Tag Archives: the devil’s cinema

Arthur Ellis Award: A Devil of a Win

TORONTO — The Devil’s Cinema has won the Arthur Ellis Award — Canada’s top literary prize in crime writing — as a “well-paced, hard-to-put-down, real-life thriller” exploring the Mark Twitchell criminal case and “Dexter Killer” trial.

Here’s what the jury had to say in its award citation:

“A well-written and researched exploration of a very dark side of a young would-be filmmaker. … The horrific crimes and the trial of Edmontonian Mark Twitchell is deftly presented by Steve Lillebuen in a book that is a well-paced, hard-to-put-down, real-life thriller.”

The award is an incredible honour. I come from a breaking news background, so getting the chance to write the book in the first place was like jumping off the treadmill and straight into a marathon. To have my first attempt at running this race recognised by the Crime Writers of Canada is such a thrill and a real mix of luck and gratitude.

I’ve already thanked many people since the award was announced on May 30th in Toronto. But I must make special mention of the dozens of sources who agreed to be interviewed.

Journalists can’t document history unless sources will cooperate. So many people did. This is their tragic story, and I’m thrilled it has resonated with so many readers around the world.

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‘A Criminally Good Canadian’

MELBOURNE — The Devil’s Cinema has been shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award — Canada’s top prize in literary crime writing.

And the non-fiction award nomination did not go unnoticed across Canada or here in Australia (“A Criminally Good Canadian” via Fairfax newspapers).

It’s such a great honour to be nominated and recognised in this way. Best of luck to my fellow nominees, who have now given me a great stack of fascinating crime books to read.

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The Devil’s Cinema: Redux

MELBOURNE — The waiting is over for the paperback edition of The Devil’s Cinema, my non-fiction narrative on the Mark Twitchell “Dexter Killer” case, with the first copies arriving in bookstores all across North America.

This is such an exciting time to see The Devil’s Cinema released once again.

Well, I’m having to enjoy it from afar, since I returned to my home in Melbourne, Australia at the end of the original book tour. I can only imagine what those Canadian and American bookstores are looking like right now.

Since the first edition release I’ve been amazed at how this story continues to fascinate readers from around the world. I’ve received e-mails from Vancouver and Toronto, from Los Angeles, across the Midwest, in Australia, and more. (Feel free to keep sending in questions and I’ll try to post answers here.)

Despite the great run the book has had thus far, there are still so many more readers out there who are yet to discover it. Perhaps they have a friend who just heard about it, or they may recall reading something in the newspaper about the case. This is the exciting part: knowing the book is out there and someone is moments away from discovering it for the first time.

The paperback edition is also a chance for the publisher to share some of the latest book reviews — and to finally reveal an endorsement from fellow journalist and author Stevie Cameron: “A shocking story, rich with detail and full of surprises.”

It’s a great honour and thrill to have her both read and praise my work.

She knows from first-hand experience the difficulties in researching and writing a true crime story. Thankfully, my chosen tale did not turn into a multi-year legal hurdle like hers did.

At least, not yet.

This week also brings further news on the case to be revealed on television, but I’ll have to share more on that later.

Paperback copies of The Devil’s Cinema should be stocked at any good bookstore.

(Also available through many online retailers, and as an eBook.)

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