Six books shortlisted for McDermid Debut Award

The Bookseller reported on May 21 that six books had been shortlisted for the 2026 McDermid Debut Award, a prize for debut crime novels by UK and Irish writers. Harrogate International Festivals, which runs the award, said the shortlist was drawn from new voices working across several crime and thriller subgenres. The prize is named for crime writer Val McDermid, who co-founded the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003. The winner is due to be revealed at that festival in July. ### Which six books made the shortlist? Harrogate International Festivals said the six shortlisted titles are *A Bad, Bad Place* by Frances Crawford, *The Exes* by Leodora Darlington, *Innocent Guilt* by Remi Kone, *The Quiet* by Barnaby Martin, *A Murder for Miss Hortense* by Mel Pennant and *How to Get Away with Murder* by Rebecca Philipson. The list was published in alphabetical order by surname. (thebookseller.com) The shortlist mixes publishers including Transworld, Penguin Michael Joseph, Quercus, Pan Macmillan and Baskerville, an imprint of John Murray. Harrogate International Festivals said the award is intended to spotlight “the next generation” of crime writers. ### What kind of books are on the list? Harrogate International Festivals said the shortlist showcases “original and assured” voices across serial-killer thrillers, detective fiction, cosy crime and dystopian chillers. (crimespreemag.com) The festival’s description pointed to a range of protagonists, including a 12-year-old Glaswegian dog walker and a Windrush-generation retiree in Birmingham. (harrogateinternationalfestivals.com) Public descriptions of the shortlisted books reflect that spread. *A Bad, Bad Place* is set in Glasgow in 1979 and follows 12-year-old Janey Devine after she finds a murdered woman, while *A Murder for Miss Hortense* centers on a retired Caribbean nurse from the Windrush generation. *How to Get Away with Murder* follows a Scotland Yard detective trying to track the author of a murder manual, and *The Quiet* has been described by the festival and publisher material as a dystopian thriller. (crimespreemag.com) ### Who are the shortlisted writers? Frances Crawford grew up in north Glasgow and won the Bloody Scotland/Glencairn Crime Short Story Competition in 2023, according to her festival profile. Leodora Darlington is a London writer with Ghanaian heritage and was named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2021, according to Penguin and the festival site. (sohopress.com) Mel Pennant’s author site describes *A Murder for Miss Hortense* as her debut novel and the first in a crime series. Rebecca Philipson’s Crime Writers’ Association profile says her debut was acquired by Transworld in the UK and Minotaur in the United States. Darley Anderson, Philipson’s agency, separately confirmed that Remi Kone’s *Innocent Guilt* is on the shortlist. ### How does the award work? (harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com) Harrogate International Festivals said the McDermid Debut Award was launched in 2024 in recognition of McDermid and her support for new crime writers. A shortlist of six titles is selected by an academy of established crime and thriller authors, and the winner is chosen by a panel of judges chaired by McDermid. (mel-pennant.squarespace.com) The festival site says all shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. Crimespree Magazine reported that the winner will receive £600 and an engraved beer barrel from T&R Theakston. ### What have organizers and McDermid said? Val McDermid said the festival has a long record of “plucking out the debut gems from the crime writing pack” and said the 2026 list was no exception. (harrogateinternationalfestivals.com) Simon Theakston, chairman of T&R Theakston, congratulated the shortlisted writers and said readers were “in for a real treat” with the six novels. Harrogate International Festivals said the two previous winners were Marie Tierney’s *Deadly Animals* in 2024 and David Goodman’s *A Reluctant Spy* in 2025. (crimespreemag.com) The 2026 winner is scheduled to be announced on Thursday, July 23, on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. (harrogateinternationalfestivals.com)