X GRANITE NOIR WELCOME
TO 10TH EDITION
Join us for Granite Noir X, a celebration of exceptional writing talent as we step into the tenth year of our beloved festival. We mark our milestone anniversary with the very best author talks, theatre, exhibitions, audio tours, children’s events and film screenings over one unforgettable week in February. Topping our line-up are Queens of Crime with Val McDermid and Denise Mina, Shetland: A Celebration with Ann Cleeves and special guests, and we close out Granite Noir 2026 with Missing Without A Trace featuring Eva Björg Ægisdóttir & Shari Lapena.
The author conversations go from strength to strength featuring fascinating chats with Louise Welsh, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Kim Sherwood, Thomas Enger, Veronika Dupont, DV Bishop, Deborah Masson and many more. You can participate and learn from the best with our range of workshops and your little criminals can join the fun with a series of family events to get everyone into some mischief!
The ever popular exhibition will be in place at the Music Hall and focused around the spectacle of executions in Aberdeen from the 1500s with a talk coming from City
Archivist Phil Astley. We welcome back Hexagone, a ghoulishly gruesome haunted audio tour of His Majesty’s Theatre and we hear from the experts at Robert Gordon University to get a fascinating insight into a range of topics including forensic science, policing, health inequality and the terrifying world of dark knowledge.
We invite you to get out your magnifying glasses as we’ll explore what makes noir and crime fiction so immersive and compelling. As always, our inspiration comes from Aberdeen’s fascinating history with the city truly taking centre stage. Granite Noir X will be a perfect ten...do you dare to be there?
“ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LEADING LITERARY FESTIVALS”The Scotsman
Visit page 35 to see how you too can challenge your investigation skills.
From Tuesday 17 February
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY: ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND AND THE SPECTACLE OF EXECUTION, 1560-1963
Exhibition curated by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
From the witchcraft panic of the late 16th century to the last hanging in Scotland, the story of capital punishment in Aberdeen is a long and storied one. To those in the crowd, public executions were undoubtedly intended as a warning of the consequences of crime while hanging in chains and anatomisation added further humiliation to the criminal corpse.
Over time, attitudes to execution changed as did the locations where it took place. These changes reveal much about societal attitudes and the balance between crime and punishment.
Music Hall FREE ENTRY
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY EXHIBITION
ABERDEENSHIRE TAKES CENTRE STAGE
DEATH ON THE NILE
SECRETS DON’T REMAIN HIDDEN FOREVER
Tuesday 17 February
Chaired by Keira Brown
ABERDEENSHIRE TAKES
CENTRE STAGE
MORGAN CRY & DEBORAH MASSON
Granite Noir kicks off its tenth anniversary on home turf with these two thrilling reads set in the North-east!
In The Fracture, Morgan Cry‘s ex-police officer Blake Glover’s past threatens to catch up with him and destroy his small-town life in Fraserburgh. Deborah Masson brings to life a true creep in I’ll Be Watching You – a CCTV operator, keeping you safe on the streets of Aberdeen: he watches you constantly, he knows your secrets, now he wants revenge!
Tuesday 17 February
SECRETS DON’T REMAIN
HIDDEN FOREVER TARIQ ASHKANANI,
EMMA CHRISTIE & ANDREA MARA
The need to keep dark secrets hidden and the carnage unleashed when they are revealed bring together these three terrific writers. Tariq Ashkanani introduces us to a bestselling writer/covert serial killer, whose son keeps his secret. In Andrea Mara’s fictional picture-perfect neighbourhood, the neighbours have secrets. How far will they go to keep them? Emma Christie’s Jo realises someone has a terrible secret to hide. But she is determined to protect her new life from the violence of her past.
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
Chaired by Catriona Cox
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
WEDNESDAY
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY EXHIBITION
LITERATURE AT LUNCHTIME WITH LOUISE WELSH
SOCIAL MURDER
DEATHLY FUNNY
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - FILM SCREENING
DANGEROUS IDEAS AFOOT: DO WE NEED THE POLICE?
DEATH ON THE NILE
Wednesday 18 February
Chaired by Jo Durrant
LITERATURE AT LUNCHTIME
WITH LOUISE WELSH
Presenting the third highly anticipated Rilke novel exploring the dark underbelly of contemporary Glasgow! If you’ve been a fan since The Cutting Room, or you’ve heard nothing but good things but never got stuck in –then this is the event for you. An intimate gathering to get the keenest insights from Louise, it’s time to begin your journey with these exceptional books – or pop right back in where you left off and continue getting to know this complex character in The Cut Up.
Wednesday 18 February
SOCIAL MURDER THE HIDDEN DEATHS OF HEALTH INEQUALITY WITH PROF CHRIS YUILL
Murder is usually understood as the act of an individual. But what happens when society itself is structured in ways that deny people the ability to live the lives they want—when access to food, resources, and the basic conditions for well-being are restricted?
In this lecture, Professor Chris Yuill will examine how deep-rooted problems such as inequality, poverty, and deprivation amount to what can be described as ‘social murder’: the systematic organisation of society in ways that lead to the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands each year.
Delivered in partnership with Robert Gordon University’s BA (Hons) Criminology.
