Aberdeen’s internationally recognised crime writing festival opens its doors this week, as it celebrates its tenth edition with Granite Noir X. Festival organisers and partners gathered at Aberdeen Central Library to mark the milestone and celebrate the work of the 250 plus writers who have appeared at Granite Noir down the years.
Running from Tuesday 17 to Sunday 22 February, the festival will bring together leading voices from the world of crime fiction for six days of conversations, readings, workshops and live events across Aberdeen city centre.
Appropriately for this milestone edition, Granite Noir X sees the return of authors and guests who appeared at the very first festival in 2017. Morgan Cry sits down with local author Deborah Masson to discuss the atmospheric appeal of the Granite City in Aberdeen Takes Centre Stage. Scottish crime fiction heavyweights Denise Mina and Doug Johnstone return for two headline events, Queens of Crime with Val McDermid and A Milestone Year respectively. Thomas Enger brings his partner in crime Johana Gustawsson to discuss Scheming Together. And Dr Kathryn Harkup and Shane Strachan bring back their popular events with deadly concoctions and the deep shadows of spoken word with Cocktails – Shaken Not Stirred and Into the Dark.
Granite Noir explores the storied history of execution in Aberdeen with Launched Into Eternity. Curated by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives, the exhibition looks at capital punishment in Aberdeen, from the witchcraft panics of the 16th century to the last public execution in Scotland. Dive into this and much more with a series of entertaining and informative panels at Cowdray Hall and Robert Gordon University including, They Know You Know: Dark Knowledge and the State and Ghouls, Witches and
Killers.
The international line-up is led by best-selling Canadian author Shari Lapena, author of the global sensation The Couple Next Door. Irish novelist Tanya Sweeney makes her first public appearance, discussing her hit debut novel Esther is Now Following You in Stalking Hell with Sam Blake. And Lilja Sigurðardóttir brings a taste of Nordic Noir to Granite Noir’s Literature at Lunchtime programme,
discussing the haunting final chapter of the Áróra Investigation series.
Away from the page, Aberdeen Performing Arts has partnered with Belmont Community Cinema to create an enticing line-up of themed screenings, including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, introduced by Denise Mina; Shetland Raven Black, part one and two of Ann Cleeve’s popular mystery series; and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, starring Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman and Sean Connery.
Over the weekend, Granite Noir and Aberdeen Central Library invite younger readers to dip their toes into the programme, with a series of readings and workshops that will inspire budding young detectives to discover the world of crime fiction. Nadine Aisha Jassat explores a place of magic and mystery in The House at the Edge of the World; and Sarah Todd Taylor introduces the Spy Extraordinaire in The World of Alice Eclair.
Granite Noir X runs 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.
Tickets and full programme information for Granite Noir X are available online from www.aberdeenperformingarts.com, or book over the phone on (01224) 641122 or in person at the box office at His Majesty’s Theatre or Music Hall, Aberdeen.
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.
