Granite Noir 2020 Brochure by Aberdeen Performing Arts

Aberdeen Performing Arts presents

GRANITE NOIR CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL

Thursday 20 - Sunday 23 February 2020 www.granitenoir.com Box office 01224 641122

Aberdeenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international crime writing festival returns with author conversations, talks, walks, workshops, music and exhibitions. facebook.com/granitenoirfest @granitenoirfest #granitenoir

Welcome to Granite Noir Welcome to Granite Noir 2020, inspired by the incredible popularity of crime fiction in all its forms, by the fantastic contribution that Scottish writers make, by our love affair with Nordic Noir, on the page and on screen, and most of all inspired by Aberdeen which is the perfect backdrop for the festival – steeped in history, atmospheric, quirky and with a strong sense of place. In 2020 we are thrilled to be welcoming the legendary, award winning, American author, Sara Paretsky, to the Granite city whose smart, sassy female private investigator V.I Warshawski transformed the genre. Our Nordic Noir authors include Anne Holt, lawyer, former Minister of Justice and Norway’s best-selling female crime writer. Our Scottish contingent in 2020 is led by Ian Rankin, at Granite Noir for the first time. And there is no shortage of fun and games – sign up for our Poisoned Cocktail Party and High Tea, an evening of Gin and Sin, Escape Games, Filmfest, our family programme for Young Detectives, Locals in the Limelight and our home grown exhibition Outcasts, exploring women in crime. We can’t wait for you to join us as once again we plunge into the heart of darkness, explore the deep recesses of the soul and discover crime with a social conscience. Team Granite Noir

CONTENTS

Get the best value at Granite Noir with our criminally good festival pass! Guarantee tickets for Sara Paretsky, Ben Aaronovitch and Ian Rankin along with seven other Granite Noir 2020 events of your choice for JUST ÂŁ80. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also receive a Granite Noir GOODY BAG, LANYARD and 10% OFF selected cafes and restaurants on arrival when collecting your tickets.

Thursday 20 February........................................4

Enjoy a chilling Bloody Mary or a Virgin Mary on us, too!

Sunday 23 February.........................................22

Look out for this symbol for events included in the pass. Events not included in the pass can be purchased separately.

Win a Trip for 2.................................................27

BOOK NOW

Crimewatch: Granite Noir Film Screenings........32

Book online, over the phone or at the box office and make the most of your festival this February. Box Office 01224 641122 aberdeenpeformingarts.com/granitenoir.com

Outcasts: Exhibition...........................................6 Friday 21 February.............................................8 Saturday 22 February.......................................12 Courtroom Drama: See You in Court!................14

contents and offers

OUT FOR THE WEEKEND?

Murder at the Movies - Escape Room................28 Young Detectives: Family Events.......................30

Locals in the Limelight .....................................34 Meet Our Granite Noir Chairs............................36 Festival Info......................................................38

Enjoy 25% off accommodation from Wed-Sun at our partner hotel, Sandman Signature Hotel, just ask at our Box Office for more info!

Granite Noir At-a-Glance...................................39

thursday

exhibition talk

Thursday 20 February

Outcasts: Women, Crime and Society

thursday 4

Senior Archivist, Katy Kavanagh will reveal the stories behind the experiences of the wealthy, the wicked, the exceptional and the very ordinary. Katy will use some of the wealth of sources relating to crime and punishment in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives to explore crimes perpetrated by women, and societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to these transgressions. See page 6 for further information on the exhibition.

5:30pm, Big Sky Studio, Music Hall

FREE EVENT

AUTHOR talk

Thursday 20 February

Join us for a refreshing tipple at our not-to-be-missed Poisoned Cocktail Party. Under the expert guidance of Dr Kathryn Harkup, author of A is for Arsenic, Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the upcoming Death by Shakespeare, we will treat you to three specially concocted cocktails, inspired by some of Agatha Christie’s favourite poisons. Our very own Granite Noir cocktails will feature on the menu, and non-alcoholic versions will also be available.

Stuart Cosgrove, author of an award-winning trilogy of books on soul music and social change, discusses some of the key themes of his social history which sweeps across the major centres of black music—Detroit, Memphis and Harlem. Hear about the assassination of Martin Luther King, the undercover police operation against the Harlem Black Panthers, the FBI’s controversial undercover operations in the ghettos of sixties America, and the surprising link between soul music and murder.

