Authors pen thriller at 125mph

A rail operator hosted a high-speed writing experiment onboard its trains.

Newcastle-based Lumo welcomed three authors from Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival to create a live thriller while travelling from Edinburgh to London King’s Cross at 125mph. 

Gordon Brown (aka Morgan Cry), Douglas Skelton and Natalie Jayne Clark took turns crafting an original short story inspired by the East Coast Main Line, fellow passengers and online fan suggestions.

During the journey, the authors also hosted a high-speed book signing before returning to Edinburgh to continue developing the story. 

The completed tale will soon be available to Lumo customers in both written and audiobook formats.

Gordon said: “It’s amazing how many ideas come to you when you’re in a real-world travel environment. 

“You experience and hear things first hand that can spark inspiration, and then your creative mind takes over. 

“To work alongside the other authors was a real honour, and I hope some of the customers we met today might join us at Bloody Scotland this weekend.” 

Richard Salkeld, head of communications and partnerships at Lumo, added: “At Lumo we’re all about creating memorable journeys, so what better way than to have three of the UK’s top crime writers dream up a brand-new thriller live on board? 

“Our partnership with Bloody Scotland is about celebrating creativity and connecting communities, and today our customers got to be part of a story that started at 125 miles an hour on the East Coast Main Line.” 

The writers are appearing at this year’s Bloody Scotland Festival, in Stirling, which runs from 12–14 September. 

Lumo, a proud festival partner, is also set to launch direct services between London Euston and Stirling next year, further strengthening connections between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Bob McDevitt, director of Bloody Scotland, added: “We’re always on the lookout for something new to do at the festival and can’t wait to see how this high speed crime story turns out – will the authors stay on the right track or will they go off the rails?!” 

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