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Showcasing ‘original’ and ‘highly entertaining’ new
crime fiction from rising star authors
Festival Dates: 23-26 July 2026
www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com
#TheakstonsAwards #TheakstonsCrime
The shortlist for this year’s McDermid Debut Award,
named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid, showcases
‘original and assured’ new voices writing across a broad range of
subgenres - including serial killer thrillers, detective fiction, cosy crime
and dystopian chillers - and introducing a range of unforgettable protagonists,
including a 12-year-old Glaswegian dog walker and a Windrush generation retiree
who is Birmingham’s answer to Miss Marple. Now in its third year, the award has
established a successful track record for discovering emerging talent, with the
two previous winning books, Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (2024), and A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman
(2025), going on to become bestsellers.
The full McDermid Debut Award 2026
shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is:
A Bad, Bad Place by Frances
Crawford (Transworld, Penguin Random House)
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
(Penguin Michael Joseph)
Innocent Guilt by Remi Kone
(Quercus)
The Quiet by Barnaby Martin (Pan
Macmillan)
A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel
Pennant (Baskerville, John Murray)
How to Get Away With Murder by
Rebecca Philipson (Transworld, Penguin Random House)
The shortlist in more
detail:
Award winning playwright Mel
Pennant is shortlisted for A Murder for Miss Hortense, a warm, witty crime
novel introducing a formidable retired nurse turned amateur detective. Her
sharp eyes and sharper wit uncover truths buried deep within the quiet
Birmingham suburban community she’s belonged to since emigrating from Jamaica
in the ‘60s. Also shortlisted is The Exes by writer and editor Leodora
Darlington, a serial killer thriller with a twist as a young woman with a
history of blackouts begins to wonder if she is responsible when her new
husband winds up dead – just like all her exes. Both Leodora Darlington and Mel
Pennant have been selected for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s
prestigious Critics New Blood panel for 2026.
British Nigerian Emmy-nominated
producer, Remi Kone, who has worked on TV dramas such as ‘Killing Eve’ and
‘Spooks,’ is shortlisted for Innocent Guilt, a suspenseful cat-and-mouse
thriller where a detective and a journalist compete to solve the puzzling case
of woman who appears at a police station covered in blood that isn’t her own
and refuses to disclose what’s happened. Also shortlisted is A Bad, Bad Place
by Frances Crawford, a gritty and heartfelt thriller set in 1970s Glasgow about
the far-reaching effects of murder on a community. A 12-year-old dog walker
discovers the body of a murdered woman - the daughter of a local gangster - on
an abandoned railway, and becomes tangled up in the police investigation.
Scottish writer Frances Crawford graduated from Glasgow University aged sixty,
before started her writing career.
Award-winning composer, video
essayist and writer, Barnaby Martin, has been shortlisted for engrossing
science fiction thriller, The Quiet. Set in a dystopian future where humans are
forced to live at night to avoid the deadly daytime heat, a mother must do
everything to protect her son from an autocratic government, while keeping the
truth about her own past a secret. Completing the list is writer and true-crime
blogger from County Durham, Rebecca Philipson, who has been shortlisted
for How to Get Away With Murder, a propulsive thriller which follows a
detective investigating the connection between the murder of a
teenage girl and a chilling manual for aspiring killers written
by an elusive serial killer. Rebecca is an alumnus of Creative
Thursday, an immersive and inspiring day of workshops and
talks designed to nurture new crime writing talent, which takes place
annually on the opening day of the Festival.
Honouring internationally
bestselling crime writer, Val McDermid, who co-founded the Theakston Old
Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new
voices in crime fiction is legendary, this Award seeks to continue her legacy,
celebrating and platforming the best debut crime writers in the UK. The
shortlist was selected by a panel of established crime and thriller writers,
and the winner will be decided by a panel of expert judges, chaired by Val
McDermid. All shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston
Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and the Winner will receive a £600 cash
prize and an engraved, handcrafted beer barrel from T&R Theakston.
Val McDermid said:
“This festival has a rich and
long-established reputation for plucking out the debut gems from the crime
writing pack. This year is no exception. Dive into the Debut Award shortlist
and I guarantee you'll find six novels with something special to offer.”
Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said:
“Congratulations to all the talented writers shortlisted for the McDermid Debut Award this year. The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has always celebrated the very best in crime fiction and thriller writing, and we are proud to turn the spotlight on a new generation of rising star debut authors. Readers are in for a real treat with these six new extraordinary novels to enjoy.”
Sharon
Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“We’re delighted to reveal the shortlists for the McDermid Debut Award,
celebrating new talent. The six shortlisted books are compelling and highly
entertaining novels by truly original and assured rising star authors.
Supporting and platforming exciting new authors is at the heart of the
festival, and we can’t wait for readers to discover these wonderful new
novels.”
The winner will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July.
