Killer turned crime writer to give talk

John Phillips CONVICTED killer and best-selling crime writer Anne Perry – whose murder of a girl was turned into the film Heavenly Creatures, starring Kate Winslet – is to give a talk at Barking Learning Centre. The writer, who was sentenced to five years for bludgeoni

John Phillips

CONVICTED killer and best-selling crime writer Anne Perry - whose murder of a girl was turned into the film Heavenly Creatures, starring Kate Winslet - is to give a talk at Barking Learning Centre.

The writer, who was sentenced to five years for bludgeoning Honora Rieper to death in New Zealand in 1954, will give her talk at 6.30pm on Wednesday.

A publishing source told the Recorder: "She has paid for what she has done.

"She would very much like it if people would allow her to move on and not put two and two together and make seven."

London-born Perry, now 70, has sold 25million copies of her books worldwide and has been named by a national newspaper as one of the 20th century's "100 masters of crime".

The source maintained her writing ability, not the murder - one of the most notorious in modern New Zealand history - was behind her success.

"Her success was not based on that. It might have inspired her, but that was never based on the time she served."

For tickets to the book signing and talk at the centre in Town Square, Barking, call 020 8724 8724 or email barking.library@bardaglea.org.uk.