Shetland Noir 2015 programme

Programme

13 – 15 November 2015

Warm thanks to all of the following:

our Partners: Promote Shetland and Iceland Noir; Our sponsors: Pan MacMillan; Lerwick Brewery; Shetland Times Bookshop; The Shetland Association of the Educational Institute of Scotland for their generous financial support of our outreach activity in Shetland Schools; The Icelandic Literature Centre for their generous financial support of travel to and from the festival by Yrsa Sigurรฐardรณttir, Lilja Sigurรฐardรณttir and Ragnar Jรณnasson; Quentin Bates for his work, his advice and his patience; Ann Cleeves for her generous sponsorship of the Jimmy Perez Trophy, taking part in the judging of the Shetland Noir Writing Competition, and all of her invaluable help and advice behind the scenes; Karen Fraser and Louise Graham for their hard work, enthusiasm and efficiency in judging the Shetland Noir Writing Competition; Davie Gardner for his work and enthusiasm in planning and delivering the bus tour; Archivist Brian Smith for his fascinating talk on the Street Murder; Shetland Library for helping to spread the word...

Introduction Welcome to Shetland Noir (In Association With Iceland Noir), Shetland’s first ever festival of crime fiction, on loan for one year only from our good friends at Iceland Noir. Every festival has its own back story and this one is no different. Ann Cleeves was very much involved in the inaugural Iceland Noir Festival and made a gentlemen’s agreement with the organisers that they would let the festival take place in Shetland in 2015.

Then she spoke to both Promote Shetland and Shetland Arts about it and here we all are!

We have six special guest authors: Stuart MacBride, Denise Mina and Alex Gray from Scotland; Arne Dahl, Håkan Nesser, from Sweden and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir from Iceland. As well as appearing in the three Special Guest events that will each take place on an evening of the festival, our guests will also sit on some of the panels, which will feature a veritable galaxy of crime fiction writers from “all over”. Denise Mina will also lead a creative writing workshop on Sunday 15th, as will two of our “Killer Women”, MJ McGrath and Laura Wilson.

Add to that a drinks reception in Lerwick Town Hall at 7.30pm on Friday 13th, with food by local cookery writer, Marian Armitage; a screening of Orson Welles’s film noir classic, A Touch of Evil, at 7.30pm on Sunday 15th; some live Shetland music on Saturday evening in Mareel Cafe Bar; the end of festival knees up at 9pm on Sunday 15th; a fascinating and gruesome talk by local archivist Brian Smith on Commercial Street; a bus tour with special tour guides, Ann Cleeves, Davie Gardner and Marsali Taylor and at least one book launch; and you’ll have a festival absolutely brimming with great experiences. Enjoy!

Shetland Noir

FRIDAY 13

4

www.shetlandnoir.com

Early Registration Thursday 12 November 7.00pm – 9.00pm, Mareel Foyer

Friday Registration & Coffee 9.00 – 10.00am, Mareel Foyer

“Where do you get your ideas from?”

10.00 – 10.45am, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring the genesis of the story...

Panel: Arne Dahl, Valerie Laws, Janet Laurence, Lilja Sigurðardóttir Moderator: Jacky Collins

Characterisation: “It’s really you isn’t it?”

11.05 – 11.50am, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring the relationship between character and author.

Panel: Quentin Bates, Alison Baillie, Sarah Ward, Mari Hannah Moderator: Jacky Collins

Nordtartan Noir 12.10 – 12.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring the relationship(s), similarities and differences, between Tartan Noir and Nordic Noir: to what extent are they discernible genres, or are they the same genre, and to what extent is the idea of genre important to the writers.

Panel: Arne Dahl, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, James Oswald, Craig Robertson Moderator: Len Wanner

Lunch 12.55 – 2.10pm

Shetland Noir

Bloody Scotland 2.10 – 2.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring regional rivalries and differences in Scotland; what part do they play in Scottish crime fiction writing?

Panel: Craig Robertson, Alex Gray, Stuart MacBride, James Oswald Moderator: Len Wanner

Iceland Noir 3.15 – 4.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

What makes Icelandic crime fiction special? What does Iceland have to offer as a setting for Crime Fiction?

