Granite Noir 2026 - Shetland: A Celebration

Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is the author of 39 critically acclaimed novels, an international bestseller translated into over 20 languages worldwide. In 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV’s Vera, BBC One’s Shetland and ITV’s The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.  

 Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. Ann also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021 her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East, and in 2022 she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries. She lives in Northumberland where the Vera books are set. You can find Ann on X, Bluesky and Facebook @AnnCleeves.  

Alison O’Donnell

Alison O’Donnell is best known for her role as DI Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh in Shetland for BBC One. Stage credits include The Sewing Group at the Royal Court, Incognito, My Romantic History and Eigengrau at The Bush, BOYS at Soho Theatre and Yerma at The Gate. For radio she has appeared in Synonymous and Disordered S2 for BBC radio 4.

Dawn Steele

Most recently Dawn Steele played Stella Quinn in Shetland, for which she was nominated for a Scottish RTS Award and series regular, DCI Cora MacMillan in Granite Harbour. Dawn is well known for her portrayals of Lexie MacDonald in the hit BBC drama Monarch Of The Glen, Alice Trevanion in the ITV drama Wild At Heart, Dr Annie Jandhu in BBC soap River City and series regular Ange Godard in BBC’s Holby City.

Other notable TV credits include Justine McManus in BBC’s drama Sea of Souls with Bill Paterson. ITV’s Liar, True Dare Kiss (BBC), The Key (BBC), Snoddy (BBC) and Tinseltown (BBC). Film credits include The Marionette, Ghosted, None of the Above, Club Le Monde, Tabloid TV, Gregory’s Two Girls and The Debt Collector. Theatre credits include the role of Shazza in Simon Farquhar’s Aberdonian drama Rainbow Kiss at the Royal Court Theatre, Lisa Koletzky in the Agatha Christie Theatre Company’s national tour of the 1958 play Verdict, the UK tour of the Noël Coward’s Volcano as Melissa Littleton and which later transferred to the West End. And the role of Joan in the stage adaptation of Peter James’ novel The Perfect Murder.

Professor James Grieve

Brought up in Motherwell, Professor James Grieve graduated in Medicine from Aberdeen University in 1977.   After Pathology training in Aberdeen, an RAMC commission saw him spend time in Washington and London. He became Senior Lecturer in Forensic Medicine at Aberdeen University in 1989, performing around 550 post-mortem investigations into sudden unexpected deaths annually. Despite retirement in 2014, as Emeritus Professor in Forensic Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, he assisted part-time, and continues to give evidence in criminal courts and at FAIs.  He is also an Honorary Professor at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Crime-writing event participation is a regular pastime. Married to Nicola, they have four children, and nine grandchildren.

Nicola Meighan

Nicola Meighan is an arts writer and broadcaster. She presents Friday Afternoons on BBC Radio Scotland, and hosts Scottish culture and entertainment podcast, A Kick Up The Arts.