1pm-2pm, Music Hall, Big Sky Studio Tickets £10.50
5:30pm-6:30pm, Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU
EXPERT TALK
Wednesday 18 February
Chaired by Tim Baker
DEATHLY FUNNY VERONIKA DAPUNT, LUCY ANDREW & MK OLIVER
Humour and lightness is a powerful tool for writers to create balance whilst telling the most gruesome of tales. Three of the best, and funniest, novels of the year are featured in this event.
Veronika Dapunt asks: Who better to solve a murder than Death herself? Combining dark humour with a sensitive and unexpectedly endearing side. Lucy Andrew embeds her story in the works of Jane Austen where the tyrannical Mrs Churchill is convinced someone is trying to kill her. Both satire and thriller, MK Oliver’s novel is a sharp comedy about the masks we wear.
6pm-7pm, Lemon Tree Studio Tickets £12.50
Wednesday 18 February
Introduced by Denise Mina
THE GIRL
WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
(Cert 18)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a 2011 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. Starring Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, it tells the story of Blomkvist’s investigation to find out what happened to a girl from a wealthy family who had disappeared 40 years earlier. He recruits the help of Salander, a computer hacker. With an introduction from the bestselling Author Denise Mina, who recently wrote a new graphic novel version of the story. Brought to you by Belmont Community Cinema in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts. Image: Sony Pictures.
6pm-9pm, Cowdray Hall Tickets £10.50
Wednesday 18 February
DANGEROUS IDEAS AFOOT:
DO WE NEED THE POLICE?
PROF NICK FYFE, DR SAORFHLAITH BURTON & GRAEME MACKIE
It’s hard to imagine a world without police. Traditionally viewed as the means for the protection of society, the prevention of crime, and the catching of perpetrators. Policing expert Nick Fyfe, cultural criminologist Saorfhlaith Burton, and retired Detective Chief Superintendent Graeme Mackie discuss the future of the police in contemporary society.
In this interactive talk, we invite audience participation in asking one of the most pressing questions of our time, do we still need the police?
Delivered in partnership with Robert Gordon University’s BA (Hons) Criminology.
7pm-8pm, Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU
AND IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON...
JANE CASEY & WILLIAM SHAW
We all know the enduring power of a great series! Readers cannot get enough of Jane Casey and William Shaw’s main characters, but there is always space for a new face on the page.
Maeve Kerrigan has had 12 outings and we love her each time, but Jane is delighting us this year with a standalone and a new setting for this one - Ireland. We meet Detective Eden Driscoll in a brand-new series from William, set in Devon, to add to those that have come before.
4:30pm-5:30pm,
THURSDAY
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY EXHIBITION
LITERATURE AT LUNCHTIME WITH SHELAGH CHAIMBEUL
HISTORICAL DEEDS
SCHEMING TOGETHER
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS - FILM SCREENING
A GRAND CAREER TO DATE
DEATH ON THE NILE INTO THE DARK
Thursday 19 February
Chaired by Marion Sinclair
LITERATURE AT LUNCHTIME WITH SHELAGH CHAIMBEUL
Set in St Andrews and on the Fife Coastal Path, Shelagh Chaimbeul’s Far na Slighe weaves a suspenseful narrative of unexpected connections and a race against time, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the final, spine-chilling revelation. Join us for Granite Noir’s first foray into Gaelic Crime Fiction.
Thursday 19 February
Chaired by Peggy Hughes
HISTORICAL DEEDS
DV BISHOP & ESSIE FOX
Join us on stage with DV Bishop & Essie Fox as we discuss their novels, each set in Venice in the 1400’s and 1800’s – centuries apart but both shrouded in darkness and death.
Bishop’s Cesare Aldo is back in Carnival of Lies and he’s learned of a conspiracy to assassinate Duke Cosimo de’ Medici and is hired to protect the ruler of Florence.
With his life if necessary. In Fox’s Dangerous, fiction can be fatal! When a novel called The Vampyre is published under Lord Byron’s name, and local women are found dead with wounds to their throats, incriminating rumours abound.
Thursday 19 February Chaired by Jacky Collins
SCHEMING TOGETHER
THOMAS ENGER & JOHANA GUSTAWSSON
In a publishing first two international bestselling crime writers, Thomas Enger and Johana Gustawsson, from two different countries, writing in two different languages join forces to write a captivating new Nordic Noir series SON.
How did they do it? What possessed them? And, in SON, who is lying? What secrets will be revealed?
4:30pm-5:30pm, Lemon Tree Studio Tickets £12.50
Thursday 19 February
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
(Cert PG)
Murder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. With an all-star cast, and featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney), who is asked by a railway director (Martin Balsam) to investigate the murder of an American business tycoon (Richard Widmark) aboard the Orient Express train. The various suspects are portrayed by Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery and John Gielgud to name but a few!
Brought to you by Belmont Community Cinema in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts. Image: Studio Canal.
6pm-8:30pm, Cowdray Hall
Tickets £10.50
Thursday 19 February
AUTHOR CONVERSATION Chaired by Fiona Stalker
A GRAND CAREER TO DATE GRAEME MACRAE BURNET
Graeme Macrae Burnet is one of the UK’s brightest literary talents. His novel, His Bloody Project, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2016, won the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award 2016, and was shortlisted for the LA Times Book Awards 2017. The novels in Graeme’s Gorski trilogy have received widespread critical praise and have become cult-like classics in several countries for their multilayered references and metafictional elements. He has also authored the latest book in Polygon’s bestselling and critically acclaimed Darkland Tales series.