Panel: Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Quentin Bates, Ragnar Jónasson. Moderator: Katrin Jacobsdottir

The Traditionalists: “Roll Over Agatha Christie?”

4.15 – 5.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

Examining the enduring features of traditional crime mystery fiction – what distinguishes; why still write it? What are the challenges of doing so in the modern context?

Panel: Ragnar Jónasson, Viveca Sten, Valerie Laws, Marsali Taylor Moderator: Jake Kerridge

Special Guest Head to Head 5.30 – 6.45pm, Mareel Auditorium

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Alex Gray reading from their work and in conversation with Marsali Taylor

Reception 7.30 – 9.30pm, Lerwick Town Hall

Join us in the Nordic setting of Lerwick Town Hall for drinks and a buffet featuring local Shetland produce, specially prepared by Cooking writer, Marian Armitage.

As well as plenty of wine, fine things to nibble and folk to meet, the reception will also feature the presentation of the Icepick awards; the presentation of the Jimmy Perez Trophy to the winner of the Shetland Noir Writing Competition; and a closing address by MSP Tavish Scott.

Schools Outreach supported by The Shetland Association of EIS Authors, Alex Gray and Ann Cleeves, forensic scientist Dr James Grieve and form CSI Helen Pepper visit secondary schools throughout Shetland. This activity is generously supported by donation from The Shetland Association of the Educational Institute of Scotland.

5

Shetland Noir

SATURDAY 14

6

www.shetlandnoir.com

Saturday Registration & Coffee 9.00 – 10.00am, Mareel Foyer

“The Time and the Place for it.”

10.00 - 10.45am, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring the importance of setting as inspiration for writer and attraction to reader.

Panel: Håkan Nesser, MJ McGrath, Pamela Palmer, SJ Holliday Moderator: Silke Reeploeg

CSI Shetland: the facts about crime fiction 11.05 – 11.50am, Mareel Auditorium

Two crime fiction writers, a forensic scientist and a CSI discuss the fact about crime fiction Panel: Ann Cleeves, Helen Pepper, Dr James Grieve, Alex Gray Moderator Jake Kerridge

Sex and Violence 12.10 – 12.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring issues of sex and violence in contemporary crime fiction - why do we do it? Why do we like it? Is it really necessary?

Panel: Alex Sokoloff, Denise Mina, Stuart MacBride, Chris Ewan Moderator: Len Wanner

Lunch 12.55 – 2.10pm

Lost In Translation 2.10 – 2.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Exploring author’s different experiences of having their work translated: drawbacks and advantages.

Panel: Håkan Nesser, Louise Millar, Ragnar Jónasson, Viveca Sten Moderator: Quentin Bates

Shetland Noir

On Screen 3.15 – 4.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

Examining the benefits and pitfalls of screen adaptation.

Panel: Alex Sokoloff, Ann Cleeves, Denise Mina, Mari Hannah Moderator: Jacky Collins

Killer Women: A Woman’s Place in Crime Fiction is?

4.15 – 5.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

A killer panel discusses a woman’s place in crime fiction...

Panel: MJ McGrath, Laura Wilson, Helen Giltrow, Louise Millar Moderator: Jake Kerridge

Footsteps in the Dew and Wastside Noir Book Launch 5.20 – 6.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

Join Shetland based writer Marsali Taylor as she celebrates the launch of her historical thriller Footsteps in the Dew, and the West Mainland Writers Group as they launch their brand new anthology of new writing: Wastside Noir.

Special Guest Head to Head 7.30 – 8.45pm, Mareel Auditorium

Håkan Nesser and Denise Mina reading from their work and in conversation with Mary Blance

Social evening with

Live Shetland Music 9.00pm – 1.00am, Mareel Cafe Bar

7

Shetland Noir Book Stall

Look out for the book stall which will be running throughout the festival weekend - in the downstairs foyer in Mareel. The stall will carry a selection of books by the six Special Guest Authors and selected titles by the other authors attending the festival.

We will also be running a special posting service so if you have limited space to carry books, you can still purchase novels, get them signed by the author(s) and for an additional charge we will package them and post them to your chosen address.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY 13 Registration & Coffee 9.00 – 10.00am, Mareel Foyer

“Where do you get your ideas from?”

