Bestselling novelist Nuala Ellwood appointed Lee Child Professor of Crime Writing at UEA
By: Communications
Nuala Ellwood will bring her experience as a bestselling novelist, lecturer, mentor and public speaker to UEA’s MA Crime Fiction when she joins the University in January 2027.
As Lee Child Professor of Crime Writing, she will teach and mentor students, work alongside colleagues to support the continued development of the MA and build stronger industry connections with publishers and the wider crime-writing community.
The new professorship has been made possible by a generous philanthropic contribution from acclaimed author and creator of Jack Reacher, Lee Child. His support is funding two new part-time roles for an initial three years: the professorship and a dedicated administrator supporting the course's engagement and delivery.
Lee Child said: "I trusted UEA to come up with someone really good - instead, they found someone truly spectacular. With Nuala involved, the next few academic years will be special. I love it when a plan comes together."
Henry Sutton, Professor of Creative Writing and Crime Fiction and the founder of the MA, said: “With Lee Child’s fantastic gift, we are thrilled to be able to bring Nuala to UEA in such a prestigious and important role.
"We believe she is the ideal person to help steer the course and the genre forward. She will inspire and enable a new generation of crime writers.”
Nuala is the author of nine novels, including psychological thrillers published under her own name and historical fiction written under the pseudonym Iris Costello. Her bestselling debut thriller, My Sister’s Bones, was recently adapted into a feature film starring Anna Friel, Olga Kurylenko and David Bradley. Alongside her writing career, Nuala has taught Creative Writing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has chaired events at major crime and literary festivals, alongside other public engagement work.
UEA’s MA Crime Fiction celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2025. The course combines the development of students’ writing with insights into the commercial and professional realities of publishing, building on UEA’s internationally recognised tradition of Creative Writing.
Nuala said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining UEA as Lee Child Professor of Crime Writing, and enormously grateful to Lee for his generous support in making this new role possible. I have long admired the MA Crime Fiction and its commitment to nurturing new voices, and I’m passionate about the extraordinary range and possibilities of the genre.
"Crime fiction can take us into every corner of the human experience, exploring questions of identity, morality, power, and our place in the world, while keeping readers on their toes. I’m really looking forward to working with the students and team at UEA and to being part of the next chapter of this exceptional course.”
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