Ian Rankin-themed festival comes to Edinburgh

RebusFest (30 Jun-2 Jul) marks the 30th anniversary of irascible ex-cop John Rebus, Rankin's headline character and 'one of crime fiction’s greatest and best-loved creations'.

Attendees will be able to explore the relationship between Rebus and music on A Night Out with Rebus; find out 'what really goes on in a police investigation' at an event exploring Edinburgh crime past and present; hone their own skills at a crime writing workshop and, to soften the blow of all that blood and gore, take part in a whisky masterclass.

The centrepiece of the festival is a screening of Rankin's 2007 film Reichenbach Falls, followed by a Q&A with the author at the Filmhouse, and if you're not all Rebus-ed out by the Sunday, you can put your Rebus intel to the test with a themed quiz co-hosted by Rankin himself.

Curated by Rankin in association with Edinburgh International Book Festival, Waterstones, National Museums Scotland, the City of Literature Trust, Edinburgh International Film Festival and other partners, RebusFest offers fans 'the chance to step into Rebus’s world'.

Tickets are on sale at ianrankin.net/rebusfest.

Ian Rankin's RebusFest: Full listings

Friday 30 June 

Highland Park Whisky Masterclass at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh (The Caledonian)

A Night Out with Rebus at the Queen’s Hall
An evening of spoken word and live music from Ian Rankin and friends, exploring the relationship between Rebus and music

Saturday 1 July

Written in Blood crime writing workshop at the National Museum of Scotland

Ian Rankin’s Reichenbach Falls screening and Q&A with Ian Rankin at The Filmhouse (in partnership with the Edinburgh International Film Festival)

Making a Detective with Ian Rankin and special guests at Assembly Rooms
An evening delving into the world of Rebus, finding out what makes him tick, his background and origins and the inspiration for the character. A panel of experts will discuss Edinburgh crime past and present, and what really goes on in a police investigation

Sunday 2 July

RebusFest Quiz: So You Think You Know Rebus co-hosted by Ian Rankin at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh (The Caledonian)

Additional events:

Across the weekend will be Rebus walking tours, Highland Park whisky tastings at the Caley Bar, exhibitions and museum trails plus:

The City of Literature Trust is running community events and taking to the streets with special surprises around the city.

The Writers’ Museum is hosting a special Rankin/Rebus exhibition, which opens at RebusFest and continues across the summer.

The National Museum of Scotland will be holding a talk on the Arthur’s Seat Coffins – the exhibition that inspired Rankin's 2001 Rebus novel The Falls – and curating a ‘Museum Noir’ trail of mysterious and murderous objects from the museum’s collection.

RebusFest
30 Jun-2 Jul, Edinburgh 
ianrankin.net/rebusfest