Bloody Scotland 2022: dates announced

After the resounding success of our 2021 hybrid festival, we are so excited to extend our run for next year! Bloody Scotland 2022 will now start in the historic town of Stirling on Thursday 15 September with the torchlight parade and awards presentation and run through to Sunday 18 September.

As Bloody Scotland starts planning for the 10th Anniversary in 2022, founding chair, Jenny Brown is stepping down although she will remain on the board. She said:

‘It’s been an honour to chair Bloody Scotland since the idea of a Scottish crime writing festival was just an ambitious twinkle in the eyes of co-founders Lin Anderson and Alex Gray, to the splendid internationally-renowned event we have today. The success of the festival is down to the creativity of its directors and whole team, the dedication and energy of the Board, the commitment from our partners, the enthusiasm of crime readers and, above all, the brilliant support from crime writers themselves. As we look forward to Bloody Scotland’s 10th Anniversary in 2022, it’s great to be handed over the chair to Jamie Crawford, with the Festival in such good shape for its second decade.’

Incoming chair, publisher and TV presenter, James Crawford said:
‘Having been involved with Bloody Scotland as publisher of the Bloody Scotland book, and as judge for two years on the McIlvanney Prize, I am delighted to be joining as Chair. This is a festival that has a very strong identity and a clear and ambitious vision for the future, and I am very much looking forward to helping shape the plans for its 10th anniversary in 2022.’

Bob McDevitt will remain as Festival Director for 2022 supported by the marketing team Fiona Brownlee, Tim Donald and Jessica McGoff and the rest of the board, authors Abir Mukherjee, Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson and Gordon Brown with Catriona Reynolds and Muriel Robertson.

In the meantime, you can still get your Bloody Scotland fill by joining our Book Club discussion group and catching up each month on our Youtube playlist.

Roll on 2022!

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who organised, volunteered and attended Bloody Scotland 2021. You made the festival an incredible experience, and we are so thankful.

One of the joys of a hybrid festival is that it continues well after the weekend! All of our events will be available to view (or re-watch!) until the 30th Sept, and you can still get your tickets here.

We’ve put together a list of all the books that were discussed or read from over the weekend. Consider this your ultimate to-read list!

