Granite Noir 2024: Everything you need to know about Scottish crime writing festival

Granite Noir will return to Aberdeen in February. Here are the authors taking part, what's on throughout the festival and how you can get tickets.

Granite Noir is set to return to Aberdeen in February, celebrating the best of crime fiction and noir writing.

Now in its eighth year, the literary festival has been expanded into a six-day event for 2024 with a bumper line up planned.

With guests including best-selling author Lisa Jewell and Poirot himself, David Suchet fans of the genre can expect to be thrilled with the events on offer throughout the festival.

Here's what you need to know about Granite Noir 2024.

When is Granite Noir 2024?

Granite Noir 2024 will run from Tuesday, February 20 until Sunday, February 25.

Which authors are taking part in Granite Noir?

Best-selling author Lisa Jewell with headline Granite Noir for 2024, with other special guests including Marie Cassidy, Ireland's first state pathologist, who follows up her memoir with debut novel Body of Truth.

Award-winning British author will be among the special guests at Aberdeen's Granite Noir festival in February. Picture: Andrew Whitton

In addition, authors such as Alice Slater, Lynsey May, Adam Oyebanji, Maud Woolf, Briar Ripley Page, Callum McSorely, Sophie White and DV Bishop will discuss their work. International guests include Jean Kwok as well as Norwegian noir writers Agnes Ravatn and Jørn Lier Horst, a former investigating officer in Norway, and Icelandic noir authors Sólveig Pálsdóttir and Óskar Guðmundsson.

Granite Noir 2024 schedule

Gunpowder, Tattoos and Transportation Exhibition

Tuesday, February 20 - Sunday, February 25 – The Music Hall

Running throughout the festival, Gunpowder, Tattoos and Transportation: Aberdeen’s Inked Convicts will explore the history and meaning behind the tattoos of the city’s most notorious criminals. The free exhibition will be held in Aberdeen Music Hall throughout the six day festival.

Tickets: Free

Actor David Suchet will be among the special guests at Aberdeen's Granite Noir festival in February.

Twelve Angry Men

Tuesday, February 20 - Saturday, February 24 – His Majesty’s Theatre

As part of Granite Noir, Twelve Angry Men will be at His Majesty’s Theatre. Following a record-breaking West End run, Reginald Rose’s courtroom thriller stars Jason Merrells, Gray O’Brien, Tristan Gemmill, Michael Greco, Ben Nealon and Gary Webster.

Tickets: £21 - £43

David Suchet: Poirot and More

Tuesday, February 20 & Wednesday, February 21 – The Music Hall

This retrospective conversation with David Suchet will see the actor discuss his career and celebrate Poirot.

Tickets: £32.50–£37.50

The Mystery of Mr E – Film Screening and Q&A with Sophie Hannah

Wednesday, February 21 – The Lemon Tree

Award-winning writer Sophie Hannah will celebrate her new musical murder mystery film, The Mystery of Mr E, followed by a Q&A with the author who will also chat about the latest instalment of Poirot, Hercule Poirot’s SIlent Night.

Tickets: £13.50

Literature at Lunchtime with Michael J Malone

Thursday, February 22 – Big Sky Studio, Music Hall

Set to be interviewed by Fiona Stalker, Scottish author Michael J Malone will discuss his latest gothic thriller, The Murmurs.

Tickets: £7.50

Norwegian Noir with Agnes Ravatn & Jørn Lier Horst

Thursday, February 22 – The Lemon Tree

Agnes Ravatn will discuss her latest psychological drama, The Guests, while Jørn Lier Horst takes audiences on a man hunt for an escaped prisoner with Stigma, which was written with Thomas Enger in this event, which is chaired by Katalina Watt.

Tickets: £9.50

Unsettling, Unnerving, Sublime with Caroline Hardaker, Lynsey May & Camilla Grudova

Thursday, February 22 – The Lemon Tree

Discussing their recent work, Caroline Hardaker, Lynsey May and Camilla Grudova are three authors whose books leave readers creeped out. The conversation with the authors will be chaired by Eris Young.

Tickets: £10.50

Zine Workshop

Thursday, February 22 – Big Sky Studio, Music Hall

This workshop will allow attendees to create their own zine’s inspired by the themes of Granite Noir.

Tickets: £7.50

Writers of Colour Workshop with the Scottish BPOC Writers Network

Thursday, February 22 – Online Event

Learn the basics of writing with this online workshop hosted by the Scottish BPOC Writers Network, for Black writers and writers of colour based in Scotland.

Tickets: £7.50

Scared to Death

Thursday, February 22 - Sunday, February 25 – The Anatomy Rooms

Aberdeen based Ten Feet Tall Theatre return to Granite Noir for the third time with Scared to Death, a production based on the historic true crime case which saw Aberdeen thrust into panic when the lifeless body of a child is discovered. Audiences will dissect the case which marked a pivotal moment for forensic science in the justice system.