A brooding atmospheric tale of murder and conspiracy, set on the Hebridean island of Benbecula.
We’ll be taking an in-depth look at his career to date and sure to be hearing about what’s next on the horizon for Graeme.
7pm-8pm, Lemon Tree Studio Tickets £12.50
Thursday 19 February
INTO THE DARK
Hosted by Catriona Cox
SHANE STRACHAN, GRAY CROSBIE MAE DIANSANGU & ADITYA NARAYAN
Coorie in for an evening of poetry and spoken word as we delve into the darkness in our minds, in our lives and all around us.
Sometimes we need to quietly read, others we need to hear the words from the page, big and loud, and truly fear the horrors encapsulated within.
Joining us this year are Shane Strachan, Gray Crosbie, Mae Diansangu, and Aditya Narayan.
8:30pm-10pm, Lemon Tree Lounge Tickets £7.50
Remember to visit one of the Waterstones book stalls at events throughout the festival. Featuring works from our Granite Noir authors.
POETRY & SPOKEN WORD
GOT A HEADFUL OF GREAT IDEAS?
Granite Noir has teamed up with the Press and Journal and Evening Express for the third year running for our short story competition. Open to writers of 18 years of age and older, stories between 1,500 and 2,000 words should be written around the theme of anniversaries, milestones or the number ten - to help us celebrate the tenth year of Granite Noir! A shortlist of five stories will be decided by the panel of judges in February and the winner announced at the festival.
One lucky winner will receive:
• Their story published in the Press and Journal and Evening Express
• Book vouchers
• Aberdeen Performing Arts vouchers
• A framed book cover of your story
Entries are to be submitted to gncomp@aberdeenperformingarts.com by midnight on Sunday 25 January 2026.
FRIDAY
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY EXHIBITION
LITERATURE AT LUNCHTIME WITH LILJA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR
THE ART AND MAGIC OF PICTURE BOOKS
WAY UP NORTH
ADDICTIVE Y.A.
A MILESTONE YEAR LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY DEATH ON THE NILE QUEENS OF CRIME
Friday 20 February
Chaired by Jacky
Collins
LITERATURE AT LUNCHTIME WITH LILJA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR
Following the international bestselling Cold as Hell, Red as Blood, White as Snow and Dark as Night Lilja Sigurðardóttir delivers the haunting final chapter in this award-winning series.
In Black as Death Áróra dives headfirst into a moneylaundering case that her friend Daníel is investigating. But she soon finds that there is more than meets the eye and, once again, all leads point towards Engihjalli, the street where her sister Ísafold lived and died.
Friday 20 February
THE ART AND MAGIC OF PICTURE BOOKS
VIVIAN FRENCH
Are you an aspiring writer or illustrator of picture books? Or somebody who loves sharing picture books with children? Join award-winning author and co-founder of the PictureHooks illustration programme Vivian French for her insights into the extraordinary world of illustrated books. Design, narrative, composition, humour, pageturns, drama, colour, emotions, texture – so much goes into these works of art, a child’s window on their world.
Friday 20 February
WAY UP NORTH
Chaired by Marion Sinclair
HEATHER CRITCHLOW & LIN ANDERSON
Heather Critchlow and Lin Anderson transport us to the Highlands and Orkney respectively. Remote and isolated places naturally build within us a sense of unease and this sense is truly heightened in their two latest gripping reads.
Both reflecting on the past, looking to the future and grappling with present danger this is the perfect duo.
Heather and Lin will tell us all about these new books and how place plays a key part in their stories.
Friday 20 February
ADDICTIVE Y.A.
FARIDAH ÀBÍKÉ-ÍYÍMÍDÉ
Chaired by Katalina Watt
Ages 14+
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Ace of Spades, Where Sleeping Girls Lie and Four Eids and a Funeral. She has also written stories for Marvel’s Spider-Verse and BBC’s Doctor Who.
Faridah is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a graduate of University of Aberdeen! Her next book The Heirs promises a rollercoaster of twists and turns with secrets, lies, murder and money at its heart, and reinforces Faridah’s growing reputation as one of the finest writers of Y.A. (Young Adult) fiction.
Join us for an inspiring chat with Fardiah about her books and exciting career as a popular writer of YA fiction.
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
Friday 20 February
Chaired by Bryan Burnett
A MILESTONE YEAR
WITH DOUG JOHNSTONE
It’s going to be a bumper [and a busy] year ahead for Doug Johnstone as he celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first novel coming out and the 20th book he’s had published (coming August 2026). His first two novels, Tombstoning (Feb) and The Ossians (Apr), are being republished by Orenda Books in shiny new editions!
The Granite Noir team is delighted to celebrate this fantastic milestone for one of Scottish fiction’s unique voices in our own anniversary year.