7pm, The Carmelite Hotel

7:30pm-8:30pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Poisoned Cocktail Party

thursday

cocktail party

Music, Murder, and Mayhem

Tickets £20

Tickets £9.50

outcasts 6

Outcasts: Women, Crime and Society

exhibition

Thursday 20-Sunday 23 February

Women who commit murder or violent crime are often the subject of a morbid fascination, challenging society’s notion of women as the nurturing sex. Using original records from Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives, this exhibition will ask why society has been all-too comfortable with casting disproportionate blame on women for certain types of crimes and misdemeanours, whether bearing the burden of responsibility as ‘fornicators’ by the kirk session or the witchcraft paranoia in Aberdeen and the surrounding area during the 1590s.

Music Hall & Lemon Tree

FREE ADMISSION

friday

friday 8

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Friday 21 February

Join us where Scotland meets Scandinavia. Hania Allen writes the popular Dundee-set series featuring Polish detective DI Dania Gorska. Heine Bakkeid is an acclaimed, best-selling Norwegian writer now branching out into crime fiction with I Will Miss You Tomorrow, introducing disgraced ex-ChiefInspector Thorkild Aske. And Aberdeen native Deborah Masson’s debut, Hold Your Tongue, is the tense story of DI Eve Hunter, a detective with everything to prove, chasing a serial killer with nothing to lose.

Join “Dr. Noir” in conversation with three bestselling Icelandic writers whose work is not widely available in English—yet! Sólveig Pálsdóttir’s first novel Leikarinn (The Actor) earned rave reviews. And is a motion picture. She’s recently released her fourth best seller, Refurinn (The Fox). Óskar Guðmundsson trained as an optician but his very first novel, HILMA, won Iceland’s crime fiction award, Blóðdropann (Blood Drop), in 2016. Jónina Leósdóttir has published biographies, novels, short stories and plays. The first book in her Edda crime-series, Konan í blokkinni (The Woman in the Apartment Block), was nominated for the Blóðdropann award. She’s been instrumental in establishing The Icelandic Women’s Literary Prize.

The Long Yarn of The Law

friday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Newcastle Noir at Granite Noir

Chaired by Stuart Cosgrove

Chaired by Jacky Collins

12pm-1pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Tickets £9.50

2pm-3pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Tickets £9.50

friday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

music

Friday 21 February

Meet three of crime fiction’s most acclaimed writers, speaking to society’s most pressing concerns. Alice Feeney plunges us into the world of a glamorous actress whose husband goes missing in her new novel, I Know Who You Are. Dorothy Koomson, AKA “Queen of the Big Reveal,” is an award-winning author whose most recent book, Tell Me Your Secret explores violent crime, and the consequences doing the right thing. Sarah Hilary, is a winner of Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year award. Never Be Broken, her newest DI Marnie Rome book, asks why justice isn’t served in equal portions.

David Holmes is a Belfast-born DJ and producer of five albums and more than 25 film and TV soundtracks. David won the BAFTA for his score of the BBC America series Killing Eve starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer and written by Phoebe WallerBridge. Join David and music journalist Tom Morton as they chat about the music of Killing Eve. Experience a fascinating insight into the life and work of an artist whose achievements include the scores for Ocean’s 11, Steve McQueen’s Hunger, ’71, The Laundromat plus TV series The Fall and London Spy, as well as work with musicians Jarvis Cocker, Noel Gallagher, Manic Street Preachers and Primal Scream. Following the conversation, David will play a set featuring a range of his work including the music of Killing Eve.

Suspense with a Topical Twist

4pm-5pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Chaired by Fiona Stalker.

Tickets £9.50

David Holmes: The Music of Killing Eve

9pm, Lemon Tree Lounge

Tickets £9.50

an evening with sara paretsky

friday

headline event

scottish exclusive

Friday 21 February Granite Noir welcomes the award-winning American author who transformed the crime fiction landscape in 1982, with the creation of private investigator V.I. Warshawski—a smart, sassy, female detective who’s more than a match for Chicago’s criminal element, and who shares her creator’s passion for social justice. Paretsky’s also opened doors for other women, establishing Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organisation promoting the advancement and recognition of women crime writers. In Shell Game, V.I. helps a friend who’s nephew was linked to a murder case. Chaired by Denise Mina.

7pm-8pm, Music Hall

Tickets £11.50

saturday 12

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Saturday 22 February

With Professor Lorna Dawson, Dr James Grieve, and Wendy Deegan

Which are the secrets we keep? Which do we tell? And who gets to tell those stories? Denise Mina’s Conviction, and Helen FitzGerald’s Worst Case Scenario are edgy thrillers about the act of storytelling, sexual politics, victimhood, and the challenge of being female in a world filled with misogyny. Along the way we’ll take in the lure of podcasts, the ethics of true crime narratives, and the importance of never losing your sense of humour.

