Aberdeen Performing Arts has revealed the programme for Granite Noir X, the tenth anniversary edition of its international crime writing festival marking a decade of darkness in the Silver City.
Taking place across Aberdeen from Tuesday 17 to Sunday 22 February 2026, Granite Noir X will celebrate ten years of thrilling mysteries, chilling tales and unforgettable encounters with some of the world’s finest crime writers including Denise Mina, Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves and Shari Lapena.
Looking forward to the landmark event, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts, Sharon Burgess said: “This is a milestone year for Granite Noir. We are celebrating 10 years of this fabulous festival, joined by many of our friends from the gloriously gritty world of crime writing and of course the wonderful audiences who join us year after year to be part of the fun.
“Granite Noir is a multi-faceted event, with fascinating and insightful author conversations sitting alongside plays, spoken word performances, exhibitions, immersive experiences and more in a packed six days dedicated to enjoying all that the genre inspires and is inspired by. We can’t wait to welcome our Granite Noir audiences and authors in February to help us mark the occasion!”
Queens of Crime, Denise Mina and Val McDermid will headline the tenth anniversary of the crime writing festival. The two brilliant authors will comment on their latest projects as well as reflecting on their careers to date - expect great chats, big laughs and much more when they sit down in conversation on Friday 20 February at the Music Hall. Denise Mina will also introduce a screening of Steig Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for which she adapted into a hard-hitting graphic novel.
Granite Noir isn’t the only one with an anniversary, as the festival joins forces with another great crime institution marking a decade of dramatic mysteries in the north of Scotland on Saturday 21 February. Shetland: A Celebration with Ann Cleeves and Special Guests will celebrate the beloved BBC television series. Legendary author Ann Cleeves shares the story of this incredible series and mark the publication of ‘The Killing Stones’, her brand new Jimmy Perez novel. She’ll be joined by a host of special guests who have played their part in the success of Shetland, both on the page and on the screen making this a truly special event not to be missed.
Don’t miss Shetland - Raven Black, part one and two of the BBC’s adaptation of the first Shetland mysteries, at a screening at Cowdray Hall on Sunday 22 February in association with Belmont Community Cinema.
Milestones are a prominent theme in the programme for Granite Noir X, as giants of the crime writing genre make their way to the North East. One of the UK’s brightest literary talents, Graeme Macrae Burnett will reflect on Booker nominations and look to what’s next on the horizon in A Grand Career to Date on Thursday 19 February. And Doug Johnstone looks forward to a bumper year as he celebrates the 20th anniversary of his debut novel, ‘Tombstoning’ and his 20th book in as many years in A Milestone Year, Friday 20 February at the Lemon Tree.
Inside the stories, Jane Casey and William Shaw discuss the staying power and irresistible allure of certain protagonists and introduce us to some new favourite characters in And It Goes On and On and On…. The work of Agatha Christie is spotlighted with performances of Death on the Nile at His Majesty’s Theatre and a screening of Murder on the Orient Express at Cowdray Hall. And Kim Sherwood and Vaseem Khan discuss one of writing’s toughest tasks as they look to continue the legacy of classic characters in Balancing Bond.
Granite Noir’s popular Literature at Lunchtime series returns with a stellar line-up of wordsmiths in the Silver City. Louise Welsh sits down with Jo Durrant to discuss the highly anticipated third book in her Rilki series. Icelandic crime fiction writer and playwright Lilja Sigurðardóttir delivers the haunting final chapter in her award-winning Áróra Investigation series. And Granite Noir makes its first foray into Gaelic Crime Fiction as Shelagh Chaimbeul explores her suspenseful narrative set in St Andrews and the Fife Coastal Path.
Named for the city it takes place in; Granite Noir has been a champion for Aberdeen and the North East and kicks off its tenth anniversary on home turf with two thrilling reads set in the region in Aberdeenshire Takes Centre Stage with Morgan Cry and Deborah Masson. Nina Allan and Foday Mannah explore how real life and true events in Scotland’s communities have inspired their work in Rooted in Reality. And travelling further up the country, Way Up North with Lin Anderson and Heather Critchlow will transport audiences to the remote isolation of The Highlands and Orkney respectively on Friday 20 February.
It isn’t only Scotland in the spotlight though, as Granite Noir X closes out with a spectacular international duo in Missing Without a Trace with Eva Björg Ægisdóttir and Shari Lapena. Canada’s Shari Lapena’s ‘She Didn’t See It Coming’ and Icelandic bestseller Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s ‘Home Before Dark’ both follow the emotional rollercoaster of a loved one gone missing and the agonising search for answers. 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 in Scheming Together. And there’s more family drama in Family Lost and Found with Fflur Dafydd, LV Matthews and Catriona Ward on Sunday 22 February at the Lemon Tree.
Back in Aberdeen, the Granite Noir X Exhibition looks at the long and storied history of capital punishment in Aberdeen. Launched Into Eternity: Aberdeen, Scotland and the spectacle of execution, 1560-1963 will look at the witchcraft panic of the late 16th century to the last hanging in Scotland, reveal much about societal attitudes of the time and the balance between crime and punishment. City Archivist Phil Astley will host a fascinating discussion about the exhibition, curated by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives.
Also exploring humanity’s dark past, DV Bishop and Essie Fox take us back to 1400 and 1800 Venice – centuries apart but similarly shrouded in darkness and death in Historical Deeds. Claire Mitchell, Steven Veerapen and Zoe Venditozzi discuss the witch hunts that tore through Scotland for over 150 years in Witches - Tools of the Patriarchy, while the forbidden knowledge of Aberdeen is uncovered by Dr Rachael Ironside and Dr Saorfhlaith Burton in Ghouls, Witches, and Killers talk. And Oyinkan Braithwaite, Mo Moshaty and Celine Saintclaire discuss the newer narrative trend of ‘female rage’ and ask which characters have the right to seek revenge or express rage in Messy, Complicated and Dangerous Women, curated by Scottish BPOC Writers Network.
