Ecademi is proud to present Tartan Noir with Professor David Wilson and Martin Frizell — a new national tour examining how crime is imagined, represented and understood in Scotland today.

At a time when true crime dominates screens, podcasts and publishing, Tartan Noir asks a more difficult question: what happens when the stories we tell about violence no longer reflect reality? Drawing on criminology, journalism and cultural analysis, the tour explores the gap between Scotland’s global image as a land of dark, violent storytelling and the statistical reality of historically low homicide and declining violence.

Far from a catalogue of crimes, this is a live, intellectually grounded conversation about the power of narrative. Across the tour, Wilson and Frizell revisit some of Scotland’s most well-known cases and cultural touchpoints — from Dunblane and Bible John to organised crime and the so-called “ice cream wars” — not to sensationalise them, but to examine how they have been remembered, retold and, at times, distorted over time.

The event also places Scottish crime narratives within a wider global context, reflecting on cases such as the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and asking why rare, extreme events dominate public attention while more common — and preventable — forms of harm receive far less focus.

At its core, Tartan Noir is about accountability: of storytellers, of institutions, and of audiences. It examines how crime narratives shape public attitudes toward punishment, masculinity, vulnerability and risk — and how those narratives influence real-world debates around policing, sentencing and justice at a time of institutional strain and prison overcrowding.

Each event combines lecture, discussion and live conversation, creating an accessible but academically rigorous experience that connects evidence-based insight with compelling storytelling. It is neither a theatrical performance nor a traditional lecture, but a live interrogation of Scotland’s crime story — and what is at stake when that story is told badly.

For Ecademi, Tartan Noir forms part of our wider commitment to bringing serious academic thinking into public space. By working with leading scholars, journalists and cultural commentators, we create platforms where complex ideas can be explored beyond the university — in theatres, venues and communities across the country.

Building on the success of our national tours, Tartan Noir represents a significant step in Ecademi’s continued role as a bridge between academic expertise and public engagement.

Tour dates and venues can be found at www.tartannoir.co.uk.