Christie Newport, an award-winning author of The Preston Murder Series, studied BA (Hons) Journalism at Edge Hill University, graduating in 2004. She developed a passion for journalism as a media student.
Since graduating, Christie has gone on to forge a successful career as an internationally recognised crime thriller author. She is now published by two publishers and represented by a leading London talent agency. Her achievements include winning one of the largest crime fiction prizes in the UK, and seeing her work featured on the front cover of The Bookseller.
Christie shared her own story of studying at Edge Hill University and how her experiences there helped to shape the career that followed.
Christie said: “I visited a few universities, but Edge Hill University had a ‘vibe’ and village-like homeliness that really appealed to me. I remember walking around and feeling instantly that it was where I wanted to be. I felt a connection to Edge Hill, as though it was where I needed to be.
“I chose journalism because I was the first person in my family to go to university and had no one to ask for advice. I believed journalism was more of a vocation than English or Creative Writing. I’d always loved books and stories, both reading and writing them. I would have loved to believe I could become an author, but back then I did not. I thought that by studying journalism I was getting as close to writing books as I could reasonably get. I would still be writing, after all.
“Edge Hill University was brilliant at helping us find fantastic hands-on work experience. My three best friends and I were lucky enough to work together on several occasions. I remember the four of us being chosen for work experience at the BBC in Manchester, where we worked on Close Up North, a television programme that offered an alternative to Olympic coverage. I also completed work experience with one of my friends at a local newspaper in Bolton.
“These opportunities helped me grow in confidence, practise professional skills and understand how journalism worked beyond the classroom.”
During her degree, Christie had to overcome adversity after she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. Despite the setback, with support from tutors and staff, Christie was able to graduate and has gone on to forge a successful career as an internationally-recognised crime novel author.
She said: “When my illness progressed, and I needed many hospital visits and tests, I let my course leader know. He was very supportive and handled the situation with real care.
“I’m now an award-winning crime thriller author with two publishers and representation from a leading London talent agency. I won one of the largest crime fiction prizes in the UK, and the story was featured on the front cover of The Bookseller.
“My work has been published to critical acclaim, with Lisa Jewell describing The Raven’s Mark as ‘the most assured crime debut I have ever read’.
“Along the way to publication, I won competitions, secured a place on a course with an award-winning author, received mentorships with Nadine Matheson and Harriet Tyce, and won the inaugural Joffe Books Prize, which had one of my absolute idols, Dorothy Koomson, on the judging panel.”
Christie is now bringing her experience of the crime fiction world back to her home city at the Preston Crime Fiction Festival, which will take place at Preston Masonic Hall from 25-27 September.
Christie added: “I co-founded and co-directed the first Preston Crime Fiction Festival. The festival will feature more than 40 exceptional authors, including global bestsellers, New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, award-winners, rising stars and talented local authors.
“Across three full days, there’ll be panels, workshops and bespoke events, with a calibre of authors seldom seen at first-time festivals.”
The festival follows Christie’s own appearances at major crime writing and fiction festivals across the UK, including Capital Crime in London, Bloody Scotland in Stirling, and many more.
“One I was particularly excited about was Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, where I appeared on stage with Nadine Matheson, M. W. Craven and Simon Mason. We were interviewed by Mark Billingham and appeared in the Main Event Tent. The festival sold a record 18,000 tickets that year.”
Alongside her work on the festival, Christie is currently writing her first standalone historical thriller, loosely based on Whittingham Asylum, with a dual timeline of 1952 and 1995. After that, she will be writing the third book in her Preston Murders series; the first two books are The Raven’s Mark and The Ordinary Man.
Christie is proud of what she has achieved during her career, and grateful to Edge Hill for giving her the platform to succeed.
She concluded: “Before my writing career, I was almost entirely bedbound for over a decade, so these accomplishments mean even more to me.
“I’ve always wanted to give back to the people and places that helped me find my way, and that includes Edge Hill University.”
Special festival offer for Edge Hill students and alumni
Discounted tickets are available to Edge Hill students and alumni. The £30 full weekend ticket represents a substantial reduction of around 70%, once Eventbrite fees are taken into account, making this a rare opportunity for the Edge Hill community to experience a major crime fiction festival at a significantly reduced price.
To access the offer, please contact Christie on [email protected] or Sam Brownley at [email protected].
Find out more about studying at Edge Hill University.
September 8, 2026
