NI Science Festival presents V is for Venom

This February, The Crescent is delighted to welcome NI Science Festival for a series of events and workshops as part of the 2026 programme.

Explore the deadly world behind Agatha Christie’s mysteries with Kathryn Harkup’s V is for Venom.

Discover the real science, history, and true-crime stories behind fourteen poisons Christie used so brilliantly. A fascinating dive into toxicology, storytelling, and the Queen of Crime’s razor-sharp chemical knowledge.

About

Kathryn Harkup is a former chemist turned author. She writes and gives regular public talks on the disgusting and dangerous side of science. Her first book was the international best-seller A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, which was shortlisted for a Mystery Readers International Macavity Award and a BMA Book Award. Her subsequent books include its follow-up, V is for Venom, Making the Monster: The Science of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Death by Shakespeare.