10.00 – 10.45am, Mareel Auditorium

Characterisation: “It’s really you isn’t it?”

11.05 – 11.50am, Mareel Auditorium

Nordtartan Noir 12.10 – 12.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Lunch 12.55 – 2.10pm

Bloody Scotland 2.10 – 2.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Iceland Noir 3.15 – 4.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

The Traditionalists: “Roll Over Agatha Christie?”

4.15 – 5.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

THURSDAY 12

Special Guest Head to Head 5.30 – 6.45pm, Mareel Auditorium

Early Registration

Reception

7.00 – 9.00pm, Mareel Foyer

7.30 – 9.30pm, Lerwick Town Hall

SATURDAY 14 Registration & Coffee

Special Guest Head to Head

9.00 – 10.00am, Mareel Foyer

7.30 – 8.45pm, Mareel Auditorium

“The Time and the Place for it.”

Social evening with Live Shetland Music

10.00 - 10.45am, Mareel Auditorium

9.00pm – 1.00am, Mareel Cafe Bar

CSI Shetland: the facts about crime fiction 11.05 – 11.50am, Mareel Auditorium

Sex and Violence 12.10 – 12.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

Lunch 12.55 – 2.10pm

Lost In Translation 2.10 – 2.55pm, Mareel Auditorium

On Screen 3.15 – 4.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

Killer Women: A Woman’s Place in Crime Fiction is?

4.15 – 5.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

Book Launch: Footsteps in the Dew and Wastside Noir 5.20 – 6.00pm, Mareel Auditorium

SUNDAY 15 In the footsteps of Jimmy Perez 9.00am – 5.00pm, from Mareel

Killer Women 10.00am – 12.10pm, Green Room Mareel

Writing Crime Fiction 12.30 – 2.00pm,, Green Room Mareel

Murder on The Street!

3.00 – 3.40pm, Commercial Street

Special Guest Head to Head 5.30 – 6.45pm, Mareel Auditorium

A Touch of Evil 7.00pm

The Big Crime Noir Bash!

9.00pm

Shetland Noir

SUNDAY 15

10

www.shetlandnoir.com

In the footsteps of Jimmy Perez 9.00am – 5.00pm, from Mareel

A Bus Tour with special guides Ann Cleeves, Davie Gardner and Marsali Taylor. This will take in filming locations used in the BBC TV series, Shetland, and some of the settings from Ann’s novels, and will feature Shetland’s beautiful scenery, including the spectacular coastal scenery of the North Mainland. The tour will leave from Mareel at 9am and return at 5pm approximately and will include a stop for lunch.

Please note: this is not included in the package price.

Tickets are available to purchase from the Box Office or booked by phone at 01595 745500 or 01595 745555.

Killer Women

Double Header with MJ McGrath and Laura Wilson 10.00am – 12.10pm, Green Room Mareel

Join two of crime fiction’s finest writers and highly experienced teachers of creative writing for a special double workshop.

Part 1 The 60 Minute Crime: create a story in an hour with MJ McGrath.

Part 2 Last Orders: how to create a murderer with Laura Wilson.

Writing Crime Fiction with Denise Mina

12.30 – 2.00pm,, Green Room Mareel

Join Denise Mina for this in depth workshop on plot development, plausible and sympathetic characterisation, and how to create pace and tension in crime fiction.

Shetland Noir

11

Murder on The Street!

The Killing Gansie Raffle

3.00 – 3.40pm, Commercial Street

As well as all the other exciting events taking place during Shetland Noir, look out for the raffle!

For only £5 a ticket you can purchase the opportunity to win a Danish hand-knitted gansie, just like one of the ones worn by Sarah Lund in the Danish TV series The Killing. Other prizes will be signed copies of books by each of the headlining authors. The draw will be made on Sunday 15th November 2015.

with Brian Smith

Join archivist Brian Smith on Commercial Street at the foot of Fox Lane for as he tells the story on the site of one of the most shocking incidents in the history of the town. In 1858 a merchant kills his wife and several of his children before taking his own life…

Special Guest Head to Head 5.30 – 6.45pm, Mareel Auditorium

Stuart MacBride and Arne Dahl reading from their work and in conversation with Len Wanner

A Touch of Evil Film Noir Classic 7.00pm

A special screening of Film Noir classic, A Touch of Evil sees legendary actor/director/screenwriter Orson Welles in great form on both sides of the camera! The film also stars Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh as the couple who find themselves embroiled in the dark and seedy world of a small town on the border between Mexico and the USA. The supporting cast includes Marlene Dietrich, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Joseph Cotton… Generally considered to be one of Welles’s greatest films - which is going some. Not to be missed!