Death, Dirt, and DNA*

Three of Britain’s most renowned scientists—advisors to crime writers and the police—describe how they do what they do, from arriving at a crime scene to examining evidence back at the lab. Soil forensics, pathology, DNA—our panel of experts covers all the bases. This talk will appeal to anyone with a passion for science, writers keen to get their facts straight, and telly lovers curious about how much CSI-style shows differ from reality.

saturday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Sex, Lies, and Metafiction

*Recommended age 16 and over. Graphic images warning.

10am-11am, Lemon Tree Studio

Tickets £9.50

Chaired by Lee Randall.

12pm-1pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Tickets £9.50

courtroom drama

Saturday 22 February 11.30am, 2.30pm & 7.30pm Sunday 23 February 11.30am & 2.30pm

See you in Court!

Join us at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for a thrilling re-enactment by actors of an actual Aberdeen murder trial. It’s 1893 and Robert Smith is on trial for murder, and the stakes could not be higher. The papers called it “The Stonehaven Tragedy”, a time when capital punishment was still very much on the cards for crimes of this scale. Gather your own thoughts as Prosecution and Defence battle it out for justice, you may even be summoned for jury service! “ Robert Smith, you have been indicted on the charge of Murder. How do you plead?” Suitable for ages 12+. Parental guidance advised. An Aberdeen Performing Arts and Ten Feet Tall co-production. Image: Crown copyright. National Records of Scotland, HH16/95

Aberdeen Sheriff & JP Court Castle Street

Tickets £9.50

local history talk

saturday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Image: Sagaciousphil

Saturday 22 February

Sif Sigmarsdóttir is a London-based author and journalist from Iceland. In The Sharp Edge of a Snowflake, two very different lives collide. Hannah has been banished from her home in London to Iceland, to a new life as a journalist for her father’s newspaper. Imogen has the perfect life as a social media influencer. But behind the filters lies a horrible secret. Now a ghost from her past may ruin everything. When a man is found murdered it’s clear Imogen had a motive. Can Hannah track down the truth about the girl behind the filters?

Peterhead Prison has housed some of the most notorious criminals in Scottish penal history. Down the years it earned the nickname The Hate Factory and made headline news decade after decade with dramatic escapes, hostage taking and rooftop riots. Join Robert Jeffrey, author of Peterhead: The Inside Story of Scotland’s Toughest Prison, as he tells the remarkable story of the infamous Peterhead Prison in Scotland’s far north-east – a truly grim institution with a fearsome reputation.

Snow is Dangerous in Iceland...

Peterhead: The Inside Story of Scotland’s Toughest Prison

“The Queen of YA crime” Eoin Colfer.

Chaired by Rebecca Curran. Suitable for Adults and Young Adults. Recommended age 16 and over.

1pm-2pm, Aberdeen Central Library

Tickets £9.50

1pm-2pm, Lemon Tree Lounge

Tickets £9.50

saturday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

workshop

Saturday 22 February

They’re visiting Aberdeen as CM Ewan, for A Window Breaks - a terrifying thriller about a home invasion - John Lincoln, for Fade to Grey - investigating miscarriages of justice in Cardiff - and Sarah Lotz, for Missing Person - about a team giving names to the unidentified dead. But you may also know them by different names, because each of these writers employs a variety of pseudonyms. In this hour you’ll discover the difference a name makes, and hear about three novels that’ll give you sleepless nights.

Daisy Waugh is the author of novels, journalism, and nonfiction. As E.V. Harte she writes the popular tarot detective mysteries about Dolly Greene, a divorced mother, professional Tarot reader and incidental sleuth. In this one-hour workshop Waugh shows how to make the most of prompts to flesh out ideas, develop perspective, and get down to writing about your chosen topic. She’ll describe how she found inspiration in the ancient wisdom of the tarot.

Nudge, Nudge—Write, Write!

Also Known As

2pm-3pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Chaired by Jacky Collins.

Tickets £9.50

Daisy’s new comic novel, In the Crypt with the CandleStick, is published by Piaktus this month. 16 or over only, unless accompanied by an adult with a ticket.

2:30pm-3:30pm, Aberdeen Central Library

Tickets £9.50

AUTHOR talk / gin tasting

Saturday 22 February

Christos Markogiannakis leads us on a colourful journey through history and mythology, crossing paths with mass murderers, stalkers, cursed families, cannibals and serial killers. Where will we meet such dangers? On the canvases of masterpieces held in the Louvre and the Musee D’Orsay! Markogiannakis studied Law and Criminology in Athens and Paris. From his Paris base he conducts research on the representation of murder in art, conceptualises criminartistic installations, and publishes police novels and books on the aesthetics of murder.

