Mord am Hellweg XII — International Crime Festival

Europe's Largest Crime Festival Returns

Every two years, Mord am Hellweg brings together Europe's crime scene in the East Westphalian-Westphalian Hellweg region. The 12th edition in 2026 runs from September 19 to November 14 — 57 festival days, around 100 events, over 200 authors. A format that has grown since 2002 into Europe's largest and most concentrated crime event. Iserlohn is one of the central program stops of the festival — alongside Unna, Bergkamen, Dortmund, Hamm, and other Hellweg cities.

Confirmed Authors

As of spring 2026, the following are confirmed, among others:

• Sebastian Fitzek — Bestselling author of psychological thrillers
• Val McDermid (UK) — one of the most renowned British crime authors
• Klaus-Peter Wolf — bestselling East Frisia crime author
• Dietmar Bär — Actor (Tatort Köln) and star of crime readings
• Eva Björg Ægisdóttir (Iceland) — representative of Scandinavian Noir
• Alex Beer (Austria) — Historical crime novels (Vienna series)

More names will be announced successively until the festival. The complete program booklet will be published in July 2026.

Variety of Formats

Mord am Hellweg is not just a classic crime reading. The program includes:

• Readings in city libraries, bookstores, municipal halls, and special locations
• Crime Dinners — readings combined with multi-course meals
• Tatort Tours in the Hellweg cities
• City Crime Walks
• Crime Concerts
• Discussions, panel talks, workshops

Iserlohn as a Hellweg Program Stop

Iserlohn is the district town of the Märkischer Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia — on the southern edge of the Hellweg region, at the transition to the Sauerland. The city has been participating in the festival for years and hosts several readings and events in municipal spaces, bookstores, and cultural institutions.

Genre Spectrum

The curatorial diversity ranges from Cozy Mystery to classic whodunits, regional crime novels (East Frisia, Eifel, Munich) and Tatort novels to psychological thrillers, Scandinavian Noir, and true crime reports. The festival consciously positions itself as a broadly based genre forum.