The 61st annual Edgar Allan Poe Awards banquet was held at the Grand Hyatt on April 26 and achieved the near miracle of being a huge awards dinner that was fun — a rare occurrence indeed.

The Mystery Writers of America named Stephen King the Grand Master for lifetime achievement, the group’s highest award and one usually reserved for someone so old the writers feel they ought to present it before the recipient is actually mummified. Donald E. Westlake handed the trophy to Mr. King after a lengthy and hilarious introduction by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, with whom Mr. King plays guitar in a rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders (and forget “Carrie” or “The Shining” — the film of the band wins the title of the all-time horror classic).

The best novel award was given to Jason Goodwin for “The Janisarry Tree” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 320 pages, $25), an exceptional novel set in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, with a eunuch, Yashim Togalu, serving as the detective. Hey, how else is he going to spend those long Turkish nights?

“The Faithful Spy” (Random House, 352 pages, $24.95) by Alex Berenson was named the best first novel, and tells the story of John Wells, a CIA agent who infiltrates Al Qaeda and, within two years, has converted to the one true faith: Islam. When al-Zawahiri sends him home on a secret mission, Wells is conflicted. The author is a New York Times reporter.

Other winners were Naomi Hirahara’s “Snakeskin Shameskin” (paperback original); Charles Ardai’s “The Home Front” (best short story, published in “Death Do Us Part”); E.J. Wagner’s “The Science of Sherlock Holmes” (biographical/critical work); James L. Swanson’s “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer” (fact crime); and William Monahan’s screenplay for “The Departed.”

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Okay, we all know it’s not likely that you’re going to be in Owensboro, Kentucky, in June (or any other time, for that matter), but you should know about this weeklong festival of live theater devoted entirely to mystery plays.

Among the plays making their debut are “Columbo Takes the Rap,” the first stage play featuring the greatest television detective of all time. It was written by William Link, who created the TV series with his longtime partner, Richard Levinson, now deceased; others are “Widdershins,” an Inspector Ruffing mystery set in 1902 Wales, by Don Nigro, one of the world’s most frequently produced playwrights; and “Final Curtain,” a funny and suspenseful posthumously produced play by Ed McBain, the creator of the 87th Precinct series.

The Mystery Festival runs June 12–17 and there is much more to know, which you can do by going to its Web site: www.newmysteries.org. If Angela Lansbury can make the trip (she’s the guest of honor), so can you.

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This column is beginning to seem like the official necrology site of the mystery writing world, but it’s important to note that Michael Dibdin died April 4 at the age of 60, which seems way too young.

His career started with “The Last Sherlock Holmes Story” in 1978 and flourished with the creation of his dour Aurelio Zen mysteries. Although Venetian, Zen’s escapades took him to all parts of the world to solve improbably complex crimes. The 11th and last in the series will be published later this year. The mysteries, noted for their literary style more than for their puzzles, have a main character that somehow becomes likable primarily for his very lack of likability. Cynical and grouchy, the world-weary Zen amasses a loyal following who undoubtedly will look forward to the release of the aptly titled “End Game” this summer.

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Good news and bad news for the family and friends of Eli M. Liebow, author of the first and best biography of Joseph Bell, the prototype for Sherlock Holmes.

The bad news is that he died a few months ago. The good news is that “Dr. Joe Bell” has just been reissued by the University of Wisconsin Press (286 pages, $26.95) after having been out of print for several years.

Based on extensive research into the life of Bell, the biography provides tantalizing accounts of the connections between the eminent physician and Arthur Conan Doyle and should be of interest to anyone interested in the great detective and his creator.

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And to close on a cheerful note, here are irrefutable words of wisdom from Cornell Woolrich (from “Phantom Lady”): “Time is a greater murderer than any man or woman. Time is the murderer that never gets punished.”

Mr. Penzler is the proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan and the series editor of the annual “Best American Mystery Stories.” He can be reached at ottopenzler@mysteriousbookshop.com.