Food and drinks expert Nikki Welch leads us on an exploration of gin, accompanied by readings from crime writers Olga Wojtas, Margaret Kirk, and Clare Carson. Olga Wojtas’s Miss Blaine’s Prefect and The Vampire Menace, finds time-traveling librarian Shona McMonagle untangling a mystery in a strange French village. Clare Carson’s The Canary Keeper, centres on a woman accused of murder who must travel to Orkney to clear her name. And Margaret Kirk’s What Lies Buried, set in Inverness, finds DI Lukas Mahler investigating a kidnapping with odd links to a seventy year-old murder. Over 18 only.

4.00pm-5:30pm, Aberdeen Art Gallery

6:30pm-8:30pm, Music Hall, Rondo Restaurant

saturday

AUTHOR talk

Gin and Sin

Murder as an Art Form

Tickets £9.50

Tickets £20

saturday

headline event

Wizardry, Magic,& Serious Cybernetics Saturday 22 February

Ben Aaronovitch, author of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series, premiers his newest Peter Grant adventure, False Value. Born and raised in London, Aaronovitch was a scriptwriter for Doctor Who and Casualty. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in conversation with festival ambassador Stuart MacBride, talking magic, mayhem, crimefighting and comics.

6pm-7pm, Music Hall

Tickets ÂŁ11.50

saturday

headline event

Shipwreck Suitcase Saturday 22 February

We’re rolling out the red carpet to welcome the King of Tartan Noir, Ian Rankin, joined by his friend Phill Jupitus, in conversation about all things Rebus, the re-release of Westwind, and in particular, to reveal which beloved crime novels these avid readers would pack for an extended stay on an uninhabited island. Will it be Sherlock Holmes? Might it be Philip Marlowe? Or will it be something cutting edge and recent? Join us for the big reveal! This event is sponsored by the Crime Writers’ Association.

8pm-9pm, Music Hall Buy with THE BOYS ARE BACK - WITH TUNES

Tickets £11.50 Both for £18

saturday

music Saturday 22 February

the boys are back - with tunes They’re famous for their love of music, so you won’t want to miss Phill Jupitus and Ian Rankin spinning tunes from their personal collections, taking turns to amaze and delight us with their musical choices. It’s a safe bet they’ll have you out of your seats and on the dance floor shaking your tailfeathers.

10pm-11:30pm, Lemon Tree Lounge

Tickets £8.50 | Buy with SHIPWRECK SUITCASE

Both for £18

CODA Café Bar at the Music Hall is the perfect place for coffee and cake, fizz, affogatos, light bites and sharing platters.

10% OFF ALL WEEKEND with your Granite Noir Weekend Pass Café 1906 - the ideal place to relax for sweet treats, home bakes and the perfect cup of coffee. Unwind in Aberdeen’s only theatre café.

friday

sunday 22

workshop

Sunday 23 February

There’s nothing like a secret to rot the family tree—and nothing like watching it sway dangerously to ramp up tension. From best-selling author Jo Spain (a co-writer of RTE’s Taken Down), comes Six Wicked Reasons, a revenge novel brimming with family secrets. And in A Nearly Normal Family, cited by the New York Times as one of 2019’s best summer thrillers, Swedish author M.T Edvardsson riffs on the idea that there are three sides to every story—all of them devastating.

Caro Ramsay draws on her career as an osteopath, her experience as a crime writer, and her diploma in Forensic Medical Science in this engaging workshop describing the injuries likely to occur during fight scenes. She’ll share all the gory details necessary to help aspiring writers add realism to the injuries sustained by their characters and victims. 16 or over only, unless accompanied by an adult with a ticket.

Family Affairs

sunday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Breaking Bones for Fun

Chaired by Bryan Burnett.

12pm-1pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Tickets £9.50

1pm-2:15pm, Aberdeen Central Library

Tickets £6.00

sunday

local history talk

local history walking tour

Sunday 23 February

Join Dr Chris Croly to learn about the history of the Green from the dark days of the reformation to child kidnapping and with plenty of historical beer along the way. This talk will take in key aspects of the history of the Green and touch upon its darker history. Held in The Carmelite Hotel, the talk will take you through key historical events and explore the darker side of the history of Aberdeen and the Green.

Dr Chris Croly’s walking tour will take in sites of key historical events and explore the darker side of the history of Aberdeen and the Green.

11am-12pm, The Carmelite Hotel

Starting from The Carmelite Hotel from 1pm-2pm

The History of the Green, Chris Croly

The History of the Green, walking tour

Tickets £5

poisoned high tea

Sunday 23 February

There’s a plenty of life left in classic crime fiction, reimagined with fresh modern twists by today’s authors. Lexie Elliott’s novel, The Missing Years, features an eerie old Scottish manor— that seems to be watching its inhabitants. In Peter Swanson’s Rules for Perfect Murders, a bookseller comes under police scrutiny when a serial killer imitates crimes depicted in famous mystery novels—crimes he selected as his “Eight Favourite Murders” in a long ago blog post.