Tickets: £13.50

The crimes of Peter Tobin wil be recalled at Aberdeen's Granite Noir festival in February. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The Makings of a Murderer

Thursday, February 22 – The Music Hall

Audiences can gain a detective’s insight into true crime cases and serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, Harold Shipman and Peter Sutcliffe as well as Scottish murderer Peter Tobin, in this show by David Swindle, a detective who worked with Strathclyde Police for more than 30 years.

Tickets: £30.50-£34.50

Literature at Lunchtime with Alex Nye

Friday, February 23 – Big Sky Studio, Music Hall

Discussing Gallow Falls, her latest mystery adventure, Alex Nye will be interviewed by Bryan Burnett.

Tickets: £7.50

Laugh Out Loud Mystery with Alice Bell & Olga Wojtas

Friday, February 23 – The Lemon Tree

Alice Bell will lead audiences through a classic murder mystery party through the eyes of Claire and Sophie – investigators with a difference – in Grave Expectations, while Olga Wojtas takes audiences on a fresh caper with Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Gondola of Doom.

Tickets: £10.50

Poisoned Afternoon Tea with Dr Kathryn Harkup

Friday, February 23 - Saturday, February 24 – The Terrace

An Agatha Christie inspired afternoon of food and puzzling poisons hosted by Dr Kathryn Harkup who will explain how to spot potential poisons.

Tickets: £30

A Damaged World with Kate Simants, Lauren James & Oisin McGann

Friday, February 23 – The Lemon Tree

Kate Simants’ discusses her thriller Freeze, which follows a group of reality TV contestants trapped on an Arctic ice-breaking ship as they are picked off one by one. Also taking part in this panel are Lauren James, the editor of Future Hopes which features Oisin McGann.

Tickets: £10.50

Food and Its Place in Fiction

Friday, February 23 – Aberdeen Arts Centre

Sue Lawrence will explore how to best work food into your writing and the impact and lasting legacy it can have.

Tickets: £7.50

Taking The Law Into Their Own Hands with Catherine Kirwan & Ruth Mancini

Friday, February 23 – The Lemon Tree

Lawyers Catherine Kirwan and Ruth Mancini will discuss their own novels as well as law in crime fiction.

Tickets: £10.50

Hidden Darkness with Charles Cumming, Denise Mina & Louise Welsh

Friday, February 23 – The Music Hall

Three of the most celebrated authors who are part of the Granite Noir line up, Charles Cumming, Denise Mina and Louise Welsh will take part in a group discussion about their latest works.

Tickets: £13.50

Cocktails - Shaken not Stirred with Dr Kathryn Harkup

Friday, February 23 - Saturday, February 24 – The Terrace

Discussing James Bond’s adventures and exploits, Dr Kathryn Harkup will help you figure out the best plan to take over the world, all over 007’s favourite cocktails.

Tickets: £30

Author Shane Strachan.

Into the Dark with Shane Strachan & Hannah Lavery

Friday, February 23 – The Lemon Tree

Enjoy poetry readings from Scots Scriever Shane Strachan and the 2021 Edinburgh Makar Hannah Lavery.

Tickets: £10.50

Robots and Dinosaurs – What Could Go Wrong?

Saturday, February 24 – Central Library

Alan Windram, the award winning author of the One Button Benny picture books, will bring his interactive, fun filled book event full of stories, songs and his new book One Button Benny and the Dinosaur Dilemma to Granite Noir. Recommended for ages 3-6.

Tickets: £7.50

Bold New Voices with Adam Oyebanji, Briar Ripley Page & Maud Woolf

Saturday, February 24 – The Lemon Tree

These three emerging authors will discuss their latest works in a panel chaired by Jacky Collins.

Tickets: £10.50

Writing Workshop with Shane Strachan

Saturday, February 24 – Central Library

Led by author and poet Shane Strachan, this workshop will see you using Aberdeen-themed artworks as inspiration for new prose or poetry set in the city.

Tickets: £7.50

Is There a Killer In You? With Alice Slater & Matthew Blake

Saturday, February 24 – The Lemon Tree

Chaired by Peggy Hughes, this author discussion will see Death of a Bookseller author Alice Slater discuss her work alongside Anna O author Matthew Blake.

Tickets: £10.50

The Case of the Chaos Monster with Patrice Lawrence

Saturday, February 24 – Central Library

Patrice Lawrence – The Case of the Chaos Monster

In this child friendly event, recommended for ages 9-10, Patrice Lawrence will discuss the Elemental Detectives with chair Adanna Shan.

Tickets: £7.50

An Introduction to Publishing

Saturday, February 24 – Aberdeen Arts Centre

The Society Of Young Publishers Scotland will help answer any questions you have around how books get published.

