Shetland Noir 2026

Shetland Noir is back, celebrating all things crime writing over 4 days in June 2026, with a programme packed full of internationally known writer events, workshops and panel discussions.

The festival will return to Mareel from the 11th-14th June 2026, bringing Shetland’s unique voice to the global stage of crime writing, with a programme packed full of author talks, workshops, panel discussions and special events.

Patron Ann Cleeves, world-renowned creator of Jimmy Perez, Vera Stanhope and Matthew Venn and Marsali Taylor, author of the popular Shetland Mysteries series starring liveaboard sailing sleuth Cass Lynch - are curating the 2026 programme, ensuring an unforgettable weekend for crime fiction fans.

"I'm delighted that Shetland Arts and Marsali Taylor will be hosting Shetland Noir in 2026. I can't wait to be a part of it. A great way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of my first Shetland book Raven Black. Of course that was launched in Lerwick too." - Ann Cleeves

Take a look at our 5 headliners below! With more participating authors to be announced with the programme in March 2026.

Headline Guests

Lee Child

Lee Child is one of the world’s leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards including Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Louise Penny

Louise Penny is an international award-winning and bestselling author whose books have hit number one on the New York Times, USA Today and Globe and Mail lists. Her Chief Inspector Gamache novels have been translated into thirty-one languages and have sold over 18 million copies worldwide. She has received the Ordre National du Quebec and the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture. In 2021, she co-authored the standalone thriller State of Terror with Hillary Rodham Clinton. Louise Penny lives in a village south of Montreal.

Vaseem Khan

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India and the upcoming Quantum of Menace, the first in a series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the CWA Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. His latest release is The Girl in Cell A.

Professor Lorna Dawson

Professor Lorna Dawson is Head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at James Hutton Institute, Honorary Professor at Robert Gordon University, and Professora CESPU. She is a registered expert with the National Crime Agency, a trained Expert Witness, holding diplomas in civil and criminal law and has worked on over 200 cases with many police forces, agencies, lawyers and forensic science services such as Cellmark and Alecto, across the UK and overseas. She has published over 150 scientific papers, and holds a diploma in Science Communication, Bristol. She was awarded a CBE in June 2018, for services to soil and forensic science.

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Yrsa Sigurdardottir is an Icelandic author of crime fiction, horror and children’s books. Her novels have been translated to over 30 languages, sold over 5 million copies and won numerous awards both in Iceland and abroad. Two of her stand-alone horror novels have been made into films and her latest book 'Can’t Run, Can’t Hide' was recently purchased for TV production in the UK. Along with fellow author Ragnar Jónasson, Yrsa is a co-founder and organiser of Iceland’s annual literary festival, Iceland Noir. In addition to being an author, Yrsa is a civil engineer and was the technical manager for the construction supervision of the Kárahnjúkar Power Plant project, Iceland’s largest construction undertaking to date. She has also taught at the UNESCO Geothermal Training Program and is an advocate for increased female participation in the fields of STEM.

Noir Cards are on sale now - don’t miss this unforgettable weekend of crime fiction in Shetland.

Noir Card

A Noir Card weekend pass gives you access to all Shetland Noir panels, workshops and artist talks - including priority booking for limited capacity events.

Day passes and tickets for headliner events go on sale in March 2026.

Book Now

Are you an author who would like to be part of Shetland Noir 2026?

Shetland Noir 2026 takes place in June, during Da Simmer Dim - the twilight of a Shetland summer, when the sun barely sets and 19 hours of daylight cast long shadows across the islands. It's a time when the beauty, remoteness and the quiet mystery of the islands are enhanced - the perfect backdrop for Shetland Noir.

We are now accepting author applications for the 11th - 14th June 2026 edition.

What You’ll Get:

Successful applicants may be invited to take part in panels, give talks, lead workshops, or interview guests - alongside national and international noir authors. There will also be the opportunity to read from your work during the Festival.
£100 if you are selected for a panel, payment for any other roles will be discussed at the time of offer. (Please note, there will be no payment for author readings.)
Opportunities to connect with readers, other writers and grow your network
Festival press coverage and social media promotion

How to Apply:

1. Send a 400 word CV including;