When it’s cold outside, cosy up to a plate piled with scones, pastries, and finger sandwiches, washed down with strong coffee or aromatic tea. But beware! Dr Kathryn Harkup, author of A is for Arsenic, is here to remind us that in the hands of literary Grande Dame Agatha Christie, everything on the menu could—and did—become a murder weapon. Dr Harkup will talk about how the Queen of Crime deployed poisons, and where she found her inspiration.

Going for Gold(en) Age

Poisoned High Tea

Chaired by Fiona Stalker.

2pm-3pm, Lemon Tree Studio

sunday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Tickets £9.50

3pm-5pm, 1906 Restaurant at His Majesty’s Theatre

Tickets £22, £30 with prosecco

sunday

AUTHOR CONVERSATION

Sunday 23 February

Ambrose Parry (aka Chris Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman) returns to 1850’s Edinburgh for another riveting medical mystery. This time, Will Raven and Sarah Fisher fight to save the reputation of Dr James Simpson after one of his patients dies in mysterious circumstances. They’ll be talking historical crime fiction, gothic fiction, and medical mysteries with author Laura Purcell, whose first novel The Silent Companions, won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award 2018. Her new book, Bone China, is a spooky tale in the tradition of DuMaurier, set in atmospheric Cornwall.

“ The godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction.”

Making History... Murderous

Chaired by Bryan Burnett.

4pm-5pm, Lemon Tree Studio

Bad Sports

–Jo Nesbo Granite Noir welcomes one of Norway’s most successful crime writers, Anne Holt, whose Hanne Wilhelmsen books were made into Modus for BBC Four. A Grave For Two introduces a fresh new series featuring Selma Falck, former professional athlete turned high-flying lawyer—and a woman in free-fall. When her arch enemy begs Selma to help clear his daughter’s name she becomes embroiled in a far-reaching corruption scandal. Anne Holt has sold more than ten million books worldwide in 30 languages. This is her first visit to the UK to promote her work in over three years. She is a former Minister of Justice, police attorney, lawyer, journalist and TV news editor and anchor. Chaired by Fiona Stalker.

Tickets £9.50

7pm-8pm, Lemon Tree Lounge

Tickets £9.50

sunday

WIN! A TRIP FOR 2 TO LOST LOCH DISTILLERY SPIRIT SCHOOL The perfect event for you and your friends, work mates or colleagues to experience all things botanical. Under our guidance you will distil your own botanical spirit, bottle and label it before taking it home. Throughout the day you’ll be transported through the history and art of distilling. You will even get an insight into Scotland’s first absinthe. Immerse yourself in the taste and smell of the botanicals whilst we guide you through which botanicals complement each other and what ratios to stick to. Don’t miss out on this chance to win this fantastic prize for two places to the Lost Loch Spirit School worth £250! To be entered into the draw and be in with a chance to win, please complete our feedback questionnaire at any of our venues, either by completing our questionnaire or taking the survey with one of our Granite Noir team. The winner will be announced on Sunday 23 February 2020 at the end of the festival weekend.

Saturday 22 - Sunday 23 February

The Locked Door: Murder at the Movies 30-Minute Escape Games Hourly from 10am-5pm

murder at the movies 28

World-famous movie star Missy Mcfarlane has been found dead after attending the premier of her movie, ‘Black Granite’, at The Belmont Filmhouse! Detective Sullivan has been called in to solve the mystery but he can’t do it alone; your team must revisit the crime scene, collect clues and solve puzzles to crack the case. A 30-minute escape game for teams of up to six. Two teams can play at the same time. Each will enter an identical crime scene and race to see who can solve the murder first.

Call 01224 641122 or visit aberdeenperformingarts.com to book.

Belmont Filmhouse

£10.50 £55 for team of 6

Di al M For Murder

Mon - Sat 7:30pm, Thu 2pm, Sat 2:30pm Tom Chambers, (Top Hat, Strictly Come Dancing) stars in this production as Tony Wendice, a jaded ex-tennis pro who gave everything up for his wife Margot, performed by Sally Bretton (Not Going Out, The Office). When he discovers she has been unfaithful his mind turns to revenge. Featuring Christopher Harper (Coronation Street) and Michael Salami (Hollyoaks), the iconic Dial M for Murder, is the seat-gripping drama not to be missed! ‘a taut, acidly funny thriller’ The Guardian

His Majesty’s Theatre

drama at granite noir

Monday 17 - Saturday 22 February

£35.50 - £20.50

young

detectives

family event

Saturday 22 February

Sunday 23 February

Ages: 7-12 years

Ages 3-6 years

Monstrously Funny Adventures

young detectives

family event

CSI: Crime Squirrel Investigators

“Whoa! There’s a monster criminal on the loose! In Help! I Smell a Monster, Alice MacAlister had to save monster world from disaster. Now, in Whoa! I Spy a Werewolf she’s got to do it again! Only this time, an evil shapeshifter has stolen her werewolf smell-ability. It’s a monster mystery for Alice and Louis—her new French werewolf pal—to solve. Join author Justin Davies to meet some hilariously scary monsters, and learn how to howl like a werewolf—in English, French, and maybe even Doric!”

