Theakston's Old Peculair and McDermid Debut Award Shortlists revealed

 

SHORTLISTS REVEALED FOR THE

THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024 AND INAUGURAL McDERMID DEBUT AWARD

Festival Dates: 18 – 21 July 2024               

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

#TheakstonsAwards #TheakstonsCrime

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the shortlists for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award, and the inaugural McDermid Debut Award for new writers. The winners of both awards will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 18 July. 

The six books shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, now in its twentieth year, take readers on a roller-coaster ride from serial-killer stalked fairgrounds and Blackpool backstreets to the Houses of Parliament, as established bestsellers compete with talented newcomers for the coveted awards. Crime fiction fans are now invited to vote for their favourite book to win at www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com.

 Two former winners in contention for the award are 2022 champion Mick Herron, the author behind Apple TV’s hit series ‘Slow Horses,’ who is nominated for his mesmerising stand-alone spy thriller The Secret Hours and two times winner Mark Billingham, shortlisted for the first time in eight years with The Last Dance, the first novel in the captivating new Detective Declan Miller series set in Blackpool.

They face stiff competition from two rising stars of the genre who are shortlisted for the first time: William Hussey with Killing Jericho where Traveller detective Scott Jericho must unpick a deadly mystery at a fairground before he becomes a killer’s next victim, and Jo Callaghan for her stunningly original debut In the Blink of An Eye, where DCS Kat Frank is partnered with an AI colleague as human experience combines with logic to solve a complex missing persons case. Jo was selected for the prestigious ‘New Blood’ panel celebrating outstanding debut talent at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2023.

Two bestselling authors hoping to add the Award to their trophy cabinets are recent British Book Award Winner Lisa Jewell, shortlisted for her addictive domestic noir None of This is True, about a podcaster under threat from her ‘birthday twin’; and four-times Irish Book Award winner Liz Nugent, nominated for Strange Sally Diamond, a darkly humorous character-driven murder mystery set in rural Ireland.

The full Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024 shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is: 

The Last Dance by Mark Billingham (Sphere; Little, Brown Book Group) 

In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster UK) 

The Secret Hours by Mick Herron (Baskerville; John Murray Press) 

Killing Jericho by William Hussey (Zaffre, Bonnier) 

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Century; Cornerstone) 

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent (Sandycove; Penguin Ireland) 

The shortlist for the inaugural McDermid Debut Award, named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid, showcases six outstanding new voices writing across a broad range of subgenres from thrillers to cosy crime, locked room mysteries and historical crime.

Food writer, broadcaster and Master Chef star Orlando Murrin is shortlisted for Knife Skills for Beginners, a delicious mystery set in an exclusive residential cookery school in Belgravia. Another shortlisted novel with a culinary twist, Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu introduces a mystery solving Indian caterer who is Slough’s answer to Miss Marple. Suk Pannu has written for much-loved TV comedy shows ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No.42.’

Suzy Aspley, a former journalist who lives in Scotland, is nominated for Crow Moon, a chilling thriller centred around a mysterious disappearance, the first novel in the Martha Strangeways series. Daniel Aubrey, who also lives in Scotland, is shortlisted for Dark Island, a thriller about a neurodivergent reporter who uncovers a disturbing conspiracy after human remains are discovered on Orkney’s coast.

Manchester based Kuchenga Shenjé’s gripping historical crime novel The Library Thief explores identity and belonging as book binder’s daughter Florence sets out to uncover the dark mystery at the heart of a gothic mansion. A similarly unforgettable amateur sleuth features in Marie Tierney’s thriller Deadly Animals where a roadkill obsessed teenager embarks on a daring quest to unravel the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her Birmingham community.

Honouring internationally bestselling crime writer, Val McDermid, who helped to co-found the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new voices in crime fiction through the New Blood panel is legendary, this new Award seeks to continue her legacy, celebrating and platforming the best debut crime writers in the UK. The Shortlist was selected by an academy of established crime and thriller authors and the Winner will be chosen by a panel of industry experts, without a public vote. All shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and the Winner will receive a £500 cash prize.

Val McDermid said: ‘Curating the New Blood panel over twenty years exposed me to an extraordinary range of crime fiction I might otherwise have missed. I’m hoping that this new award will do the same for the army of avid readers out there looking for new talent.’