Other highlights of the author conversation programme include Secrets Don’t Remain Hidden Forever with Tariq Ashkanani, Emma Christie, and Andrea Mara whose popular novel All Her Fault has been adapted into a TV series starring Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning. Stalking Hell with Sam Blake and Tanya Sweeney delves into the mindsets of stalkers, exploring why they do what they do and the consequences of their actions. In a world which is increasingly influenced and reliant on technology, Technology Bites with Adam Oyebanji and Thomas R Weaver explores how digital innovation can be used for less positive motives. And Veronika Dapunt, Lucy Andrew and MK Oliver discuss how humour is a powerful tool when telling the most gruesome of tales in Deathly Funny.
New literary talents take the spotlight with the return of Granite Noir’s popular Bold New Voices with Natalie Jayne Clark, Laura Elliot and Elspeth Wilson on Sunday 22 February. Budding novelists can hone their craft at a series of workshops and talks including The Art and Magic of Picture Books, Whodunnit? Where? How? Why?, and Publishing Demystified with Society of Young Publishers Scotland. Or put pen to paper with Granite Noir’s Short Story Competition in collaboration with The Press and Journal and Evening Express; now in its third year, the festival is inviting tantalising tales around the theme of anniversaries, milestones and the number 10 - open to writers 18+. While younger writers can Create your own Spy with Sarah Todd Taylor on Sunday 22 February at Central Library.
There’s more for junior readers to enjoy with the children’s programme over Granite Noir weekend. Budding young sleuths and spies are invited to The World of Alice Eclair with Sarah Todd Taylor with charismatic readings, interactive games and code-cracking. Award-winning author Chae Strathie takes young audiences on a whirlwind trip through Ancient Egypt to a medieval castle in So You Think You’ve Got It Bad. 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. And New York Times bestselling author and University of Aberdeen graduate Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé leads an inspiring chat for writers of the future with Addictive Y.A. for ages 14+.
Away from the page, Granite Noir dives into the world of crime fiction with a programme of panels and special events. Dr Kathryn Harkup returns with her ever-popular Poisoned Afternoon Tea and Cocktails: Shaken Not Stirred. Coorie in with Into the Dark, an evening of spoken word with Shane Strachan, Gray Crosbie, Mae Diansangu and Aditya Narayan. Experts present a series of informative talks on Social Murder: The Hidden Deaths of Health Inequality, Dangerous Ideas Afoot: Do We Need the Police?, They Know You Know: Dark Knowledge and the State, and What Television Gets Wrong About Forensic Science. And after a successful debut in 2025, both the Hexagone: An Aberdeen Audio Haunt and Behind the Crime Scene Tape with Dr Wendy Deegan make a welcome return to Granite Noir X.
Rebecca Edser, Head of EventScotland said: “We are proud to support Granite Noir X, as part of EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and congratulate its resounding success to date in the leadup to this monumental milestone. The programme as ever is full of events inspired by local, Scottish and international connections, cultural heritage and sense of place. Coupled with the stellar literary talent gracing the Granite City, the 10th edition of Aberdeen’s crime writing festival will draw in audiences from near and afar, both in-person and online, creating a captivating experience for all. Festivals like these play a key role in helping drive Scotland’s visitor economy and showcasing our creativity on the world stage.”
Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland said: “In their tenth anniversary year, Granite Noir continues to programme the best writers from the darker corners of crime fiction. At the same time, they are testing the borders of genre writing and the spaces where artforms meet, telling these stories on screen and through exhibition, as well as on the page. The festival once again serves up our best-known authors alongside emergent voices in this ever-popular area of literature.”
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson said: “I am delighted that Granite Noir literary festival has gone from strength to strength and is about to enter its tenth year. Over the past decade, the local celebration of crime writing has grown and has become internationally recognised. The event is now firmly established as one of the most loved and anticipated fixtures in Aberdeen’s culture calendar.
“Granite Noir is another of the high profile, popular celebrations held in the city alongside Nuart, Spectra, Tall Ships and others. The 2026 edition will be branded as Granite Noir X and the line-up is possibly the strongest yet. There will be a legion of experienced and emerging crime writing talent from near and far. Internationally celebrated writers including Val McDermid, Denise Mina and other firm favourites will be taking part.
“There will be a special celebration of the BBC thriller series Shetland as well as screen and stage dramatisations of the work of the acclaimed fiction writer Agatha Christie. A series of exhibitions and discussions are being organised on the themes of real-life crime and punishment. There is definitely something for everyone who is interested in crime history or crime fiction.”
Granite Noir X will run Tuesday 17 – Sunday 22 February 2026, taking place in Aberdeen Performing Arts venues His Majesty’s Theatre, Music Hall and the Lemon Tree; as well as venues across the city, including Robert Gordon University Campus, Central Library and Cowdray Hall. Selected events will be available to a global audience through livestreaming, with some events across the programme being supported by BSL interpretation.
Tickets for Granite Noir X are on sale Wednesday 10 December at 10am, available online from www.aberdeenperformingarts.com, over the phone on (01224) 641122, or visit the box office at His Majesty’s Theatre or the Music Hall.
Granite Noir is produced and curated by Aberdeen Performing Arts. We are grateful for the support of our funders Aberdeen City Council, Creative Scotland and Event Scotland. Granite Noir is presented with our partners Aberdeen City Libraries, Aberdeen Archives Galleries and Museums, Belmont Community Cinema, Citymoves Dance Agency, and Robert Gordon University.