Rosie’s secret hazelnut store has been ransacked, and best friend Charlie agrees to help her find the naughty nut thief – but the only clues are nutshells! As you help them discover the thief you’ll find out about the different ways animals eat nuts. Author and CBeebies screenwriter Emily Dodd brings her scientific knowledge to this quirky investigative event. You’ll learn how to identify different animals and get to take part in the woodpecker hip hop track as Emily sings, raps and plays guitar.

10am-11am, Aberdeen Central Library £3.50 each - adults and children U18 months go free

11am-12pm, Aberdeen Central Library £3.50 each - adults and children U18 months go free

film screening

crimewatch film screenings Friday 21 February GOODFELLAS

Belmont Filmhouse

Tickets £10.50 £8.50 Concessions

To purchase tickets visit: www.belmontfilmhouse.com or contact Belmont Filmhouse Box Office 01224 343500.

8.15pm

Running time 148 mins “As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” So begins Scorsese’s modern classic, the story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) who in the mid-1950s was taken under the wing of local New York Italian-American mobster Paul “Paulie” Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and his associates. Riding high on the back of their daring heists, they enjoy the spoils of the criminal underworld, but this can only last so long... Packed with one-liners, brilliant performances and a great soundtrack, ‘GoodFellas’ screens from a brand new digitally restored edition. Ian Rankin: ‘Scorsese. . . De Niro. . .Pesci. . . Liotta. Not to mention a scene-stealing Lorraine Bracco and a supporting cast who look the part and then some. The gangster epic has never been so well-orchestrated, the lifestyle so seductive yet ultimately so horrifying. Every scene is memorable, the screenplay is terrific, and there’s a masterclass in editing (by the legendary Thelma Schoonmaker) thrown in to seal the deal’.

Saturday 22 February

CHINATOWN

film screening

5.30pm

Running time 131 mins Polanski’s silky film noir, widely regarded as among the greatest of all American crime movies. Private eye Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired to investigate an extra-marital affair involving the husband of Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway). When the husband is later found dead, his position as water commissioner during a curious drought in L.A. raises suspicions. Nicholson is magnetic, and Dunaway excels as the mysterious wealthy widow with a timeless veneer of class, complete with the cracks leading to the dark secrets that her formidable father, John Huston, holds. Ian Rankin: All the goodness of classic film noir, with added 1970s glitz and brio, and a genius script by Robert Towne. Jack Nicholson is almost literally magnetic—you can’t take your eyes off him—and in a break from the noir norm, he is playing a successful PI in 1930s Los Angeles. Yet for all the colour and dazzle, this is a film that digs deep into the horror at the core of the American dream, leading to one of the bleakest denouements in film history.

Sunday 23 February

FARGO

3.30pm

Running time 98 mins Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) hires lowlifes Carl and Gaear (Buscemi and Stormare) to kidnap his wife, hoping that her wealthy father will pay a ransom from which Jerry can cream a share. The abduction goes according to plan, but the kidnappers commit three murders as they drive by night through the snowy Minnesota wastes. Heavily-pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (McDormand), slow-talkin’ and smart-thinkin’, investigates... The beauty of this quirky thriller cum blacker than black comedy is in the subtle detail of the dialogue and performances, which continue to enchant on repeat viewings.’ Ian Rankin: Yes, it’s film noir, but set in a frozen, bleached landscape, and the Coen Brothers are driving so you know it’s going to be a hell of a ride. Add Frances McDormand and William H Macy at the very top of their games, and a plot that coils ever tighter around them, and you’ve got a speedy trip to purgatory and possible redemption. I guarantee you’ll never look at a wood-chipper the same way.

crimewatch - film screenings

film screening

Ten of the region’s talented authors will read extracts from their noir fiction ahead of some of our festival events across the festival weekend. They will also take part in a group event at Aberdeen’s Central Library on Saturday from 11:30am-12:30pm. Friday 21 February 12pm, Lemon Tree