Tickets: £7.50

Twitchers with M.G Leonard

Saturday, February 24 – Central Library

Best-seller M.G Leonard will share what she discovered about birdwatching when writing her Twitchers series, which is perfect for young nature enthusiasts and detectives in the making. Recommended for ages 7-12 years, it will be chaired by Amy Liprott.

Tickets: £7.50

Mysteries in Time Gone By with Phil Miller, ES Thomson & Ajay Close

Saturday, February 24 – The Lemon Tree

Chaired by Bryan Burnett, this author conversation will feature Phil Miller, ES Thomson and Ajay Close.

Tickets: £10.50

Icelandic Noir with Sólveig Pálsdóttir & Óskar Guðmundsson

Saturday, February 24 – The Lemon Tree

Featuring bestselling author Solveig Palsdottir as well as Óskar Guðmundsson, a rising star in Icelandic crime fiction, this author conversation will be chaired by Jacky Collins.

Tickets: £10.50

CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation

Saturday, February 24 & Sunday, February 25 – Big Sky Studio, Music Hall

In this comedy, no one knows who the killer is – not even the cast. After selling out at the Edinburgh Fringe, Crime Scene Improvisation returns to Granite Noir for 2024.

Tickets: £11

Marie Cassidy in Conversation

Saturday, February 24 – The Music Hall

Originally from Scotland, Marie Cassidy was Ireland’s first female state pathologist. Following her career and insightful memoir, she has now turned to fiction and published debut novel Body of Truth. Audiences can join Alex Gray as she discusses Cassidy’s career and writing.

Tickets: £13.50

Nighttime Noir

Saturday, February 24 – The Lemon Tree

An evening of darkness curated by Scottish BPOC Writers Network, followed by a DJ set by Arusa Qureshi.

Tickets: £10.50

Queen of Codes with Jackie Uí Chionna

Sunday, February 25 – The Lemon Tree

Discussing the history of British codebreaking and the involvement of women, Jackie Uí Chionna discusses the women who helped make history in this panel chaired by Nasim Rebecca Asl.

Tickets: £10.50

Children’s Workshop with Patrice Lawrence

Sunday, February 25 – Aberdeen Arts Centre

Patrice Lawrence shows children how to create their own magical creatures inspired by landmarks in their favourite place.

Tickets: £7.50

Missing Girls with Jean Kwok & Emma Christie

Sunday, February 25 – The Lemon Tree

The Leftover Woman, written by international bestseller Jean Kwok, and In Her Shadow, written by former journalist Emma Christie, are two novels which feature missing women. In this panel chaired by Alex Clark the two will discuss their work.

Tickets: £10.50

Chats and Drawings with Oisin McGann

Sunday, February 25 – Aberdeen Arts Centre

In this session aimed at children aged 8 and up, Oisin McGann will lead the conversation around how he got started in writing and illustration, drawing throughout the discussion chaired by Adanna Shan.

Tickets: £7.50

Award Winners with Callum McSorely, Sophie White & DV Bishop

Sunday, February 25 – The Lemon Tree

Chaired by Peggy Hughes, this event will see three award winning authors discuss their work. Callum McSorley’s debut novel Squeaky Clean saw him become the youngest ever winner of the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year, with her sixth novel Where I End, Sophie White took home the Shirley Jackson Award for best novel and DV Bishop’s The Darkest Sin won the CWA 2023 Historical Dagger Award.

Tickets: £10.50

Lisa Jewell in Conversation

Sunday, February 25 – The Music Hall

Chaired by Alex Clark, this discussion will see best-selling author Lisa Jewell discuss toxic relationships, manipulation, coercion and family secrets, as well as an insight into potential adaptations of her work.

Tickets: £13.50

2:22 - A Ghost Story

Tuesday, February 27 - Saturday, March 2

Having received praise from The Scotsman during its Edinburgh run, 2:22 will thrill Aberdeen audiences. Starring Jay McGuiness, Fiona Wade, George Rainsford and Vera Chok it follows Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted while her husband Sam isn’t having any of it.

Tickets: £15-£45

Just under 15,000 enjoyed events across the Granite Noir programme in 2023.

Where to buy tickets

If you're excited by the 2024 Granite Noir programme tickets can be purchased through Aberdeen Performing Art's website.

Granite Noir ticket discounts

The more author conversations you buy tickets for at Granite Noir, the more money you can save. Log in to your account, add the tickets to your basket and the discounts will apply automatically.

If you purchase 5 or more tickets you can save 10%, and if you're attending 10 or more events you can save 20%. This only applies to author conversations.

Are there family friendly events on at Granite Noir 2024?

Yes, there are several family friendly additions to the programme.

If you're looking to keep the children entertained, the following events are family friendly, and suitable for a wide range of ages.

• Robots and Dinosaurs - What Could Go Wrong?
• The Case of the Chaos Monster
• Children's Workshop with Patrice Lawrence
• Twitchers with MG Leonard
• Chats and Drawings with Oisin McGann