The full McDermid Debut Award 2024 shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is: 

Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley (Orenda Books) 

Dark Island by Daniel Aubrey (Harper Collins) 

Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin (Bantam, Transworld) 

Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu (Harper Collins) 

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé (Sphere, Little Brown) 

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books) 

Commenting on the shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024, Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said: “Congratulations to all of the exceptional writers shortlisted for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. This year’s list is particularly exciting, with big names at the top of their game competing against impressive newcomers. I can’t wait to see who the public and the judges vote for and look forward to awarding the coveted beer cask trophy to the winner at the opening night ceremony.”

Commenting on the shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award, Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “Awards night is always a special way to open the Festival but this year it promises to be more exciting than ever with the new McDermid Debut Award being presented alongside our other awards. The shortlisted books are all so original and introduce some compelling new voices. We are looking forward to welcoming the talented shortlisted authors to the Festival and finding out which of these stars of the future will carry off the Award.”

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024 is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and the Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024.  The winner will receive £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd. 

The Winners of both Awards will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 18 July.  

 

Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival Launch

The full line-up for the 2024 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, held 18-21 July at the Old Swan Hotel, has been revealed with Festival Chair Ruth Ware curating a ground-breaking programme that includes some of the biggest names in crime fiction.              

From cutting edge AI and technology’s impact on criminal investigation, to the complexities and capabilities of neurodivergent sleuths; from the shadowy world of spies and twisty whodunnits, to boundary-pushing psychological thrillers, there is plenty to surprise and thrill in this year’s programme.     

Programme highlights include an all-star lineup of acclaimed writers and global bestsellers including Mick Herron, Louise Candlish, M.W. Craven, James Comey, Lucy Foley, Femi Kayode, Saima Mir and many more. 

They'll join Special Guest headliners Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Peter James, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman in what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of the genre. 

Tickets for individual events are on general sale from 10am on Thursday 16 May. The full programme can be found here. It would be  a crime to miss it!

Theakston's Special Guest Authors Revealed

GLOBAL BESTSELLERS AND FAN FAVOURITES CELEBRATED AS THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL REVEALS SPECIAL GUEST AUTHORS FOR 2024

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Theakston Crime Harrogate International Festivals has announced the Special Guests for the 2024 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction.

Curated by bestselling crime writer and 2024 Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware, with the programming committee, the Special Guests on this year’s programme include global bestsellers and fan favourites Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman.

Returning to Harrogate for its 21st year, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (18–21 July 2024) is a highlight of the crime fiction year, offering fans from around the world a unique opportunity to hear from the biggest stars of the genre, discover exciting new talent and enjoy a packed programme of panels, talks and inspiring creative workshops.

This year’s Special Guests include home-grown talent from around the UK, alongside exciting writers from Canada, Brazil and Ireland, in a thrilling celebration of the genre that highlights its strength, diversity and global appeal. Ruth Ware, bestselling author and 2024 Festival Programming Chair said: "I'm so proud of the incredible roster of special guests appearing at this year's Festival - together they showcase the strength, breadth and sheer excellence of the crime-writing landscape. Harrogate has always been a Festival with readers at its very heart, and there really is something for everyone in this glorious celebration of our brilliant and bloody genre."

Vaseem Khan, award-winning author of the Baby Ganesh Agency series and the Malabar House novels and last year’s Festival Programming Chair, will open the Festival in conversation with Abir Mukherjee, author of the globally bestselling Wyndham & Banerjee series. 2024 Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware will interview author, producer and television presenter Richard Osman about his multi-million copy bestselling Thursday Murder Club series.

International bestseller Shari Lapena visits from Canada to talk about her latest thriller What Have You Done with Liz Nugent, winner of four Irish Book Awards and fellow Irish crime writer Jane Casey will be in conversation with Erin Kelly, whose highly anticipated new novel The Skeleton Key is published in April.

