Booker shortlisted author Graeme Macrae Burnet’s new book, BENBECULA, has been acquired by Scottish independent publisher Polygon. The book will be the sixth entry in Polygon’s acclaimed Darkland Tales series, in which Scottish authors reimagine key moments from Scottish history, myth and legend. Graeme’s novella will join previous titles in the series including RIZZIO by Denise Mina, HEX by Jenni Fagan, and most recently, QUEEN MACBETH by Val McDermid. Polygon Editor-at-Large Jamie Crawford acquired UK and British Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. BENBECULA will be published by Polygon in Winter 2025, with offers from other international publishers already under consideration.

The book is based on a true story from the 19th Century – chanced upon by Graeme late in the writing of HIS BLOODY PROJECT – concerning a murder committed on the Scottish island of Benbecula.

On the 9th of July 1857, a twenty-five-year-old labourer named Angus MacPhee bludgeoned to death his parents and aunt in the crofting community on the remote Hebridean island of Benbecula. Five years later, Angus's older brother Malcolm recounts the events leading up to the murders while trying to keep a grip on his own sanity. Malcolm is ostracised by the community and haunted by this gruesome episode, but is he as innocent as he seems?

BENBECULA promises a tale of darkness, violence and madness, leavened by moments of black humour and absurdity, perfect for fans of HIS BLOODY PROJECT as well as Graeme’s wider work.

Author Graeme Macrae Burnet said, ‘I couldn't be more thrilled to be writing a novella for Polygon's Darkland Tales, a series that has quickly established itself as “must-read” for anyone interested in Scottish literature and history. I find myself immersed in a grimly fascinating murder case that has haunted me since I first came across it over a decade ago.’

‘Graeme is the perfect author for the Darklands series – wonderfully adept at mashing-up convention and genre, and a master at the darkly humorous and subversive tone that makes these books such compelling reads,’ says Jamie Crawford. ‘It will be hugely exciting to see his thrilling vision for this latest tale make its way on to the page.’

Isobel Dixon also commented: ‘Graeme is so brilliant at exploring the fertile borderlands of fact and fiction in his work and I’m delighted that Jamie Crawford realised how Polygon’s Darkland Tales series forms a perfect match for that sensibility. I know that readers will be utterly gripped by what Graeme makes of this historic family tragedy in the Outer Hebrides – already we’re fielding a great deal of interest in other rights.’

About Graeme Macrae Burnet

Graeme Macrae Burnet was brought up Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and now lives in Glasgow. He has also lived in the Czech Republic, France, Portugal and London. He has appeared at festivals and events in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Russia, Estonia, Macau, Ireland, Germany and France, as well as in the UK, and has twice been nominated for the Booker Prize. He has also been shortlisted for European and American literary awards.

His first novel, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ADÈLE BEDEAU (Contraband, 2014), received a New Writer’s Award from the Scottish Book Trust and was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award. A second Inspector Gorski novel, THE ACCIDENT ON THE A35, was published in 2017, the year he won Author of the Year for the Sunday Herald Culture Awards. A CASE OF MATRICIDE, the final title in the Gorski trilogy, was published in October 2024 by Saraband in the UK and Biblioasis in the US.

HIS BLOODY PROJECT (Contraband, 2015) won the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the LA Times Book Awards. It has been published to great acclaim around the world and is optioned for theatre and film. His novel CASE STUDY was longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction 2022.

Graeme has also written shorter pieces to commission, including the short story ‘The Dark Thread’ for THESE OUR MONSTERS: The English Heritage Book of New Folktale, Myth and Legend (September Publishing, 2019/2024) and the serialised story ‘Wolverine Blues’, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and is available to listen to on BBC Sounds.

Praise for Graeme Macrae Burnet

‘Maddeningly brilliant.’ – Hannah Kent

‘A writer of great skill and authority.’ – Barry Forshaw, Financial Times

‘Extravagantly talented.’ – Mark Lawson, The Guardian

‘He is an uncommonly interesting and satisfying novelist.’ – Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘Utterly enthralling.’ – Angie Harms, Sunday Mail

‘There’s no denying that Booker nominee and Saltire winner Graeme Macrae Burnet’s clever blend of crime and literary metafiction has been an artistic and critical triumph. His books engross as much as they tease, setting up questions about authorship and artifice, but never at the expense of a compelling narrative.’ – Alastair Mabbot, The Herald

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