Neil Lancaster Friday 21 February,

2pm, Lemon Tree

Friday 21 February

4pm, Lemon Tree

Norma Beaton

Fiona Marie Campbell Saturday 22 February

12pm, Lemon Tree

Saturday 22 February

1pm, Aberdeen Central Library

Saturday 22 February

2pm, Lemon Tree

Sunday 23 February

12pm, Lemon Tree

Sunday 23 February

2pm, Lemon Tree

Sunday 23 February

4pm, Lemon Tree

Sunday 23 February

7pm, Lemon Tree

Jan Simpson

locals in the limelight

Christine Laurenson Callum McSorley Harry Fisher

Pamela Shand

Lexie Coningham

John Bolland

meet our chairs Stuart Cosgrove, was a fanzine writer on the northern soul scene before joining the black music paper Echoes, becoming media editor with the NME and a feature writer for numerous newspapers and magazines. In 2005 he was named Broadcaster of the Year in the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards, and in 2012, won a BAFTA and Royal Television Society award for Channel 4’s coverage of the London Paralympics.

Lee Randall, programmer of Granite Noir, has more than 30 years experience in book publishing and media, including thirteen years with The Scotsman Publications, running magazines/ features/arts coverage. More recently, her writing has appeared in aeon.co, and Evergreen literary magazine. She regularly chairs for author events at festivals and bookshops around the UK.

Dr Jacky Collins (aka Dr Noir) is the founder director of Newcastle Noir, the annual crime fiction festival held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Inspired by Iceland Noir and UK crime fiction festivals, Jacky wanted to enable readers from the North East of England to enjoy a weekend of crime fiction. She also runs Edinburgh’s Noir at the Bar, where published and emerging authors showcase their work.

Bryan Burnett is one of Scotland’s best known presenters, having worked for BBC Radio Scotland and Scottish TV, including ten years as the face of Scottish Passport. He began his career at Northsound Radio in Aberdeen, before spending six years with Radio Clyde in Glasgow, presenting the Top 40 chart show. He currently presents Get It On, BBC Radio Scotland’s drivetime music show.

Fiona Stalker is a BBC Scotland news reporter and presenter based in Aberdeen. She currently hosts the Seven Days, a news review programme, for the BBC Scotland television channel, and hosted Out for the Weekend for BBC Scotland radio.

Phill Jupitus is a stand-up and improv comedian, actor, performance poet, author, and artist. He was a team captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and presented the breakfast show on BBC 6 Music. He’s appeared on The News Quiz, Just A Minute, QI, 8 Out of Ten Cats, Would I Lie To You, Pointless Celebrities and World’s Most Dangerous Roads. Phill toured the UK with the hit shows Spamalot, The Producers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Rebecca Curran is a Scottish journalist and presenter who currently co-hosts the daily news programme, The Nine, on BBC Scotland television. She began her career at Northsound Radio in Aberdeen, then worked for three years at STV before joining the BBC’s Aberdeen newsroom as a senior broadcast journalist in December 2016.

Denise Mina is the author of the Garnethill trilogy, the Paddy Meehan series and the Alex Morrow series. She’s won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award twice, the Gordon Burn Prize and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. She has been inducted into the CWA’s Hall of Fame and made Elif Shafak’s list of the UK’s 10 most exciting female writers. Denise also writes comics, plays, graphic novels and presents television and radio programmes.

Tom Morton is a journalist, author and broadcaster based in the Shetland Islands. For 20 years he was a mainstay of BBC Radio Scotland, presenting music shows and today he still makes an all-vinyl internet music programme called The Beatcroft Social. Author of 11 published books including several crime thrillers and books about malt whisky. Tom also writes for various newspapers and magazines and blogs regularly at thebeatcroft.co.uk.

the chief interrogators

Stuart MacBride is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. He’s also published a near-future thriller, a short story collection, a couple of novellas, and a slightly twisted picture book for slightly twisted children. He was crowned World Stovies Champion in 2014 and given an honorary doctorate by Dundee University in 2015.

festival information

Tickets can be booked by visiting the box office at His Majesty’s Theatre, the Music Hall or the Lemon Tree, by calling 01224 641122, or through our website aberdeenperformingarts.com, deals and discounts are available.

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By air: Aberdeen has an international airport located in Dyce, on the North-west of the city. The city centre can be accessed by taxi or bus from the airport. By train: Aberdeen train station is conveniently located in the city centre and is walking distance from Union Street and all Granite Noir venues. Regular services arrive from south and west of the city. By bus: Aberdeen bus station is situated next to the train station and in convenient walking distance from the city centre. Buses and coaches arrive regularly from all cities providing good access to Aberdeen. By road: South: On the A90 from Dundee West: On the A96 from Inverness, A944 from Alford, A93 from Braemar/Ballater North - A90 from Peterhead/Fraserburgh Dundee……..1 hour 30 minutes drivetime Edinburgh…..2 hours 45 minutes drivetime Glasgow…….2 hours 45 minutes drivetime Inverness……2 hours 45 minutes drivetime Elgin…………1 hour 45 minutes drivetime