Friday 20 February
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY
CITY ARCHIVIST PHIL ASTLEY
A fascinating talk inspired by the content of Granite Noir’s special 10th anniversary exhibition, Launched Into Eternity: Aberdeen, Scotland and the spectacle of execution, 1560-1963, curated by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
From the witchcraft panic of the late 16th century to the last hanging in Scotland, the story of capital punishment in Aberdeen is a long and storied one. Public executions were undoubtedly intended as a warning of the consequences of crime while hanging in chains and anatomisation added further humiliation to the criminal corpse. Over time, attitudes to execution changed as did the locations where it took place. These changes reveal much about societal attitudes and the balance between crime and punishment.
6pm-7pm, Lemon Tree Studio
6pm-7:30pm, Cowdray Hall
£10.50
20 February
AUTHOR CONVERSATION Chaired by Fiona
Stalker
QUEENS OF CRIME
VAL MCDERMID & DENISE MINA
Celebrate two of Scotland’s most beloved authors, Denise Mina and Val McDermid, on our main stage in conversation with Fiona Stalker. They’ll be chatting about their latest books and projects as well as reflecting on their careers to date. They both explore important issues in their work while always delivering topclass stories full of mystery and suspense.
Two brilliant writers with many strings to their bows - expect great chats, big laughs and much more on the night.
8pm-9:30pm, Music Hall Tickets £18
LOCALS IN THE LIMELIGHT
Granite Noir is proud to offer a stage to North-east writers. This year eight of the region’s most talented authors will read extracts from their noir fiction ahead of some of the festival’s main events.
EWAN WALLACE
ABERDEENSHIRE TAKES CENTRE
STAGE
Tue 17 February, Lemon Tree
BERNARD BRIGGS
DEATHLY FUNNY
Wed 18 February, Lemon Tree
JEZ CONNOLLY & MANDY
MACDONALD INTO THE DARK
Thu 19 February, Lemon Tree
LEXIE CONYNGHAM
QUEENS OF CRIME
Fri 20 February, Music Hall
SUSAN TEMPLE
WAY UP NORTH
Fri 20 February, Lemon Tree
MJ BURNS
TECHNOLOGY BITES
Sat 21 February, Lemon Tree
ELINE VLAAR
FAMILY LOST AND FOUND
Sun 22 February, Lemon Tree
SATURDAY
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY EXHIBITION
WITCHES: TOOL OF THE PATRIARCHY
SO YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT IT BAD BEHIND THE CRIME SCENE TAPE
ROOTED IN REALITY
WHAT TELEVISION GETS WRONG ABOUT FORENSIC SCIENCE
THE WORLD OF ALICE ECLAIR
PUBLISHING DEMYSTIFIED THEY KNOW YOU KNOW WHODUNNIT? WHERE? HOW? WHY? TECHNOLOGY BITES AND IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON...
MESSY, COMPLICATED AND DANGEROUS WOMEN
DEATH ON THE NILE
SHETLAND: A CELEBRATION
Saturday 21 February
Chaired by Katalina Watt
WITCHES: TOOL OF THE PATRIARCHY CLAIRE MITCHELL, ZOE VENDITOZZI & STEVEN VEERAPEN
Saturday 21 February Ages 7+
SO YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT IT BAD CHAE STRATHIE
As a woman, if you lived in Scotland in the 1500s, there was a very good chance that you, or someone you knew, would be tried as a witch. Witch hunts ripped through the country, with at least 4,000 accused, and with many women’s fates sealed by a grizzly execution of strangulation, followed by burning. Rooted in historical research and determined to address these injustices Claire Mitchell KC, and Zoe Venditozzi’s How to Kill a Witch and Steven Veerapen’s Witches both set the records straight and examine how this subject matter continues to impact our societies today. 11am-12pm,
The event is a whirlwind trip through time to Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, the Aztec world and a medieval castle to see why life was so much worse for kids back then compared to now.
So if you think YOU’VE got it bad - think again! Fascinating facts guaranteed to put you off your lunch, silly drawing, terrible ancient curses, live music and dancing all combine for a madcap journey to the age of your ancestors.
BEHIND THE CRIME SCENE TAPE
INTERACTIVE FORENSIC SCIENCE EXPERIENCE WITH WENDY DEEGAN
Have you ever wondered what happens on the other side of the blue and white crime scene tape? What are the team in white suits looking for and what do they do with it when they find it?
Join Lecturer in Forensic Biology, Wendy Deegan, and students from Robert Gordon University as they reveal the secrets of forensic crime scene investigation. Following this fascinating event, a small number of places are available for a special glimpse inside RGU’s own Crime Scene House – select the add on option when booking.
Delivered in partnership with Robert Gordon University’s BA (Hons) Criminology.
11am-12pm & 3pm-4pm, Tickets £10.50 Plus limited add on £4.50 for Crime Scene House Tour
Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU Campus
Saturday 21 February
Chaired by Cailean Steed
ROOTED IN REALITY
NINA ALLAN & FODAY MANNAH
Nina Allan’s A Granite Silence is an expedition to a particular house, in a particular street, at a particular time. In this compelling story set in Aberdeen, we look to a tight-knit community to uncover the layers of mystery that surround the disappearance and murder of young Helen Priestly. In Foday Mannah’s The Search for Othella Savage when one of their own is found unconscious in the boot of her car, Scotland’s Sierra Leonean community is cast into a state of shock, compounded even further by the disappearance of a second woman. Join these two engaging writers to chat about how real life and true events have inspired their work.