Big name thriller writers Chris Carter, the bestselling author of the Robert Hunter series, and Dorothy Koomson – the ‘Queen of the Big Reveal’ – unveil their latest novels and Festival favourite Elly Griffiths will discuss her new standalone mystery The Last Word.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said: “It continues to be a privilege to support the world’s best crime writing Festival as we have over the last 21 years. In that time, we have had the great honour of hosting crime writing legends from across the globe as well as introducing brilliant new voices, and I am looking forward to celebrating what promises to be yet another wonderful Festival with my festival friends over a pint of Theakston Old Peculier!”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival turns 21 this year, and we look forward to bringing another brilliant Festival to Harrogate in celebration. Ruth has curated a thrilling programme with every crime fiction reader at its heart. We look forward to sharing the full programme in the coming months and cannot wait to welcome everyone to the Festival in the summer – whether it’s your first time or your twenty-first!”

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is delivered by the north of England’s leading arts Festival organisation, Harrogate International Festivals and forms part of their diverse year-round portfolio of events, which aims to bring immersive cultural experiences to as many people as possible. Classic Weekend Break Packages, Author Dinners and tickets for Creative Thursday are on sale now. To book tickets, please call +44(0)1423 562 303 or email info@harrogate-festival.org.uk. More information about tickets and packages can be found here. The full programme for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival will be announced in Spring 2024

THE FINGERPRINT AWARD NOMINEES ARE...

 

Since our schedule announcement last week our festival tickets have been selling like hot cakes (or whatever the crime equivalent is)!

To keep the crime-celebration going we've announced our nominees for the 2023 Fingerprint Awards!

The Fingerprint Awards are the awards where you, the crime and thriller fan, get to choose the winner. Every year we will be featuring the best in the genre, as selected by our Advisory Board, from the year before but it's up to YOU to decide who wins in each category.​

Voting is free and open to all! 

Vote here

The winners will be revealed at our festival on Thursday 31st August live at Capital Crime 2023 and via our social channels.

To toast your winners in person book your ticket to Capital Crime 2023!

Book Your Tickets Here

ABOUT CAPITAL CRIME

There's only one place to be from 31st August - 2nd September 2023 and that's the Leonardo Royal St Paul's Hotel, where we will be celebrating the best genre in town.

Get ready to mingle with crime fictions biggest stars and latest chart toppers as we're honoured to welcome Richard Osman, Lisa Jewell, Joanne Harris, Kate Atkinson, "Happy Valley" creator Sally Wainwright, Dorothy Koomson, Chris Carter, Peter James, Liz Nugent, Imran Mahmood, Will Dean, Nicola Williams, Richard Armitage, Yomi Adegoke, Mark Billingham, M W Craven, Steve Cavanagh, Adele Parks and many more of your favourite authors to Capital Crime this year! 

For our full line-up and schedule head to our website

Tickets can be purchased via our website, along with full details about accommodation, discounted tickets (Frontline Workers/Librarian/Students/Local Residents) but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team at info@capitalcrime.org and they'll be happy to help.

Capital Crime Announces Exciting New Central London Venue, After Sell Out Festival in 2022

 

Capital Crime 2023 to be held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral from 31st August - 2nd September 2023 

Dorothy Koomson & Kate Mosse (Capital Crime Festival 2022

Led by Goldsboro Books’ co-founder and managing director, David Headley, celebrated crime and thriller festival, Capital Crime, has announced it will take place this autumn at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in St Paul’s, providing a fitting backdrop for this year’s stellar line-up. 

Authors confirmed so far include Kate Atkinson, Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, Richard Osman, Dorothy Koomson, Chris Carter, Peter James, Liz Nugent, Imran Mahmood, Kat Diamond, Joanne Harris, Nicola Williams, Richard Armitage, Yomi Adegoke, Adele Parks and Lisa Jewell, with the full line-up of over 140 authors and field specialists to be announced later in the year. Standard Weekend and Day Tickets for Capital Crime 2023 are on sale now at www.capitalcrime.org. 

Richard Osman Capital Crime Festival 2022

Headley and his team at Goldsboro Books have helped launch the careers of so many authors since it opened almost 25 years ago, by uniting incredible writing with their loyal, ever-growing community of passionate readers. Committed to connecting readers to the books they’ll love, the capital’s first crime writing festival is a brilliant extension of this vision with an outstanding programme of over 40 entertaining, accessible events that explore all corners of the genre, and the opportunity to meet your literary heroes. The previous festivals have seen a wide range of authors, from household names to exciting debuts paired with actors, broadcasters and experts across the field. The 2022 line-up included Rev. Richard Coles, Kate Mosse, Robert Harris, S.A. Cosby, Bella Mackie, Abir Mukherjee and Paula Hawkins. 