Bloody Scotland 2021 Authors

Masterclass

Liam McIlvanney The Quaker

ES Thomson Nightshade

Steve Cavanagh The Devil’s Advocate

Jo Nesbo

Jo Nesbo The Jealousy Man

Crimes of Many Colours

Ewan Morrison How to Survive Everything

Alan Parks The April Dead

William McIntyre Bad Debt

Sharon Bairden Sins of the Father

Bloody Scotland Prizes

Robbie Morrison Edge of the Grave

Alan Parks The April Dead

Emma Christie The Silent Daughter

Craig Russell Hyde

Stuart MacBride The Coffinmaker’s Garden

Mark Wightman Waking the Tiger

AJ Liddle No Harm Done

Ian Rankin – The Dark Remains

Ian Rankin & William McIlvanney The Dark Remains

Shocking Twists and Big Reveals

Kia Abdullah Next of Kin

Louise Candlish The Heights

Alex Knight Darkness Falls

Stuart Neville The House of Ashes

Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs The Bone Code

Murder, Polis

Marion Todd What They Knew

Neil Lancaster Dead Man’s Grave

Margaret Kirk In the Blood

James Oswald What Will Burn

Douglas Skelton A Rattle of Bones

Forensic Investigations

Lin Anderson The Killing Tide

Elly Griffiths The Midnight Hour

Chris Merritt The New Home

The Alanna Knight Historical Panel

S.G. MacLean The House of Lamentations

ES Thomson Nightshade

Douglas Watt A Killing in Van Diemen’s Land

The Body Politic

Alan Johnson The Late Train to Gipsy Hill

Robert Peston The Whistleblower

Searching for a Home

Sarah Hilary Fragile

Imran Mahmood I Know What I Saw

Tim Sullivan The Dentist

Secrets and Spies

Mick Herron Slough House

Charlotte Philby The Second Woman

Simon Conway The Saboteur

Alex Gray’s New Crimes

Alex Gray Before the Storm

Bernard O’Keefe The Final Round

Lara Thompson One Night, New York

Rahul Raina How To Kidnap The Rich

Inga Vesper The Long, Long Afternoon

Around the World in 80 Deaths

Claudia Piñeiro Elena Knows

David Heska Wanbli Weiden Winter Counts

Sergei Lebedev Untraceable

Femi Kayode The Light Seekers

And Then There Were Three

Elle Connel Down by the Water

Susi Holliday The Last Resort

CL Taylor Sleep

Killer Bs

Mark Billingham Rabbit Hole

Christopher Brookmyre The Cut

The Science of Murder

Jim Fraser Murder Under the Microscope

Richard Taylor The Mind of a Murderer

Val McDermid

Val McDermid 1979

Pitch Black Humour

Doug Johnstone The Big Chill

JD Kirk Ahead of the Game

Antti Tuomainen The Rabbit Factor

Stephen King and Linwood Barclay

Linwood Barclay Find You First

Stephen King Later (Hard Case Crime) / Billy Summers

Nordic Noir

Heidi Amsinck My Name is Jensen

Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir Girls Who Lie

Lilja Sigurdardóttir Cold as Hell

Red Hot Chilli Writers and Guests

Abir Mukherjee Death in the East

Vaseem Khan The Dying Day

Stuart Turton The Devil and Dark Water

Anna Mazzola The Story Keeper

From the Cradle to the Grave

Liz Nugent Our Little Cruelties

Stuart MacBride The Coffinmaker’s Garden

Craig Sisterson Southern Cross Crime

Bloody Scottish History

Denise Mina Rizzio

Ambrose Parry A Corruption of Blood

Craig Russell Hyde

Slow Burning Secrets

Paula Hawkins A Slow Fire Burning

Lisa Jewell Invisible Girl

SJ Watson Final Cut

Jonathan Whitelaw Hellcorp

A Mexican Stand Off

Jeanine Cummins American Dirt

Guillermo Arriaga The Untameable

Oscar De Muriel The Dance of the Serpents

A Brother and Child Reunion

Lee Child with Andrew Child Better Off Dead

Morgan Cry Thirty One Bones

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter False Witness

Louise Welsh No Dominion

Spotlighters

Patricia Marques The Colours of Death (opened for Jo Nesbo)

Tariq Ashkanani Welcome to Cooper (opened for Ian Rankin)

Stuart Johnstone Out in the Cold (opened for Kathy Reichs)

Ann Bloxwich What Goes Around (opened for Lin Anderson and Elly Griffiths)

Sarah Sultoon The Source (opened for Alan Johnstone and Robert Peston)

Anna Bailey Tall Bones (opened for Secrets and Spies)

Abigail Dean Girl A (opened for Around the World in 80 Deaths)

Tina Baker Call Me Mummy (opened for Killer Bs)

Emma Haughton The Dark (opened for Val McDermid)

Danny Leigh Marshall Anthrax Island (opened for Stephen King and Linwood Barclay)

James Cairns McMahon Parallax (opened for The Red Hot Chilli Writers)

Ewan Gault The Most Distant Way (opened for Liz Nugent and Stuart MacBride)

Lynne McEwan In Dark Water (opened for Bloody Scottish History)

Alan Gillespie The Mash House (opened for Slow Burning Secrets)

George Colkitto A Dish Served Cold (opened for A Mexican Stand Off)

Mark Findlay Smith What He Never Said (opened for Lee and Andrew Child)

Sarah Goodwin Stranded (opened for Karin Slaughter)

A-Z of Crime Guests

Megan Abbott The Turnout

DV Bishop City of Vengeance

Ajay Chowdhury The Waiter

Sharon Dempsey Who Took Eden Mulligan?

