Revealing the line-up for Bute Noir is always one of our favourite times of the year. Okay, it can also be one of the most stressful, rushed and last-minute times of the year, but that’s what makes it fun, right?
What makes all that tension worthwhile is bringing great authors to a great island and helping writers and readers have a great time. This year we’re confident we can do that in style. Among our headline acts are legends of crime fiction: Sir Ian Rankin, Lin Anderson and Mark Billingham.
As if that weren’t enough, we have brilliant bestselling authors such as C.L Taylor, Chris Brookmyre, B.A. Paris, Jane Casey, James Oswald, Harriet Tyce, Antti Tuomainen and Tim Sullivan.
There is a true crime event in the form of colourful former Glasgow gangland lawyer James J McIntyre who will tell of his escapades representing some of the city’s best-known and most dangerous criminals.
On Saturday night there will be Carry On Sleuthing, a play of dubious provenance from the pen of Douglas Skelton, featuring jokes older than dinosaurs and an unbelievable all-star cast.
For 2024 we have moved to the Victorian splendour of the Glenburn Hotel and all events will be under one roof for the first time. This also means that we can offer a weekend pass costing £90, meaning a saving of £23 for those who attend every event.
Please note: Val McDermid, scheduled to be one of our original headline presenters is now unable to attend due to scheduled back surgery. We are indeed grateful to the marvellous Lin Anderson who steps into the breach. Appearing with Lin this year we have real-life forensic scientist LORNA DAWSON CBE. Lorna is professor and head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute. She has been engaged as an expert witness in criminal investigations and trials, and her evidence has helped convict serial killers including the “World’s End” murderer Angus Sinclair. She also regularly consults for crime writers including Lin and Ann Cleeves.
Together, Lin and Lorna will offer a fascinating insight into the science behind murder inquiries, both factual and fictional, and this shouldn’t be missed. If you have a ticket for the original event with Val McDermid please click HERE to see what you can do next.
We are also delighted to announce that acclaimed spy novelist AVA GLASS will join the Destination Thrillers panel on Sunday August 4 at 1.00pm. Ava has been dubbed “the new queen of spy fiction” by The Guardian and has used her real-life experience of working with female spies for the British Government to inform her pulsating novels. Her new book, The Trap, is her first set in Scotland. Ava will appear alongside Lisa Gray and Phoebe Morgan.
As of Friday 12 July:
Unfortunately, we’ve got a little more Bute Noir bad news for you– but also some very good news to make up for it.
We’re sorry to say that Quintin Jardine has had to pull out of our opening event on Friday August 2nd, but we’re delighted to say that the fantastic, award-winning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen has agreed to step into the breach.
The Times has called Antti “the funniest writer in Europe”. We’re not going to argue with that and nor will anyone who saw Antti when he took part in Bute Noir in 2017 when he proved hugely popular with our audience. Since then, he and his books have gone from strength to strength.
As ever, huge thanks to our sponsors – For Bute, Argyll & Bute Council, Careplus, Martha Shaw and Ian Rankin – and to our volunteers, readers and authors.
See you all in August
Craig, Karen, Anne & Alison
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