Alongside the festival, Capital Crime will continue to create a year-round home for crime and thriller readers and authors with their book club and awards, and nurture under-represented authors with their social outreach initiative which was established in 2019. In June 2023, the festival will take its first trip out of the city with “Capital Crime goes on Holiday”, which will bring together crime-writing legends including Peter James, Dorothy Koomson, and John Sutherland for a very special series of events at Brighton Friends Meeting House, with book signings run by Goldsboro’s recently opened, Brighton store. 

Capital Crime co-founder and Goldsboro Books managing director David Headley said: 

“I’m incredibly proud of everything we are achieving at Capital Crime, we’re unlike any other festival. We’re a year round home for crime and thriller readers and fans. Alongside our weekend festival we run our Fingerprint Awards, where winners are voted for by readers, our Social Outreach initiative, which encourages literacy and aims to demystify the publishing industry, and we’ll also be running an exciting satellite event in Brighton with Goldsboro Books. We were so honoured to be joined by so many wonderful authors at last year’s festival and I can’t wait to reveal everything we have in store for this year!” 

Capital Crime Festival Director, Lizzie Curle, said: 

“I am absolutely delighted that we’ll be welcoming authors and field specialists from across the globe to the UK’s capital city once again this year. Our new indoor venue in the shadow of St Paul’s cathedral, complete with rooftop bar and club, will be the perfect place to celebrate the best genre in the world with the authors, readers and fans who make Capital Crime possible.” 

Standard Weekend and Day Tickets for Capital Crime 2023 are on sale now at www.capitalcrime.org 

Bella Mackie, Ragnar Jonasson & Amanda Redman at Fingerprint Awards, Leonardo Hotel

Longlist revealed for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021

 

Mark Billingham| Louise Candlish| Jane Casey | Steve Cavanagh |Will Dean| Eva Dolan| Lucy Foley| Elly Griffiths| Doug Johnstone| Rosamund Lupton| Val McDermid| Brian McGilloway| Abir Mukherjee| Liz Nugent| Ian Rankin| Susie Steiner| Chris Whitaker| Trevor Wood

Harrogate, 5 May 2021: Today, the longlist of the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime novel award is unveiled with literary legends and dynamic debuts in contention for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

 Now in its 17th year, the most coveted prize in crime fiction, presented by Harrogate International Festivals celebrates crime writing at its best. This year’s longlist transports readers around the world from California to Sweden and Calcutta to a remote Irish island and explores every subgenre from Scandi noir to murderous families.

 The line-up of returning champions is led by crime fiction titan Ian Rankin, who has received a nod for his A Song for The Dark Times, Mark Billingham, hoping for a third win with his Cry Baby, and Steve Cavanagh looking to beat the competition with Fifty Fifty.

This year’s longlist recognises a number of authors who have previously never been listed by the prize. Hoping to claim the trophy on their first appearance are Lucy Foley with her No.1 Sunday Times Best Seller The Guest List, Chris Whitaker with We Begin at The End, Scottish author Doug Johnstone with The Big Chill and Liz Nugent with Our Little Cruelties, and Jane Casey with her latest Maeve Kerrigan instalment The Cutting Place.

 The longlist also features several previously nominated authors hoping to go one step further and clinch the trophy with Elly Griffiths securing her seventh pick for her much lauded The Lantern Men and Susie Steiner getting her third nod for Remain Silent and Brian McGilloway’s second nomination for The Last Crossing, and best-selling author Louise Candlish hoping to win on her second pick with The Other Passenger.

Joining these outstanding names is the undisputed ‘Queen of Crime’ herself, Val McDermid with her newest Karen Pirie novel Still Life. Celebrated in the industry for her impeccable ability to select emerging talent for the annual New Blood panel at Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, McDermid find herself competing against many New Blood alumni including: Will Dean for his latest Scandi noir Black River; Eva Dolan for the newest instalment of her critically-acclaimed Zigic and Ferreira series, Abir Mukherjee’s new Calcutta and Assam-inspired Death in the East, and finally Trevor Wood – who has gone from the 2020 New Blood panel to longlisted for Crime’s biggest award.

