THE PREMIER CONFERENCE FOR THRILLER ENTHUSIASTS
June 17th - June 21st 2025, NYC
ThrillerFest 2026 will take place from May 5 – 9, 2026. Registration will open in August 2025.
WELCOME TO THRILLERFEST!
Welcome to ThrillerFest XX, our twentieth anniversary event, which will take place June 17 to June 21, 2025 at the New York Hilton Midtown, with a bonus event on Monday, June 16: FBI and ATF Day.
We’re excited to present a blockbuster line-up this year, featuring:
2025 ThrillerMaster John Grisham
2025 Silver Bullet Award Recipient James Patterson
2025 Spotlight Guest Oyinkan Braithwaite
2025 Spotlight Guest Jennifer Hillier
2025 Thriller Legend Neil Nyren
2025 Thriller Fan McKenna Jordan
REGISTER HERE
We have something for everyone, whether you’re an aspiring author, a fan, an industry professional, or an ITW author. Some of the highlights include:
- FBI and ATF Day: Monday – Join us for an intensive day of learning from Special Agents who will share information in their area of expertise. This insider’s view of the FBI will allow you to write an authentic portrayal of any FBI experts and agents in your novels. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to go behind the scenes.
- Master Class: Tuesday – We kick off ThrillerFest week with MasterClass. Take your project to the next level with a small, full-day class taught by a bestselling author, including a critique of 10 manuscript pages.
- CraftFest: Wednesday and Thursday – Hone your craft during hour-long lectures and presentations by experts and authors.
- QueryFest: By appointment only, Wednesday through Friday – Get advice and careful critiques of your query or first manuscript pages during 15-minute, one-on-one meetings with leading agents and editors.
- PitchFest: Thursday afternoon – Pitch your completed manuscript to top agents and editors in this “speed dating” event. 2024’s PitchFest had over 60 agents and editors attend.
- ThrillerFest: Friday and Saturday – Meet bestselling thriller authors and other industry experts starting with the Opening Night Cocktail Party on Thursday evening, and continuing with panels, interviews, and signings on Friday and Saturday. Includes the Debut Author Breakfast on Saturday morning.
- The Thriller Awards Banquet: Saturday night – Socialize, feast, and cheer the presentation of the industry’s top honors, The Thriller Awards.
This is the 20th anniversary of the very first ThrillerFest in 2005, and we are so excited to bring you the best ThrillerFest yet. We encourage all thriller enthusiasts to join the ITW family.
We have something for everyone, including writers at every stage of their careers, readers, and fans.
Register here to join us in 2025.
REGISTER HERE
Thank you to our 2025 Sponsors
We thank our Scholarship sponsors for their generous donation to our 2025 Scholarship Program
Audio Sorceress, Bruce Johnson, Susana Kuehne, Vicki Montet
Volunteer with Us
Volunteers are an integral part of the ThrillerFest experience. We couldn’t do it without you. It’s also a great way to meet people and get involved in ITW. If you would like to assist us, please be sure to check “yes” to “Volunteer” during registration.
(Please note: volunteers must be registered for ThrillerFest).
Spread the Word
Please drop by the ThrillerFest Facebook page then “like” us, and help spread the word! You can also follow ITW on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Meet our Staff
Your ThrillerFest team is looking forward to a fun and memorable year. We’re excited to celebrate the following staff members:
Ruth Church as Deputy Director ThrillerFest / MasterClass, Tracey Devlyn as QueryFest Assistant Director, Sara DiVello as Social Media Director, Tori Eldridge as Debut Author Coordinator, Todd Gerber as Awards Coordinator, Chris Graham as Technology Coordinator, Katie Griffiths as Social Media Coordinator, Kimberley Howe as ITW Executive Director, Dennis Kennett as Registrar, Shirley Kennett as Assistant Registrar, Jennifer Kreischer as Banquet Coordinator, Susan Lee as Deputy Director ThrillerFest / PitchFest, James L’Etoile as QueryFest Director, Sam Octavius as Operations Director, Terry Rodgers as Assistant Registrar, Kerry Savage as Volunteer Coordinator, and Samantha Skal as Executive Director, ThrillerFest.
For questions regarding ThrillerFest, please contact ThrillerFest’s Executive Director
Samantha Skal: samantha@thrillerwriters.org
For questions regarding ITW, please contact ITW’s Executive Director
Kimberley Howe: KimberleyHowe@thrillerwriters.org
For press queries, please contact
Sara DiVello: sara@saradivello.com
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Actives
Sandra Brannan
Clive Cussler*
Dirk Cussler*
Shane Gericke*
Faye and Jonathan Kellerman*
John Lescroart
Joanie McDonell
Karin Slaughter
Larry D. Thompson
Associates
Tucker Andersen
Andrew Kimball
Actives
Kathleen Antrim*
David Baldacci*
Neal Baer
Steve Berry*
J. Jackson Bentley
Gary Braver*
Sandra Brown*
Dale Brown*
John Case*
Lee Child*
James Comey
Michael Connelly
Glenn Cooper
Richard Curtis*
Jack F. Du Brul*
David Dun*
Joseph Finder
Brian Garfield*
Tess Gerritsen*
Leslie Glass*
Jeff Gunhus
Vicki Hinze*
Lisa Jackson
Alex Kava*
Raymond Khoury
Deborah LeBlanc
Eric Van Lustbader*
D. P. Lyle M.D.*
Gayle Lynds*
Steve Martini
Brad Meltzer
David Morrell*
Katherine Neville*
Michael Palmer (2004-2013)*
James Patterson*
Andrew Peterson
Douglas Preston*
Lissa Price
Keith Raffel
Christopher Reich*
James Rollins*
M.J. Rose*
JoAnn Ross
Hank Phillippi Ryan
John Saul*
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Susan Arnout Smith
R.L. Stine*
Brad Thor*
Lisa Unger
Paul Vidich
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Leisure Books*
JK Franko*
Brian Hand
Ed Mitchell*
Henry Morrison*
Adrian Muller*
Bill Sewell
Tor/Forge Books*
Your Book Is Your Hook!
Actives
Steve Alten*
Ashok Banker
Ted Bell*
Emily Benedek
Janet Berliner-Gluckman*
Gary Birken
Mike Bond
Sandra Brannan
Allison Brennan
Mike Brogan
Jan Burke*
Lorenzo Carcaterra
Lincoln Child*
Stephen Coonts*
Brian D’Amato
B. J. Daniels
Nelson DeMille
Eileen Dreyer*
Joanna Elm
Linda Fairstein*
Vince Flynn (2004-2013)*
Chris Fox
Joel Goldman*
Howard Gordon
Heather Graham*
Thomas Greanias
Gary Grossman
Humphrey Hawksley
Bonnie Hearn Hill*
Mark Imhof
Alan Jacobson
Judith Kelman*
Harley Jane Kozak
Jon Land
Dennis Lynds (2004-2005)*
Patricia McLinn
Michael McMenamin
Francine Mathews*
Nan McCann
Kyle Mills*
Twist Phelan
Christopher Rice*
Wendy Roberts
John Sandford
James Siegel*
Carl T. Smith*
Deborah Smith*
Taylor Smith*
L.A. Starks
Mariah Stewart*
Peter Straub*
Lee Strobel
M. Diane Vogt*
Thomas Waite
Stuart Woods*
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Brilliance Audio*
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Emory Hackman
Inkwell Management, LLC*
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Mario Mastro*
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Amy Rivers
Mike Trigg
*original member joined by June 4, 2005