Granite Noir 2026 - Queens of Crime

Granite Noir 2026 – Queens of Crime

Celebrate two of Scotland’s most beloved authors and great friends of Granite Noir, Denise Mina and Val McDermid. They both explore important issues in their work while always delivering top-class stories full of mystery and suspense. Two brilliant writers with many strings to their bows – expect great chats, big laughs and much more on the night.

Chaired by Fiona Stalker

Val McDermid

One of the UK’s most accomplished and respected novelists, Val McDermid has sold over 19 million books to date across the globe and her work has been translated into more than 40 languages. She has written five series: cold case detective Karen Pirie was introduced to us in The Distant Echo and the 8th book in the series will be published in 2025, with Karen now starring in a major ITV series; clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan lead a gripping eleven book series adapted for television as Wire in the Blood, starring Robson Green and Hermione Norris; the Kate Brannigan novels showcase a private detective;  journalist Lindsay Gordon is at the heart of another series; and most recently, Val has launched a new series featuring young journalist Allie Burns whose life and experiences we witness at ten year intervals, debuting with 1979  1989. Val has also published several award-winning standalone novels, books of non-fiction, short story collections and a children’s picture book, My Granny is a Pirate. 

Denise Mina

Denise Mina is the bestselling author of the Garnethill trilogy, the Paddy Meehan series and the Alex Morrow series, as well as historical novels Rizzio, Three Fires and The Second Murderer, a Philip Marlowe novel for the Chandler estate. She has won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award twice, the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year twice, the Gordon Burn Prize and was inducted into the Crime Writers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2014. Denise also writes graphic novels and plays, and presents television and radio programmes. She studied law and forensic examination at Glasgow University and taught criminology and criminal law part-time at Strathclyde University. Denise lives and works in Glasgow. The Good Liar is her twentieth novel. 

Fiona Stalker

Fiona Stalker is a Senior Presenter and Reporter at BBC Scotland. She presents programme across TV & radio including Drivetime and The Sunday Show on BBC Radio Scotland and Seven Days on the BBC Scotland channel. Fiona spent many years as a reporter within Aberdeen newsroom. She previously worked for Reuters as Scotland Correspondent, lectured in journalism, and managed her own media training company.