Highsmith, there's loads, Daphne du Maurier, people like that to see that the crime novel can be a brilliant novel.The snobbery aspect of it of it I think is ridiculous, but I think it has a lot to do with people wanting to seem clever.People who are insecure about their own cleverness say, "I read crime fiction but only Scandinavian," because that sounds more high-brow, and they want to be seen reading literary novels because it makes them look clever.I personally, I know I'm clever and I like reading mysteries and don't think that it makes me any less clever."