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How to Book

Venue Pg

5:30pm

Outcasts - Exhibition Talk

All Day

Outcasts - Exhibition

2pm

Dial M For Murder

7pm

Poisoned Cocktail Party

7:30pm

Dial M For Murder

MH 4 MH & LT 6 HMT 29 CH 5 HMT 29

7:30pm-8:30pm Music, Murder & Mayhem

LT 5

friday All Day

Venue Pg

Outcasts - Exhibition

MH & LT 6

Saturday

Venue Pg

All Day

Outcasts - Exhibition

MH & LT 6

10am-11am

Monstrously Funny Adventures

From 10am

The Locked Door - Escape Games

BF 28

10am-11am

Death, Dirt & DNA

LT 13

11am-12pm CSI Crime Squirrel Investigators

ACL 31

11:30am

Courtroom Drama

ASC 14

Sex, Lies & Metafiction

ACL 31

Venue Pg

6:30pm-8:30pm Gin and Sin

MH 17

7:30pm

Courtroom Drama

ASC 14

7:30pm

Dial M For Murder

HMT 29

8pm-9pm

Shipwreck Suitcase

MH 19

10pm-11:30pm The Boys Are Back With Tunes

Sunday

LT 20

Venue Pg

All Day

Outcasts - Exhibition

MH & LT 6

From 10am

The Locked Door - Escape Games

BF 28

LT 13 LT 34

11am-12pm

The History of The Green Talk

CH 24 LT 34

12pm-1pm

The Long Yarn of The Law

LT 9

12pm-1pm

12pm

Locals in The Limelight

LT 34

12pm

Locals in The Limelight

2pm-3pm

Newcastle Noir

LT 9

1pm-2pm

Snow is Dangerous in Iceland ACL 15

12pm

Locals in the Limelight

2pm

Locals in The Limelight

LT 34

Suspense with a Tropical Twist LT 10

Peterhead: The Inside Story of Scotland’s Toughest Prison

The History of The Green Walk CH 24

4pm-5pm

1pm-2pm

1pm-2pm 11:30am

Courtroom Drama

4pm

Locals in The Limelight

1pm

Locals in The Limelight

ACL 34

12pm-1pm

Family Affairs

7pm-8pm

An Evening with Sara Paretsky MH 11

2pm

Locals in The Limelight

LT 34

1pm-2:15pm

Breaking Bones For Fun

ACL 23

7:30pm

Dial M For Murder

2pm-3pm

Also Known As

LT 16

2pm-3pm

Going For Gold(en) Age

LT 25

8:15pm

Film Screening - Goodfellas

BF 32

2:30pm-3:30pm Nudge, Nudge - Write, Write

ACL 16

2pm

Locals in the Limelight

LT 34

9pm

David Holmes - The Music of Killing Eve

LT 10

2:30pm

Courtroom Drama

ASC 14

2:30pm

Courtroom Drama

2:30pm

Dial M For Murder

HMT 29

3pm-5pm

Poinsoned High Tea

AAG 17

3:30pm

Film Screening - Fargo

BF 33

1906... at His Majesty’s Theatre AAG..... Aberdeen Art Gallery ACL .... Aberdeen Central Library ASC..... Aberdeen Sheriff Court

LT 34 HMT 29

BF ......Belmont Filmhouse CH ...... The Carmelite Hotel HMT.... His Majesty’s Theatre LT........Lemon Tree MH .....Music Hall

LT 15

granite noir at a aglance

Thursday

ASC 14 LT 23

ASC 14 1906 25

4pm-5:30pm

Murder As An Art Form

5:30pm

Film Screening - Chinatown

BF 33

4pm-5pm

Making History... Murderous

LT 26

6pm-7pm

Wizardry, Magic & Serious Cybernetics

MH 18

4pm

Locals in The Limelight

LT 34

7pm-8pm

Bad Sports

LT 26

7pm

Locals in The Limelight

LT 34

We would like to thank Aberdeen City Council, Creative Scotland and EventScotland for their funding support for Granite Noir. We are also indebted to Waterstoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for their enthusiastic support.

Granite Noir is produced by Aberdeen Performing Arts on behalf of Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen City Libraries and Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives. We would also like to thank Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums, The Carmelite Hotel, The Sandman Hotel, Mackies of Scotland, Granite North and Lost Loch Spirits for their support.

facebook.com/granitenoirfest @granitenoirfest #granitenoir

01224 641122 - granitenoir.com

641122 - granitenoir.com

Return address: Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen AB10 1QS

facebook.com/granitenoirfest @granitenoirfest 01224 #granitenoir