1pm-2pm, Lemon Tree Studio Tickets £12.50
Saturday 21 February
WHAT TELEVISION GETS WRONG ABOUT FORENSIC SCIENCE
DR WENDY DEEGAN & DR SAORFHLAITH BURTON
Everyone thinks they know how forensic science works. It’s fast, conclusive, and - above all - sexy. Or at least, it is on television. Some of our most popular crime dramas focus on forensic science with audiences fascinated by the knowledge beyond the microscope. But the presentation of forensic science in entertainment has led to penalties and problems in the real-life criminal justice system. Forensic scientist Wendy Deegan and cultural criminologist Saorfhlaith Burton expose what television gets wrong - and right - about forensic science and crime solving.
Delivered in partnership with Robert Gordon University’s BA (Hons) Criminology. 1pm-2pm, Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU FREE
Saturday 21 February Ages 9-12
THE WORLD OF ALICE ECLAIR
SARAH TODD TAYLOR
Baker by day, spy by night – our heroine leads an exciting double life!
Do you have what it takes to become a code-breaking spy extraordinaire? Find out with author Sarah Todd Taylor as she introduces her series Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire.
Alice is a charismatic protagonist with a flair for curiosity, follow her extraordinary spying adventures as she embarks on thrilling journeys filled with mystery, magic, and self-discovery. Step into this fantastical world with readings and interactive games, plus some code-cracking!
Saturday 21 February
PUBLISHING DEMYSTIFIED
SOCIETY OF YOUNG PUBLISHERS SCOTLAND
Ever thought about getting into publishing?
SYP Scotland exists to support early-career and aspiring publishing professionals in Scotland through networking opportunities, mentorship schemes and an annual conference. Their relationships with organisations such as Publishing Scotland, Scottish Book Trust, Scottish publishers, creative festivals, literary agents and booksellers help them to connect emerging Scottish young publishers to excellent opportunities. Join them for an inspiring session to demystify the industry.
1pm-2pm, Central Library
Saturday 21 February
THEY KNOW YOU KNOW:
DARK KNOWLEDGE AND THE STATE PROF SIMON BURNETT
Dark Knowledge is defined as ‘knowledge that may be hidden (from power or positioned to enable power) by its custodians to avoid revealing its purpose or value or forbidden because its acquisition, possession and application may be immoral, unethical or illegal.’ (Burnett and Lloyd, 2020).
Drawing on recent research funded by The Leverhulme Trust, Professor of Information Management Simon Burnett, leads this session introducing the topic of Dark Knowledge using contemporary media case studies to highlight its application by state actors.
Delivered in partnership with Robert Gordon University’s BA (Hons) Criminology.
Saturday 21 February Ages 8-12
WHODUNNIT? WHERE? HOW? WHY?
VIVIAN FRENCH
Vivian French has written more than 400 books for young people. The Robe of Skulls, The Runaways of Haddington Hall, The Steam Whistle Theatre Company –Vivian’s award-winning books are always entertaining, packed with fascinating characters and brilliantly plotted. You’re in the best possible hands! She believes that we’re all storytellers and in this event she’ll prove it. So bring along your excellent ideas and imaginations, and together you’ll create a unique Granite Noir whodunnit.
2pm-3pm, Cowdray Hall
3pm-4pm, Central Library
Saturday 21 February Chaired by Eris Young
TECHNOLOGY BITES
ADAM OYEBANJI & THOMAS R WEAVER
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji is a history-bending speculative fiction novel that’s pacy and thrilling. It explores the depths of seemingly impossible crime rooted in racism, intergenerational trauma, and an inhuman concept of justice.
Thomas R Weaver’s Artificial Wisdom is a genre-defying, murder mystery, techno-thriller set in a climate-ravaged near-future world. Humanity must decide whether to entrust its future to an Artificial Intelligence - but when the AI’s creator is killed the night before the election, the consequences are all too human. This event explores how digital innovation can be used for less positive motives.
Saturday 21 February
MESSY, COMPLICATED AND DANGEROUS WOMEN
OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE, MO MOSHATY & CELINE SAINTCLAIRE
Curated by Scottish BPOC Writers Network
3pm-4pm, Lemon Tree Studio
In recent thrillers and horror stories, narratives centring on ‘female rage’ are gaining traction. These are characters we know we shouldn’t root for, yet we find ourselves compelled to read on. However, Black women are often overlooked in these discussions. Join us for an exciting panel featuring authors who all skilfully portray morally ambiguous and complex characters. 6pm-7pm, Lemon Tree Studio
Chaired by Nailah King
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
Chaired by Nicola Meighan
SHETLAND: A CELEBRATION
ANN CLEEVES AND SPECIAL GUESTS
As Granite Noir celebrates its 10th anniversary, we join forces with another great crime institution marking a decade of dramatic mysteries in the north of Scotland. The beloved BBC TV series Shetland broadcasts its 10th series from November 2025 and we are thrilled to welcome legendary author Ann Cleeves to Granite Noir to share the story of this incredible series and mark the publication of The Killing Stones, her brand new Jimmy Perez novel. Ann will be joined by a host of special guests (to be announced soon) who have played their part in the success of Shetland, both on the page and on the screen.
