Granite Noir, Aberdeen’s literary festival, has wrapped up after another successful year bringing crime and creativity to the Granite City. Grant Dickie spent a day at the Music Hall events to find out just what was on offer.
Literature at Lunchtime with C.J. Cooke
I have been a fan of C.J. Cooke’s writing for years and have read her previous releases, so I jumped at the chance to attend her author conversation. In the Music Hall’s beautiful and intimate Big Sky Studio we sat and welcomed Katalina Watt in conversation with C.J. to discuss her latest release The Book of Witching.
The Book of Witching blends a modern day fictional tale with one of historical significance in Orkney’s witchcraft past. C.J. spoke to us about just where the idea for the book came from as well as how immersed she gets when it comes to the research, even discovering a discrepancy in the story. C.J.’s respect and interest in historical women and how they stayed strong, not shying from situations that were clearly seen as a male role at the time, is clear in the passion with which she speaks.
This author’s conversation was the perfect way to put a voice and point of view to the stories told within C.J.’s books which, in my opinion, allows you to appreciate more how the stories are woven.
Hexagone
Billed as an audio experience, Hexagone was an event at Granite Noir that, if you take it as a whole, came out of left field. Hexagone is essentially an immersive interactive game played on your mobile device that follows the disappearance of character Mark Benet. You are tasked with investigating the disappearance as you are the boots on the ground currently situated at the Music Hall. Listen to the audio recordings sent to your device and follow the clues to real-life locations within the Music Hall to find clues and answers before inputting them in your device to trigger the next step.
With puzzles and props designed by young and emerging artists, including pupils from Aberdeen Grammar School, the experience is a delight to partake in. It may even take you to parts of the Music Hall you’ve never seen before! If you are a fan of escape rooms this will definitely be right up you alley.
Cold Blooded Killers: True Crime Cases from the North East, 1864-1963
Also as part of the festival was an exhibition taking place in the Music Hall centred around crime in Aberdeen’s history. Wandering through the corridors and spaces of the Music Hall numerous boards informed you of past crimes in the city and the history of its police. To those who live in the North East, it may not be known that just below the surface there are these crimes of revenge or passion that have actually driven people to murder, including the Thomas Guyan case that resulted in the last hanging in Scotland. While most of the information was held on the boards there were also some display cases that showcased physical items.
Murder They Wrote
The hit podcast, Murder They Wrote, from the true-crime-obsessed minds of Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling landed on the main stage of the Music Hall. The pair split the evening into halves with Laura introducing us to the 1938 murder of butter merchant Cornelius Dennehy in County Laois, Ireland, while Iain presented a case a lot closer to home, that of the Britoil scandal that saw £23 million stolen by Alison Anders and Royston Allen.
The pair’s chemistry made for a great show, while their natural charm and comic moments contrasted the heavy subject matter well. Even the slight faux-pas when it came to the audience participation segment – with the multiple choice questions all appeared with their option as A instead of A, B, C – just bolstered the already fabulous experience.
All in all, my day at Granite Noir flew by. I guess it is true when they say ‘time flies when you’re having fun’. When Granite Noir returns to Aberdeen next I highly recommend you visit. Not only is it perfect for literature lovers, but it has ignited a spark in me to get creative and write my own stories.
For more information visit Granit Noir.
Read more of The Good Books here.
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