The full longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021 is:

 Cry Baby by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish (Simon & Schuster)

The Cutting Place by Jane Casey (HarperCollins, HarperFiction)

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh (The Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)

Black River by Will Dean (Oneworld Publications, Point Blank)

Between Two Evils by Eva Dolan (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books)

The Guest List by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins, HarperFiction)

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)

The Big Chill by Doug Johnstone (Orenda Books)

Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton (Penguin Random House UK, Viking)

Still Life by Val McDermid (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)

The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)

Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent (Penguin, Sandycove)

A Song For The Dark Times by Ian Rankin (Orion, Orion Fiction)

Remain Silent by Susie Steiner (HarperCollins Publishers, The Borough Press)

We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker (Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre)

The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “The way the global obsession with the crime genre continues to grow year on year is simply astonishing and this year’s longlist proves the remarkable talent on offer in crime writing– from legends of the craft to eager-eyed newcomers. The shortlist is already too close to call so we encourage all to get voting! A hearty toast of Old Peculier to all longlisted authors for this coveted award – and we look forward to what we know will be a fiercely fought competition!”

Run by Harrogate International Festivals, the shortlist will be announced in June and the winner on 22 July, at the opening evening of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival – with the public able to vote for the winner on harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com.

The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with WHSmith and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021 by UK and Irish authors. 

The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith.

The public are now invited to vote for a shortlist of six titles on www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com, which will be announced in June. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 22 July, and will receive £3,000, and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

Newcastle Noir 2020 Programme

10am – Friday 1 May 

Play Dead – Dangerous Places, Dangerous Faces: Lucy Atkins; Maggie James; Nuala Ellwood 

11am – Friday 1 May  

The Kids are Alright: Matt Wesolowski; Sif Sigmarsdóttir; Thomas Enger

1pm – Friday 1 May  

In the Library with the Dagger: Frances Brody; Fiona Veitch Smith; Martin Edwards 

2.30pm – Friday 1 May  

Ye Shudda Seen us Gannin: Howard Linskey; Caroline England; Mik Brown; Rob Scragg 

3.30pm – Friday 1 May 

In Dublin’s Fair City & Beyond: Antony J Quinn; Sam Blake; Catherine Ryan Howard 

6pm – Friday 1 May  

Stranger than Fiction: Ian Patrick; Fiona Erskine; Eve Smith 

7pm – Friday 1 May  

Lindisfarne Prize for Debut Crime Fiction

8pm – Friday 1 May  

Friday Night Spotlight: LJ Ross 

10am – Saturday 2 May  

Crime Does Pay  Celebrating 20 years of the Murder Squad: Margaret Murphy; Chris Simms; Cath Staincliff; Martin Edwards; Helen Pepper; Kate Ellis 

11am – Saturday 2 May  

Come in from the Cold: Judith O’Reilly; Alex Shaw; Humphrey Hawksley; John Lawton 

12pm – Saturday 2 May: 

What Lies Hidden: Kath Stansfield; Cal Smyth; Chris Lloyd 

1pm – Saturday 2 May:

Writing the Detectives Workshop with Cath Staincliffe

2pm – Saturday 2 May  

Am I Losing my Mind?  Lisa Ballantyne; Louise Candlish; Barbara Copperthwaite; Sarah Stovell 

3pm – Saturday 2 May  

The Thin Blue Line: Valentina Giambanco; Johana Gustawsson; Adam Peacock; Katerina Diamond

4pm – Saturday 2 May  

To hell in a Handcart: William Smith; Will Carver; Bogdan Teodorescu 

5pm – Saturday 2 May  

Southern Cross Crime: Kirsten McKenzie; Helen Fitzgerald; Nikki Crutchley 

6.30pm – Saturday 2 May  

Spotlight: Mari Hannah and Jane Casey 

10am – Sunday 3 May  

#metoo – That’s What The Authors Say: Louise Beech; Madeline Black; Michael J Malone 