A truly special event not to be missed. 8pm-10pm, Music Hall Tickets £18
X GRANITE NOIR TRA
LIVE STREAMED EVENTS
CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE FESTIVAL? EXPERIENCE GRANITE NOIR THROUGH OUR LIVESTREAMING SERVICE WITH A HOST OF FREE CONTENT FROM THE AUTHOR PANELS AND EVENTS DURING THE FESTIVAL WEEK. VISIT: ABERDEENPERFORMINGARTS.COM/GRANITE-NOIR FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
SUNDAY
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY EXHIBITION
HEXAGONE
BALANCING BOND
CREATE YOUR OWN SPY
BOLD NEW VOICES
THE HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
GHOULS, WITCHES & KILLERS
STALKING HELL
POISONED AFTERNOON TEA
FAMILY LOST AND FOUND MISSING WITHOUT A TRACE
SHETLAND - RAVEN BLACK PARTS 1 & 2 - SCREENING COCKTAILS SHAKEN NOT STIRRED
Duration 45 mins - 1 hour, you can start at any time between 11am & 3pm.
Sunday 22 February
AUDIO EXPERIENCE
Age 14+
HEXAGONE AN ABERDEEN AUDIO HAUNT
3 Million Followers. 1 Megastar. 0 Traces.
Unravel the most chilling disappearance of the year in this spooky puzzle adventure.
Mark Benet, Europe’s rising horror icon, has vanished without a trace. Was it a publicity stunt gone wrong? A sinister plot? Or something far more terrifying?
Step into a world where reality blurs with the supernatural. HEXAGONE fuses audio storytelling with mind-bending puzzles, plunging you into a ghostly adventure. This work has been made by young and emerging artists with Produced Moon (UK) and Storydive (Germany) and features puzzles created by young people from Harlaw Academy.
Grab your phone, put on your headphones and decode cryptic clues around His Majesty’s Theatre, from places you know to sites you’ve never seen. Where every step could be your last... or your breakthrough.
Can you uncover the truth before it’s too late?
Multiple time slots –from 11am to 3pm
His Majesty’s Theatre Tickets £15.50
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
Sunday 22 February
BALANCING BOND
Chaired by Bryan Burnett
VASSEM KHAN & KIM SHERWOOD
Vaseem Khan and Kim Sherwood have both taken on one of writing’s toughest tasks – continuing the stories of a classic character – James Bond. How do they find their own unique voice while retaining the style and tone of such an iconic figure? How do they find time for their own individual works? Where do they find things mixing, melding and crossing over?
Join us as they chat about the challenges, new characters and plots, and the legacies they hope to leave behind as writers.
Sunday 22 February Ages 7-12
CREATE YOUR OWN SPY
SARAH TODD TAYLOR
Based around the codes and ciphers in the Alice Éclair series, this session starts with a short talk about how Sarah created the Alice Éclair series. We then create our own spy, complete with a codename, and decide where they will be investigating to find their secret plans or track down a villain. We’ll learn some simple codes and ciphers, from the oldest one recorded (did you know you could use a rolling pin to create hidden messages!) to using a cipher wheel. As we learn each code, we’ll think about how our spy might use them to pass on their own secret messages.
11am-12pm,
11:30am-12:30pm, Music Hall, Tutti Studio
CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
BOLD NEW VOICES
NATALIE JAYNE CLARK, LAURA ELLIOT & ELSPETH WILSON
There are many emerging voices in the Noir genre - but we’ve chosen these three that we’re particularly keen to shine a light upon.
In Natalie Jayne Clark’s The Malt Whisky Murders couple Eilidh and Morag are plunged headlong into a storm of murder, suspicion, intrigue and small-town bureaucracy. From Laura Elliot, comes the tense and surreal novel Awakened. Exploring the extreme aftermath of induced global sleeplessness and the horrors of love amidst lost sanity. Elspeth Wilson’s These Mortal Bodies is a story of obsession, infatuation and toxic friendship.
Sunday 22 February
THE HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
NADINE AISHA JASSAT
Ages 8-12
Acclaimed children’s writer Nadine Aisha Jassat makes a welcome return to Granite Noir to introduce young readers to the mysterious goings on in The House at the Edge of the World.
Hope House is more than just a building - it’s a place of magic and mystery... When Amal and her family unexpectedly inherit the enchanted clifftop home, they can’t believe their luck. But their joy is short-lived when a mysterious couple arrives, claiming the house is theirs and giving Amal’s family just thirty days to pack up their stuff and leave before they demolish it completely.
1pm-2pm, Lemon Tree Studio
2pm-3pm, Music Hall, Big Sky
CHILDREN’S EVENT
Sunday 22 February
GHOULS, WITCHES, AND KILLERS THE FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE OF ABERDEEN WITH DR RACHAEL IRONSIDE AND DR SAORFHLAITH BURTON
The glistening bright light reflecting off the silvered granite of Aberdeen’s architecture hides a frightening, ghoulish, and bloodthirsty underbelly. In this talk we invite you to meet a city replete with witches, body snatchers, murderers, curses, ghosts, and more.
As well as telling stories and folktales of the occult, spooky, and esoteric histories of Aberdeen, Rachael and Saorfhlaith will share how these dark heritages reveal themselves in the modern-day city and how Aberdeen is formed by its gruesome and macabre past. We invite the audience to share their own spooky tales of Aberdeen and the Shire. 2pm-3pm, Cowdray Hall
Tickets £10.50
Sunday 22 February
STALKING HELL
SAM BLAKE & TANYA SWEENEY
Are there two sides to every story? Or, at least, victims on all sides? Two writers delve into the subject of stalkers exploring why they do what they do and the consequences of their actions.
