An exciting Penguin Random House author showcase running from 20 August - 10 September!
An exciting Penguin Random House author showcase is returning for 2026!
Penguin Noir is back be running from 20 August - 10 September with an evening of suspense, intrigue and criminally good conversation featuring some of Australia's most acclaimed crime writers alongside exciting new voices in the genre: Amanda Hampson, Candice Fox, Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Fiona McIntosh, Darcy Tindale, Margaret Hickey, Georgia Harper, Michael Trant, Margot McGovern, Nicholas Timms, KD Aldyn, Samantha Ross, Mercedes Mercier, and Rachael Johns.
Books will be available for purchase on the night.
EVENT INFORMATION
NSW
Moderator: Darcy Tindale | Bonus crime: Nicholas Timms
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Candice Fox
Thursday, 20 August, 6pm - Gosford Regional Library
Moderator: Darcy Tindale | Bonus crime: Nicholas Timms
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Candice Fox
Tuesday, 25 August, 6pm - Gleebooks
Moderator: Darcy Tindale | Bonus crime: Nicholas Timms
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Candice Fox
Wednesday, 26 August, 6pm - Penrith Library
SA
Moderator: Margot McGovern | Bonus crime: Fiona McIntosh
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Margaret Hickey
Tuesday, 1 September, 6:30pm - Burnside Library
WA
Moderator: Michael Trant | Bonus crime: Mercedes Mercier and Rachael Johns
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Margaret Hickey
Wednesday, 2 September, 6pm - Wanneroo Library
Moderator: Michael Trant | Bonus crime: Mercedes Mercier and Rachael Johns
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Margaret Hickey
Thursday, 3 September, 6pm - Success Library
QLD
Moderator: Georgia Harper | Bonus crime: KD Aldyn and Samantha Ross
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Amanda Hampson
Tuesday, 8 September, 5pm - Noosa Library
Moderator: Georgia Harper | Bonus crime: KD Aldyn and Samantha Ross
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Amanda Hampson
Wednesday, 9 September, 6:30pm - Avid Reader
Moderator: Georgia Harper | Bonus crime: KD Aldyn and Samantha Ross
Lineup: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Amanda Hampson
Thursday, 10 September, 6:30pm - Broadbeach Library
So mark your calendars, gather your friends, and get ready to immerse yourself in the gritty world of crime. We can't wait to see you there!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Melbourne-based author Amanda Hampson has been writing professionally for more than thirty years and is the bestselling author of novels The Olive Sisters, Two for the Road, The French Perfumer, The Yellow Villa, Sixty Summers, Lovebirds, The Tea Ladies, The Cryptic Clue, The Deadly Dispute and The Model Murder.
Candice Fox is the author of eleven crime novels and the winner of three prestigious Ned Kelly Awards. She has also co-written seven New York Times bestsellers with James Patterson, the world’s bestselling thriller writer.
Justine Larbalestier & Scott Westerfeld
Justine Larbalestier & Scott Westerfeld are the authors of The Mortons, their joint adult debut, slated for simultaneous publication in 2026. Justine is an award-winning author of several novels for young adults and Scott is best known as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for adults and young readers.
Fiona McIntosh is an internationally and million-copy bestselling author of novels for adults and children across several genres.
Darcy Tindale is an actor, author, theatresports player and director, and has appeared in television commercials, film and on stage. She has written comedy for radio, stage, media personalities, comedians, and theatre restaurants. The Fall Between is her first novel.
Margaret Hickey is an award-winning author and playwright from North East Victoria. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and is deeply interested in rural lives and communities. She is the author of six crime novels and a collection of short stories. Margaret won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction in 2025 for The Creeper.
Georgia Harper is the author of What I Would Do to You, which won Best Debut Book at the 2025 Davitt Awards and was shortlisted for Best Crime Fiction Debut at the 2025 Danger Awards. Georgia has worked as a psychologist with both serious violent offenders and victim-survivors of crime. She was also the Senior Inspector Prosecutions for RSPCA Queensland.
Michael Trant is a WA country boy now residing in Perth after a variety of careers ranging from farmer, marine draftsman, pastoralist and FIFO pot washer. Michael writes with an authentic rural voice, drawing on his experiences to open readers to places and lifestyles foreign to many.
Margot McGovern lives in Adelaide, Australia. She is the author of This Stays Between Us and Neverland, and has a creative writing PhD from Flinders University. Her work has been shortlisted for the Text Prize and the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature.
Nicholas Timms is a lifelong surfer. He knows this world intimately - not just the way the water moves, but the undercurrents in the car parks, the codes between locals, the fractures beneath the surface. Born and bred in Byron Bay, he now lives in Sydney and works as a Senior Copywriter at a major advertising agency. This is his first book.
KD Aldyn lives everywhere and nowhere (home is where the Wi-Fi is). She most often wears black (and sometimes red) and sometimes dances like Elaine from Seinfeld. Sister, Butcher, Sister is her debut.
Samantha Ross is an author and scriptwriter, who left the cold climes of Melbourne for the more glamorous yet remote country town of Port Douglas. Although her first love was for all things literary. Throw a medium grandmother in the mix and Possible Springs, her first novel, was born.
Mercedes Mercier writes ‘just-one-more-page’ crime with twisting plots and relatable characters. As well as writing books, Mercedes has worked in the criminal justice system for over a decade, giving her unique insight into the world of crime and offenders.
Rachael Johns is an award-winning Australian author whose novel The Patterson Girls won the 2016 Australian Book Industry Award for General Fiction. After a brief stint as an English teacher, she turned to writing and never looked back. She lives in the Swan Valley, co-hosts the podcasts Reading Between Deadlines and Dear Rach and Soph, and runs the vibrant RJ Book Club.
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