11am – Sunday 3 May  

New Blood, New Voices:  Trevor Wood; Suzy Aspley; Robert Craven; Heleen Kist 

2pm – Sunday 3 May  

Murder They Wrote: Ed James; Zoe Sharp; Noelle Holten; Neil Broadfoot 

3pm – Sunday 3 May  

Women in Gangland: Marnie Riches; Simone Buchholz; Anna Smith; Jane Corry 

4pm – Sunday 3 May  

Sir, There’s Been a Murder: Lesley Kelly; Ian Skewis; Jackie Mclean; Tana Collins 

5pm – Sunday 3 May  

Chilled to the Bone: Sif Sigmarsdóttir; Eva Björg Ægisdóttir; Kjell Ola Dahl; Thomas Enger; Marit Reiersgård

6.30pm – Sunday 3 May  

Sunday Night Spotlight: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Liz Nugent 

Further information and tickets can be found here.

NOIRELAND Returns in 2020 with a One-Day Festival

Belfast’s NOIRELAND International Crime Festival is returning on 28 March 2020. This year’s one-day festival showcases some of Ireland’s greatest crime novelists, lends a helping hand to aspiring writers, and highlights Belfast significant impact on the world of crime fiction, on page and on screen. 

THE PROGRAMME 

This year the festival falls into three parts:’ The Writers’ Morning’, ‘A Noirish Afternoon in Belfast’ and ‘A Noirish Night of Stars’. Special guests include bestselling crime writers from the UK - #1 bestseller Mark Billingham, multi-award-winning novelist Abir Mukherjee, and Ann Cleeves creator of the Vera and Shetland series. The programme is packed to the brim with Ireland’s own international bestsellers: Liz Nugent, Brian McGilloway, Adrian McKinty, Jane Casey and Steve Cavanagh – with exclusive previews of their latest novels.

NUTURING TALENT


A keystone of NOIRELAND is the nurturing of new and emerging local talent. ‘The Writers’ Morning’provides an accessible and affordable introduction to creative writing, followed by a session with publishing professionals offering insights and practical advice on getting into print. Prices for these sessions have been kept deliberately low to encourage anyone with an interest in writing to join in. More information can be found on the NOIRELAND website. 

A ONE DAY FESTIVAL
  

While in previously NOIRELAND has taken place over the course of a weekend, this year it is a one day only event. When planning the festival in autumn 2019, concerns over Brexit and its impact on Northern Ireland convinced the programme committee that a digested version of the festival would be more appropriate in uncertain times. Plans are already being put into place for a return to the full-scale weekend event for 2021. 

NOIRELAND takes place 28 March 2020 at Belfast’s Clayton Hotel. The full programme can be found below. 

WRITER’S MORNING 

Our beginner’s guide to writing is the perfect introduction to the creative process, and a great kick start to following your dreams of being a novelist. Our experts will provide an overview of a book’s lifecycle, from writing your book to then getting it published. 

SO YOU WANNA BE A WRITER? 

10:00-11:45 

TICKETS: £20/£15
 -

Have you always fancied the idea of writing a novel but didn’t know where to start?
 Gerard Brennan, an acclaimed crime novelist and tutor, provides an introduction to the world of creative writing, to help get you started. Over the morning Gerard, will be discussing the importance of structure, plotting and how to create characters. A great taster for all aspiring authors. (Includes a break at 11am). 

ASK THE EXPERTS 

12:00-13:00 

TICKETS: £8/£6
. 

So, you’ve got your idea for a novel, you might even have a manuscript, but what’s the next step to getting published? NOIRELAND has brought together a panel of publishing experts – Katherine Armstrong, Editorial Director at Bonnier Zaffre, Angela McMahon, Director of Flow Communications and crime PR specialist, and Lisa Moylett, an experienced literary agent at the CMM Agency in London. 

A NOIRISH AFTERNOON IN BELFAST 

Explore the city’s dark side on Saturday afternoon with a choice of tours and a special screening of Odd Man Out, Belfast’s very own Film Noir. 

NOIRELAND WALKING TOUR 

14:00-15:15 

TICKETS: £10.  