Fiona Erskine Phosphate Rocks

Mick Finlay Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders

Ryan Gattis The System

Mari Hannah Without a Trace

Matthew Iden Chasing the Pain

Ed James Before She Wakes

Erin Kelly Watch Her Fall

Gytha Lodge Lie Beside Me

Saima Mir The Khan

Charlotte Northedge The House Guest

Stephen O’Rourke The Crown Agent

Christoffer Petersen The Ice Whisper

Matthew Quirke Hour of the Assasin

Rod Reynolds Black Reed Bay

Trisha Sakhlecha Can You See Me Now?

Russ Thomas Nighthawking

Lisa Unger Last Girl Ghosted

Sarah Vaughan Reputation

Chris Whitaker The Forevers

Richard Osman The Thursday Murder Club

Susie Yang White Ivy

Anne Zouroudi (Erin Kinsley) Missing

Congratulations to Robbie Morrison who won the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize for Crime Novel of the Year 2021 with Edge of the Grave!

The judges said: ‘A terrific debut novel, with a memorable cast of characters, which impressed the judges with its ambitious, authentic, deep dive into the Glasgow gangland and class divides of the 1930s.’

Buy from Waterstones here.

Congratulations to Craig Russell who won the McIlvanney Prize for Best Crime Novel of the Year 2021!

The judges said: ‘a fantastic book with a gothic background that draws you in and brings the reader back to the Scottish origins of Jekyll and Hyde’s creator, Robert Louis Stevenson. A dark tale that was a delight and a thoroughly entertaining read. It shows that Scottish crime writing is amongst the best in the world.’

Buy from Waterstones here.

It’s not Bloody Scotland without showcasing new crime writing talent in the Crime in the Spotlight slots.

Before many of our events, emerging writers will have the chance to read from their work. Spotlight authors have gone on to great things, not least Graeme Macrae Burnet who ‘opened’ for Ian Rankin before being shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize.

We welcome this year’s spotlighters, who will be reading a little from their latest books ahead of some of our events this year.

With thanks to the Open University Scotland for sponsoring Crime in the Spotlight.

Please welcome…

We are so excited to announce the five finalists from our longlist of thirteen for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021. The shortlisted five are:

The Silent Daughter by Emma Christie
The Coffin Maker’s Garden by Stuart MacBride
Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison
The April Dead by Alan Parks
Hyde by Craig Russell

Congratulations to all!

The winners of both the McIlvanney Prize and the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year will be revealed at the Albert Halls in Stirling at 5.15pm on Friday 17 September and broadcast live on-line. This year, the prize ceremony will be free but ticketed to watch or attend! Get your free ticket for in-person attendance or online viewing.

We’ll see you there!

The McIlvanney Prize judges this year include Karen Robinson, formerly of The Times Crime Club and a CWA judge; Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime fiction critic and Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer from Waterstones Glasgow.

The Glencairn Glass, the World’s Favourite Whisky Glass and the Official Glass for Whisky is again sponsoring both The McIlvanney Prize and The Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year. Culture & Business Fund Scotland have generously given matched funding.

About the Books

Bloody Scotland 2021 is almost here…

We have an absolutely stacked programme, that includes names such as Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, Linwood Barclay and Stephen King who will be beamed into the Albert Halls via live video link up where live interviewers will question them in front of a live and digital audience. And in Stirling itself, we’ll see the likes of Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre, Alan Parks, Mark Billingham, Kia Abdullah and Louise Candlish.

Browse our full brochure here and get your tickets here!

We are so excited to reveal Bloody Scotland’s most ambitious programme yet!

This year, our hybrid festival will give festival goers in Stirling the full-on festival experience while allowing authors and readers who can’t be there in person the opportunity to join in the fun.

Running from the 17-19th September, our 2021 festival will include the likes of Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, Linwood Barclay and Stephen King who will be beamed into the Albert Halls via live video link up where live interviewers will question them in front of a live and digital audience.

