Theakston's Old Peculier & McDermid Debut Award Shortlists

 

Harrogate International Festivals announced this year's finalists for the Crime Novel of the Year and the inaugural McDermid Debut Award for new writers. The winners will be revealed on Thursday, July 18, at the opening evening of this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, England. Congrats to all the finalists!

 

Crime Novel of the Year:

• The Last Dance by Mark Billingham (Sphere; Little, Brown Book Group) 
• In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster UK) 
• The Secret Hours by Mick Herron (Baskerville; John Murray Press) 
• Killing Jericho by William Hussey (Zaffre, Bonnier) 
• None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Century; Cornerstone) 
• Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent (Sandycove; Penguin Ireland) 

 

McDermid Debut Crime Novel of the Year:

• Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley (Orenda Books) 
• Dark Island by Daniel Aubrey (Harper Collins) 
• Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin (Bantam, Transworld) 
• Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu (Harper Collins) 
• The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé (Sphere, Little Brown) 
• Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books) 

 

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, now in its 12th year, is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and the Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024. The Awards Academy chose the longlist, and a public vote helped to determine the shortlist. The winner will receive £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

 

The shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award was selected by an academy of established crime and thriller authors, with the winner determined by a judging panel of industry experts, including literary, broadcasting and media figures, with no public voting component. All shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, where the winner will be announced and receive a £500 cash prize.