Michael Ridpath at Proms at St Jude's Music and Literary Festival 2015

Michael Ridpath was a bond trader and now writes best-selling thrillers that are riveting reads. He will be in conversation with William Ryan, a former lawyer turned crime novelist.

After university, north London author Michael Ridpath joined a part-Saudi, part-American owned bank based in London. He started as a credit analyst but then became a bond trader, managing one of the largest junk bond portfolios in Europe. In 1991 he left bond trading to join a venture capital firm.

His first novel, 'Free to Trade', was written during evenings and weekends over a four year period. When it was accepted for publication with a large advance, he gave up working in the City to become a full-time writer. Having produced a string of financial thrillers, he has turned to the themes of crime and espionage. 'Sea of Stone', the latest in the 'Fire and Ice' thrillers featuring Icelandic detective Magnus, is published this spring. A sequel to 'Traitor’s Gate' will be published later this year. As yet untitled, it is a spy novel set in Holland and France during the "phoney war" of September 1939 – May 1940, when some people still thought total war was still avoidable. Ridpath aims to 'keep Magnus off balance,' an approach that helps to drive the character and action forward. Michael will be in conversation with William Ryan, who worked as a lawyer before taking up writing full-time. Ryan has written several award-winning crime novels. This conversation between two writers on their craft and creative process promises to be fascinating, and questions from the audience are encouraged.