The full programme for the 2024 Granite Noir festival has been revealed.
From thrillers and serial killers to perfectly plotted murder mysteries, there will be something for all crime fans to enjoy when the award-winning festival returns to the Granite City between February 20 and 25.
Those who know the world of crime best will share their insights as part of a packed programme of events for the festival’s eighth year, which has been extended to six days after pulling in a record audience in 2023.
Sharon Burgess, chief executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts (APA), said: “There’s so much for crime writing fans of all ages to immerse themselves in with author talks, exhibitions, theatrical performances and more, exploring themes including mystery, thrillers and horror.
“Some of the biggest names in the genre will be joining us alongside a selection of the best up-and-coming writers for what’s sure to be an unforgettable festival.”
For the first time, Granite Noir is also hosting a short story writing competition with the winning entry to be published in The Press and Journal and Evening Express.
Who can you see at Granite Noir in 2024?
- David Suchet will give audiences an insight into his career in Poirot and More: A Retrospective
- Sophie Hannah will host a screening of her musical film The Mystery of Mr E
- Best-selling author Lisa Jewell will discuss her latest masterpiece, with talks also planned with writers Charles Cumming, Denise Mina, Louise Welsh, Alice Bell and Olga Wojtas
- Aberdeen’s own Emma Christie will be joined by authors Michael J Malone, Alex Nye, Phil Miller, Ajay Close and ES Thomson at the Literature at Lunchtime events
- Lawyers Catherine Kirwan and Ruth Mancini will discuss their compulsive psychological thrillers
- Ireland’s first female state pathologist Marie Cassidy will share her debut book Body of Truth
- Authors Alice Slater, Lynsey May, Adam Oyebanji, Maud Woolf, Briar Ripley Page, Callum McSorely, Sophie White and DV Bishop will discuss their work
- Jackie Uí Chionna will unveil the true story of an extraordinary woman in British codebreaking
- David Swindle, the detective who caught serial killer Peter Tobin, will share a gripping lecture in The Makings of a Murderer
- Scared to Death will detail a true crime event in Aberdeen
- Comedy CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation will return
- Dr Kathryn Harkup will deliver her Agatha Christie-inspired Poisoned Afternoon Tea and Bond-inspired Cocktails – Shaken not Stirred
- Alan Windram will host a picture-book event, MG Leonard will share her birdwatching adventures and Sue Lawrence will examine food in stories
- Patrice Lawrence and the audience will solve an 18th-century mystery
- Workshops will be hosted by the Scottish BPOC Writers Network, Zine Noir and Shane Strachan
- Jørn Lier Hors, a former investigating officer in Norway, will join author Agnes Ravatn, while Iceland’s best-selling crime writer Sólveig Pálsdóttir will talk to Óskar Guðmundsson
- Free exhibition Gunpowder, Tattoos and Transportation: Aberdeen’s Inked Convicts
When do tickets go on sale?
Granite Noir is produced by APA on behalf of Aberdeen City Libraries and Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives.
Tickets for all events go on sale to APA Friends at 10am on Tuesday, while general sale starts at 10am on Wednesday, via the website, box office or by calling 01224 641122.
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