大象传媒

Many legal systems have allowed the accused the defence of a 鈥渃rime of passion鈥�: attributing their act to a sudden explosion of feeling, rather than pre-meditated violence. Prosecutors, though, have argued that 鈥減assion鈥� is simply another word for 鈥渋nsanity鈥� or 鈥渕alice鈥�. A panel with distinguished criminal records tries to draw the line in a discussion hosted by Matthew Sweet at the Free Thinking Festival, Sage Gateshead.

David Wilson was the youngest prison governor in England aged 29. He is Emeritus Professor of Criminology and founding Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University. He presented the CBS series Voice of a Serial Killer and, for 大象传媒 Radio 4, In The Criminologist鈥檚 Chair. His latest book is My Life with Murderers: Behind Bars with the World鈥檚 Most Violent Men.

Sophie Hannah is a poet and crime novelist who, with the blessing of the Christie estate, has written three new Poirot novels The Monogram Murders, Closed Casket and The Mystery of Three Quarters. Her latest publication is a self-help book entitled How to Hold a Grudge.

Michael Hughes鈥� most recent novel Country maps Homer鈥檚 Iliad onto 1990s Northern Ireland to describe both the black comedy and the brutality of The Troubles. His previous novel is The Countenance Divine. He teaches creative writing and also works as a professional actor.

Producer: Craig Smith