The Big Crime Noir Bash!

End of festival party 9.00pm

Live music and crime/mystery related fun and games and a last chance to chat and mingle. Come along to Mareel Auditorium and join in the fun!

Shetland Noir

SPECIAL GUESTS

12

www.shetlandnoir.com

ARNE DAHL Arne Dahl is regarded as one of the finest literary crime writers in Scandinavia, celebrated author, critic and editor he is the man behind the bestselling Intercrime (A-team) series.

The highly praised series has sold more than 2.5 million copies and has won its creator such distinguished awards as the premier crime writing awards in Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

HÅKAN NESSER Håkan Nesser is one of Sweden’s most successful authors, and has written a number of successful novels, mostly crime fiction. He has won Best Swedish Crime Novel Award three times – which is quite remarkable – and his novel Carambole won the Glass Key award in 2000. His books have been translated from Swedish into 9 languages.

Shetland Noir

YRSA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is the bestselling and award-winning Icelandic crime author of the Thóra Gudmundsdóttir series as well as several stand-alone thrillers. She made her crime fiction debut in 2005 with Last Rituals, the first installment in the Thóra Gudmundsdóttir series. Her work has been translated into more than 30 languages.

STUART MACBRIDE Stuart MacBride is the number one bestselling author of the Logan McRae series and Birthdays for the Dead. The McRae novels have won him the Crime Writers Association’s Dagger in the Library, the Barry Award for Best Debut Novel, and Best Breakthrough Author at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards. In 2012 Stuart was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Hall of Fame.

13

Shetland Noir

SPECIAL GUESTS

14

www.shetlandnoir.com

ALEX GRAY Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow, the city that provides the backdrop for her Lorimer novels. She has written twelve books, the first two winning the Constable Trophy and the Pitlochry Trophy respectively. Along with fellow crime writer Lin Anderson, Alex is one of the founders of Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s hugely successful International Crime Writing Festival that takes place MidSeptember each year in Stirling.

DENISE MINA Denise wrote her first novel, Garnet Hill, while studying for a PhD at the University of Glasgow. She has written twelve novels, including The Dead Hour, which was successfully adapted for television, three plays, five graphic novels and has regularly contributed to television and radio. She has also made a short film about her family – Multum in Parvo.

Her novels have won six major awards and in 2014 she was inaugurated into the Crime Writers’ Association Hall of Fame.

Shetland Noir

ANN CLEEVES Ann Cleeves is international bestselling author of 29 novels, including her Shetland and Vera Stanhope novels, which have both been adapted into major TV dramas.

Her most recent Shetland novel, Thin Air, was nominated for the Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and she was also shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers Association Dagger in the Library award.

Authors James Oswald Valerie Laws Sarah Ward Mari Hannah Melanie McGrath Helen Giltrow Chris Ewan Marsali Taylor Viveca Sten

Susi Holliday Craig Robertson Pamela Palmer Louise Millar Laura Wilson Alexandra Sokoloff Janet Laurence Alison Baillie

Moderators Jake Kerridge Katrin Jacobsdottir Len Wanner Jacky Collins

Silke Reeploeg Quentin Bates Mary Blance Marsali Taylor

15

Partners

Sponors

miðstöð

Iceland Noir 2016 will take place at the Nordic House in Reykjavík from 17-19 November 2016.

For more information please visit www.iceland-noir-iocy.squarespace.com Shetland Noir is financially supported

by The Shetland Association of the Educational Institute of Scotland

CONTACT US Shetland Noir c/o Shetland Arts Mareel Lerwick Shetland ZE1 0WQ

Tel: +44 (0)1595 743 843 Email: info@shetlandarts.org Image © Panphotos

íslenskra

bókmennta icelandic literature center