A Melbourne book launch was a great excuse to catch up on grisly gossip with a clutch of crime writers
The August launch of Outside The Law 3 in Melbourne brought together some of Australia's finest crime writers to discuss the challenges of writing on a world of cops, criminals, abductions and murder. Chaired by OTL editor Lindy Cameron, the authors discussed issues ranging from the changing nature of crime journalism and the relationship between reporters and police, to how the stories they wrote on affected them personally.
The first panel of contributors included investigative journalists Rochelle Jackson and Leslie Falkiner-Rose; author Vikki Petraitis; veteran crime writer John Allin; and freelance writer and editor Renée Otmar. Each told of the approach they took in dealing with criminals and victims alike, and how they handled the responsibility of telling their stories. How close is too close, and are we reporting for the right reasons, or as Leslie asks, “are we just voyeurs?”
The second panel included crime writers Liz Filleul, John Kerr and Jacqui Horwood; author and private investigator Peter Haddow; and forensic pathologist and writer Shelley Robertson. These contributors lamented the change from the old days when reporters drank with the cops and the criminals to get the story, and that nowadays it's hard to get information outside of official police media units where, as Liz says, “you're stuck with the spin”.
But while the reporting rules may have changed, Outside The Law 3 demonstrates that quality non-fiction crime writing is going strong in Australia. As editor Lindy Cameron claims, this is the reason why books such as this one are so important - to have an experienced account of the crimes, and the stories behind the crimes, that will outlast the newspaper headlines.
Patrick Wood is a Melbourne-based freelance journalist
