Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the corridors of Westminster to the refugee camps of Jordan, the back streets of East London to the badlands of Iraq, The Stranger is a nerve-shredding journey of suspense from the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award-winning author of A Loyal Spy. Things change quickly in the world of espionage and clandestine operations. Jude Lyon of MI6 remembers the captured terrorist bomb-maker. He watched him being flown off to Syria, back when Syria was ‘friendly’. No one expected him to survive interrogation there. Yet the man is alive and someone has broken him out of jail. Bad news for the former foreign secretary who authorised his rendition. And Jude’s boss Queen Bee who knew he wasn’t a terrorist at all, but an innocent bystander. Someone is using the former prisoner to front a new and unspeakably terrifying campaign. Someone not even ISIS can control.
“A story SO strong, you suspect it MUST be true! The Stranger renders Simon Conway one of the 21st century's masters of the thriller genre” – Jon Snow
About the author: Simon Conway is a former British Army officer and international aid worker. He has cleared landmines and the other debris of war across the world. As co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition he successfully campaigned to achieve an international ban on cluster bombs. He is currently working as Director of Capability for The HALO Trust, coordinating the charity’s response to the urbanisation of warfare and growing use of improvised explosive devices. He lives in Glasgow with his wife and two daughters. A Loyal Spy, his third novel, won the 2010 CWA Steel Dagger Award for Best Thriller of the year.
In conversation with Lee Randall.
You can purchase titles relating to this event from the Festival Bookshop online - bookshop.wigtownbookfestival.com
From the corridors of Westminster to the refugee camps of Jordan, the back streets of East London to the badlands of Iraq, The Stranger is a nerve-shredding journey of suspense from the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award-winning author of A Loyal Spy. Things change quickly in the world of espionage and clandestine operations. Jude Lyon of MI6 remembers the captured terrorist bomb-maker. He watched him being flown off to Syria, back when Syria was ‘friendly’. No one expected him to survive interrogation there. Yet the man is alive and someone has broken him out of jail. Bad news for the former foreign secretary who authorised his rendition. And Jude’s boss Queen Bee who knew he wasn’t a terrorist at all, but an innocent bystander. Someone is using the former prisoner to front a new and unspeakably terrifying campaign. Someone not even ISIS can control.
“A story SO strong, you suspect it MUST be true! The Stranger renders Simon Conway one of the 21st century's masters of the thriller genre” – Jon Snow
About the author: Simon Conway is a former British Army officer and international aid worker. He has cleared landmines and the other debris of war across the world. As co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition he successfully campaigned to achieve an international ban on cluster bombs. He is currently working as Director of Capability for The HALO Trust, coordinating the charity’s response to the urbanisation of warfare and growing use of improvised explosive devices. He lives in Glasgow with his wife and two daughters. A Loyal Spy, his third novel, won the 2010 CWA Steel Dagger Award for Best Thriller of the year.
In conversation with Lee Randall.
You can purchase titles relating to this event from the Festival Bookshop online - bookshop.wigtownbookfestival.com
![Joanna Nadin || The Worst Class in the World [AGES 5-8]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CXaChHjpguk/mqdefault.jpg "Joanna Nadin || The Worst Class in the World [AGES 5-8]
According to Miss Bottomley-Blunt, 4B is the worst class in the world, but Stanley and Manjit didnt mean to make their whole class sick, or for Manjits dog to eat their teacher’s shoes, or for the rat to escape. These things just seem to happen, even when they have a foolproof plan. They might be the worst class in the world, but where else would you want to be?
Join Joanna Nadin as she talks to Vivian French about the hilarious adventures in her new laugh-out-loud series.
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You or your teacher can send questions before or during the show for a special Q&A at the end. Submit to questions@wigtownbookfestival.com.")