In Sam Blake’s Your Every Move estate agent Rosie Kinsella loves her job selling high-end properties in London. But when she’s targeted by a mysterious stalker, her glamorous life is turned upside down.
Tanya Sweeney asks: where does being just a superfan end, and something more sinister begin? Esther Is Now
Following You is a dark comedy about a woman whose life begins to unravel when she fixates on an actor.
3pm-4pm, Lemon Tree Studio
Tickets £12.50
Chaired by Fiona Stalker
Sunday 22 February
POISONED
AFTERNOON TEA
DR KATHRYN HARKUP
An Agatha Christie inspired afternoon of fabulous food and puzzling poisons. The Queen of Crime had a predilection for killing her characters with chemicals and she used her vast toxicological knowledge to tease out clues from their taste, symptoms and detection. While sampling tasty treats, Dr Kathryn Harkup will explain how to spot strychnine in the sandwiches or cyanide in the scones.
Sunday 22 February
FAMILY LOST AND FOUND
FFLUR DAFYDD, LV MATTHEWS & CATRIONA WARD
Families come in various shapes and sizes, and all certainly come with their own issues and challenges.
Fflur Dafydd, LV Matthews and Catriona Ward weave together stories through a familial lens – a masterclass in taglines that draw you in.
3pm-4:30pm,
“What do you do when you find your house submerged in water, a dead stranger in your bed and your whole family killed?” 6pm-7pm,
Chaired by Cailean Steed
AUTHOR CONVERSATION
Chaired by Bryan Burnett
MISSING WITHOUT A TRACE
EVA BJÖRG ÆGISDÓTTIR & SHARI LAPENA
Close out your Granite Noir with this spectacular international duo chatting about their latest books.
In Icelandic bestseller Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s Home Before Dark, Marsí is desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified she might be next! She’s determined to find out what happened, but has always had trouble distinguishing her vivid dreams from reality, can she even trust her own memories?
Canada’s Shari Lapena introduces us to She Didn’t See It Coming where her main characters seem to have the perfect life. Then, one day, Bryden disappears and Sam cannot understand how or why; he realises those around him might not be as reliable as he thought they were. 8pm-9pm, Music Hall Tickets £15
Sunday 22 February
SHETLAND –RAVEN BLACK
PARTS 1 AND 2
Shetland- Raven Black: Parts 1 and 2.
When the body of a teenage girl is found on a beach, DI Perez leads the investigation. It seems the case may be linked to the disappearance of a young girl 19 years earlier. Based on the first of the award-winning Shetland novels and introduced by the author Ann Cleeves these two episodes of the iconic Shetland series feature Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez and the legendary Brian Cox.
Sunday 22 February
COCKTAILSSHAKEN NOT STIRRED
DR KATHRYN HARKUP
Shetland- Raven Black: Parts 1 and 2 brought to you by Belmont Community Cinema in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts.
James Bond’s adventures thwarting the plans of the world’s greatest villains have thrilled and delighted audiences since Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale was published in 1953. Join Dr Kathryn Harkup as she explores 007’s exploits, from the practicalities of building a volcano-based lair, to whether being covered in gold paint really will kill you, and – if your plan is to take over the world – whether it is better to use bacteria, bombs, or poison.
This event will give you all the answers over a few glasses of James Bond’s favourite cocktails.
6pm-9pm, Cowdray Hall Tickets £10.50
8pm-9:30pm, The Terrace at HMT Tickets £37.50
DRAMA
THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY DEATH ON THE NILE
THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
Tue 10 - Sat 14 February 2026
Tue - Sat 7:30pm, Thu 2pm, Sat 2:30pm
Step into a world of deception, desire, and deadly ambition. How far would you go to become someone else?
This electrifying new stage adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley brings Patricia Highsmith’s iconic psychological thriller to life like never before.
Tom Ripley is a nobody, until a wealthy stranger offers him an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to bring home his wayward son Dickie.
Tom is seduced by Dickie’s life—the freedom, wealth and charm. What starts as an innocent opportunity spirals into lies, identity theft, and murder.
His Majesty’s Theatre
Tickets from £17
Agatha Christie’s DEATH ON THE NILE
Tue 17 - Sat 21 February 2026
Tue - Sat 7:30pm, Thu 2pm, Sat 2:30pm
Bitter rivals. Buried secrets. A love to die for.
On board a luxurious cruise under the heat of the Egyptian sun, a couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by a brutal murder.
Following the sell-out tours of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile reunites celebrated director Lucy Bailey
(Witness for the Prosecution), writer Ken Ludwig and Fiery Angel for the European premiere of a brand-new adaptation of the globally celebrated Agatha Christie story.
“Gorgeously staged” HHHH Daily Mail
His Majesty’s Theatre
Tickets from £18
Timothy C. Baker is Personal Chair in Scottish and Contemporary Literature at the University of Aberdeen. He is the author of five books, most recently Reading My Mother Back: A Memoir in Childhood Animal Stories and New Forms of Environmental Writing: Gleaning and Fragmentation.
