Doug Johnstone’s readers can travel from Edinburgh funeral homes to an encounter with extraterrestrial life. He writes crime and speculative fiction, making him an appealing festival choice if you enjoy hearing how one novelist works across different kinds of story. His events included a new-book conversation and a look back over two decades of writing.
Quick facts
Best known for
The Skelfs series and The Space Between Us
Genre or subject
Crime fiction, speculative fiction and writing across genres
Johnstone’s official biography describes twenty novels in twenty years, alongside a working life in arts journalism and teaching. He has taught creative writing and held writer-in-residence roles in several settings. For a reader interested in the craft behind a continuing series, this is a writer with experience of making stories and discussing that work with other people.
The Skelfs series follows three generations of women running a funeral business and a private-investigation agency in Edinburgh. Their work with bereaved families sits beside their investigations, so a mystery can open into grief, family loyalties and the business of continuing with everyday life. The latest instalment highlighted here was published in August 2026.
His speculative novel about three strangers and an alien visitor was selected for BBC Two’s Between the Covers. That book opens another door into his work, beyond the crime shelves. If you have followed only one strand, the reading choices below let you try the other before deciding which conversation you would most like to hear.
Where to start with their books
A Dark Matter
After Jim Skelf dies, Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah take over the family’s Edinburgh funeral home and investigation business. Start here to meet the three generations before later cases complicate their working and private lives; it is the opening book of the series.
The Space Between Us
Three strangers recover from catastrophic strokes after a meteor passes over Edinburgh, then become involved with an octopus-like alien. Their attempt to protect the creature puts them on the run. This is the alternative starting point if you want Johnstone’s storytelling beyond crime fiction.
Black Hearts
A possible faked death, a stalker and a man who believes his late wife is haunting him draw the Skelfs into new investigations. The cases also unsettle the family’s own grief. Choose it once you know the characters and want another encounter with their overlapping responsibilities.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
Doug Johnstone’s 2026 programme included The Algorithm Did It: Carys Green, Doug Johnstone, Ajay Chowdhury at Bloody Scotland.
Where to see them next
Doug Johnstone will take part in the Edinburgh–Okayama writing residency in March 2027. Public event dates have not been announced yet. 2027 dates and event information.
Plan your trip
Think about which shelf first brought you to Johnstone when choosing your ticket: the funeral-home mysteries or the speculative fiction. For a shared panel, leave time to browse the other speakers’ books afterwards if they catch your interest. A notebook can hold the reading recommendations you hear without making a day out feel like a class.
Try the Skelfs if you want a continuing Edinburgh crime series with family life at its centre. If an encounter with an alien visitor sounds more appealing, begin with his speculative fiction and follow that different thread.
Are the festival events writing workshops?
Use the festival links on Doug Johnstone’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Where should I book a ticket?
Choose the official box office of the host festival through the links on this page. A career interview may suit a reader who follows several books, while a novel-centred discussion gives a newer reader a clear place to begin.
Do I have to know the Skelfs before attending?
No complete reading list is required to hear a novelist speak. Starting with the first family story will introduce the characters, but you can also let a talk introduce them and read the series afterwards.