We’re partnering with Belfast Hidden Tours for a very special NOIRELAND tour of the city. Simon Maltman, a crime writer and expert on the city’s ‘noirist’ corners, will take you on a special NOIRELAND walking tour. The walk, which lasts roughly 75 mins, visits locations from award-winning crime novels, iconic sites from television’s most popular dramas and explores the landmarks, pubs and alleyways featured in Odd Man Out, one of the best Film Noir movies of all time. 

ODD MAN OUT at the Movie House, Dublin Road


15:30-17:30


TICKETS: £6/£5
.  

We have teamed up with Belfast’s Movie House for a special screening of Odd Man Out(1947), Carol Reed’s masterpiece set in Belfast. It is one of the earliest examples of film noir to be made outside of the US and has been a major influence on some of cinema’s greatest filmmakers, including Roman Polanski who cites it as his favourite movie. The event includes a special introduction to our noir matinee, providing insight into its production, the crime novel that inspired it and how Odd Man Out has influenced film makers and writers since. 

A NOIRISH NIGHT OF STARS

AN ENGLISHMAN, AN IRISHMAN AND A SCOTSMAN 

WALK INTO THE NOIR 

18:00-19:00 

TICKETS: £10/£8.  


Three pals – and crime writing greats – get together for a bit of craic, to chat about where they come from, their writing and their latest novels. Last year three award-winning women crime writers had us rolling in the aisles, so this year Mark Billingham, Steve Cavanagh and Abir Mukherjee will be bringing their wit, wisdom and one-liners to NOIRELAND. No pressure lads, but your counterparts from last year were hysterical! 

A CRIME OF THE TIMES 

19:30-20:30 

TICKETS: £8/£6
. 

May you live in interesting times’ and we certainly do! Crime fiction is one of the best mediums to explore issues of the day, while still entertaining readers along the way.
  Paul Waters, the Belfast-born broadcaster, will be exploring the hottest topics around, talking to Jane Casey about the dark world of elite gentlemen’s clubs post #MeToo, Alan Judd on his latest thriller about spies at the heart of the Brexit negotiations, Gary Donnelly on how we deal with our past in his cop thriller set in contemporary Belfast, and Liz Nugent on her new novel exploring the cult of celebrity and its inherent dangers. 

ANN CLEEVES interviews BRIAN MCGILLOWAY 

21:00-22:00 

TICKETS: £10/£8
.  

One of the highlights of NOIRELAND 2019 was Brian McGilloway’s interview with bestselling crime novelist Ann Cleeves. The old friends are back again, but this time Ann will be interviewing Brian about his new novel The Last Crossing, described as ‘the peak of what crime fiction can do’ (Steve Cavanagh) and an ‘extraordinary novel’ (Adrian McKinty).
 A must-see event for fans of Brian McGilloway, Ann Cleeves and anyone who loves truly great crime writing. 

JACK-A-NOIR-Y: 

The Detective Up Late 

22:30-23:30 

TICKETS: £10/£8.  


NOIRELAND 2020 ends on Saturday night with Jack-a-noir-y, our bedtime story for grown-ups. So grab a drink, settle down and listen to an exclusive extract from a very hotly anticipated novel. This year our bedtime story will be from The Detective Up Late, a new Sean Duffy novel from Adrian McKinty, which won’t be hitting the shops until 2021! Adrian will be introducing the book in person and talking a little about his award-winning 
Sean Duffy series. 

TICKETS AND CONCESSIONS 

Tickets are available at the NOIRELAND box office: www.noireland.com/box-office, or at the venue on the day (28 March). 

People in receipt of Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, or Job Seekers allowance, Students, Children (12–18 years) and disabled people are entitled to a concession discount. 

PASSES 

A pass to all events at NOIRELAND is available to purchase: £75/£50 conc. A ‘Writers’ Morning Pass’ is available to purchase: £25/£18 conc.
A ‘A Noirish Night of Stars’ is available to purchase: £32/£22 conc. 

Terms & Conditions apply. See our website for more details: 

www.noireland.com 

GETTING TO NOIRELAND 

NOIRELAND takes place at the Clayton Hotel, 

22-26 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast BT2 8HS 

The venue is just 5 minutes from the train and bus centre on Great Victoria Street, with its links to Belfast International and Belfast City airports.
Visit www.translink.co.uk to plan your journey.