Bryan Burnett is the host of BBC Radio Scotland’s evening music programme, Get It On. Aberdeen born Bryan began his career as a teenage magazine journalist before moving into radio and TV presenting. He has presented a wide range of shows over the years from arts and entertainment to quiz shows.
Keira Brown, is a writer that has worked in the literature sector at organisations such as The Bookseller, Blackwells, Nielsen, Booktrust, Paisley Book Festival, and the Royal Society of Literature. She has a long-standing commitment to the world of storytelling and culture and spectacular cheerleader for the written word.
Dr Jacky Collins aka Dr Noir, formerly Senior Lecturer at Northumbria University in Literature, Film & TV and Spanish Language & Culture. Jacky established the International Crime Fiction Festival that is Newcastle Noir. and more recently, she has been co-hosting a crime fiction programme on SpiceFM.
Marion Sinclair, originally from Barra, has spent her career working in Edinburgh. She is the former CEO of Publishing Scotland, the trade and development organisation, where she had notable impact on the industry. She continues to work in publishing returning to her roots and now working as an editorial consultant.
Jo Durrant is a broadcaster, podcaster, and event host. She presents the award-winning podcast Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe. She’s a respected interviewer and event chair, and a familiar face at literature, history, and science festivals. For over 20 years was a presenter, producer & reporter with BBC radio.
Fiona Stalker is a Senior Presenter and Reporter at BBC Scotland. Presenting across TV & radio including Drivetime and The Sunday Show on BBC Radio Scotland and Seven Days on BBC Scotland. She previously worked for Reuters, lectured in journalism, and managed her own media training company.
Peggy Hughes is Head of Programmes at the National Centre for Writing, a literature house dedicated to the exploration and celebration of writing. She has worked in literature organisations, including Edinburgh International Book Festival, Literary Dundee and the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust.
Nailah King is a Canadian horror and crime writer writing grim stories about haunted Black women pushed to the brink. Her work has appeared in the Feels Zine, GUTS Magazine, The Humber Literary Review, and Carousel Magazine, and she is the Communications Manager at Scottish BPOC Writers Network.
Cailean Steed is a writer and teacher who lives near Glasgow. Their debut novel, Home, was published by Bloomsbury Raven in 2023. Their second novel, The Mirror Halls, will be published in 2026.
Cailean’s short fiction has been published by New Writing Scotland, Boudicca Press and Barren Magazine.
Arts writer and broadcaster Nicola Meighan has interviewed names like Dolly Parton, Joan Collins and Ian Rankin on her BBC Radio Scotland Show. A Kick Up The Arts is her Scottish Arts and Culture podcast, recorded in arts spaces around the country, with guests including Val McDermid and Chris Brookmyre.
Katalina Watt is the author of Saltswept (2026). They were selected for a 2025 Literature Matters Award from RSL, and AIR Literature UNESCO 2024 Writer in Residence for Konstkollektivet in Sweden. They are founding Audio Director for khōréō and are a Writing Coach at The Novelry.
Eris Young is a queer, transgender author. Their short stories have appeared in Pseudopod, Fusion Fragment and Metastellar, as well as anthologies such as Uncanny Bodies. They also edit fiction at Shoreline of Infinity magazine and in 2020 received a Scottish Book Trust New Writer Award for fiction.
HOW TO BOOK
Tickets can be booked by visiting the box office at His Majesty’s Theatre or the Music Hall, by calling 01224 641122, or through our website aberdeenperformingarts.com, deals and discounts are available.
TRAVEL DETAILS
By air:
Aberdeen has an international airport located in Dyce, on the North-west of the city. The city centre can be accessed by taxi or bus from the airport.
By train:
Aberdeen train station is conveniently located in the city centre and is walking distance from Union Street and all Granite Noir venues. Regular services arrive from south and west of the city.
By bus:
Aberdeen bus station is situated next to the train station and in convenient walking distance from the city centre. Buses and coaches arrive regularly from all cities providing good access to Aberdeen.
By road:
South: On the A90 from Dundee
West: On the A96 from Inverness, A944 from Alford, A93 from Braemar/Ballater
North - A90 from Peterhead/Fraserburgh
Dundee……..1 hour 30 minutes drivetime
Edinburgh…..2 hours 45 minutes drivetime
Glasgow…….2 hours 45 minutes drivetime
Inverness……2 hours 45 minutes drivetime
Elgin…………1 hour 45 minutes drivetime
Where to park:
Parking near the Granite Noir venues is available at the Bon Accord centre (Harriet Street and Loch Street), Denburn Car Park and on West North Street.
We would like to thank Aberdeen City Council, Creative Scotland and Event Scotland for their funding support for Granite Noir. We are also indebted to Waterstones for their enthusiastic support.
Granite Noir is produced by Aberdeen Performing Arts on behalf of Aberdeen City Libraries, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives, Belmont Cinema and Robert Gordon University.
We would like to thank Aberdeen City Council, Creative Scotland and Event Scotland for their funding support for Granite Noir. We are also indebted to Waterstones for their enthusiastic support.
Granite Noir is produced by Aberdeen Performing Arts on behalf of Aberdeen City Libraries, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives, Belmont Cinema and Robert Gordon University. facebook.com/GraniteNoirFest