Meanwhile pacing the boards in Stirling itself will be the great and the good of the Scottish crime scene and beyond: including Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre, Alan Parks, Mark Billingham, Kia Abdullah and Louise Candlish.

We’ll be bringing back old favourites like Pitch Perfect and Crime in the Spotlight, a performance by the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers and a cabaret twist on the normal Quiz which will see each quizzer (Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Doug Johnston, Mark Billingham, Luca Veste and Stuart Neville) performing a musical number.

Up the road at The Golden Lion, panels will be recorded in front of a live audience and broadcast 24 hours later. Hosts of The Red Hot Chilli Writers, Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee will be on stage with a live version of their popular crime podcast. There is a discount for local residents and we continue to improve disabled access with a mini bus between venues for those that need it.

Following last year’s digital first with The Never-Ending panel featuring 27 Scottish writers from home and abroad, this year’s marathon digital only event will be an A-Z of Crime starting with Megan Abbott and concluding with Anne Zouroudi. The global element continues with Around the World in 80 Deaths featuring authors from Argentina, the Sicangu Lakota Nation, Russia and Nigeria chaired by Craig Sisterson.

Browse the full brochure here

Tickets

This year, there are many ways to participate in Bloody Scotland Festival. You can choose to watch events live in Stirling or online, or a combination of both. If you’re watching online, you can purchase tickets for individual events or a digital pass. There are ticket options to suit all.

In-person events for those in Stirling:
Albert Halls  £10 per ticket
Live video link events at Albert Halls £8 per ticket
Golden Lion £8 per ticket
             
Online events
Single event £5
Digital Pass bought before midnight on 16 September £35
Digital Pass bought from 17 – 30 September £45
 
Best of Both Worlds package
Buy 5 tickets to live events in Stirling and buy your digital pass half price:
Bought before midnight on 16 September £67.50
Bought from 17 to 29 September £77.50

Most events will be available to watch on catch up until 30 September 2021.

You will be emailed instructions on how to access the online events before the event itself.

If you have any questions or concerns about the booking process, please email info@bloodyscotland.com

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

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COVID Information: All events at the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival remain subject to the social distancing guidelines set in place by the Scottish Government and may be subject to last-minute change or cancellation. Bloody Scotland is committed to safeguarding its staff, authors and audiences from Covid-19 and is acting under continual advice and supervision from local authorities. Anyone intending to visit the Festival from 17-19 September 2021, whether or not they hold an event ticket, is advised to check the festival’s website www.bloodyscotland.com for the most up to date information.

We are delighted to confirm that thanks to generous funding from Creative Scotland the 2021 Festival will be going ahead in hybrid form with huge names beamed on to large screens in Stirling and equally huge names from closer to home appearing on stage alongside exciting new names in crime fiction.

The Festival will run from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th September and as usual the opening night will be marked with the presentation of the McIlvanney Prize and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize. Bloody Scotland is delighted to welcome back a live audience and all events will take place with the safety of authors and readers in mind. For those who don’t feel ready to venture out or can’t get to Stirling, all events will be available on-line.

The full programme will be revealed on Wednesday 18th August and tickets will go on sale at 12 noon that day.  Full details of all events, and how to book tickets for both watching on-line and in-person will be available on our website.

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival receives funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council, Visit Scotland and the Culture & Business Fund Scotland and is extremely grateful to them and their other sponsors The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Open University Scotland, Go Forth Stirling and individual publishers for their ongoing support during these challenging times.

We hope to see you in Stirling (or online!)

All events at the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival remain subject to the social distancing guidelines set in place by the Scottish Government and may be subject to last-minute change or cancellation. Bloody Scotland is committed to safeguarding its staff, authors and audiences from Covid-19 and is acting under continual advice and supervision from local authorities. The Festival is currently working to a 1m social distance for audiences at all events.  Anyone intending to visit the Festival from 17-19 September 2021, whether or not they hold an event ticket, is advised to check the festival’s website www.bloodyscotland.com for the most up to date information.

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival are delighted to reveal that three of the books on this year’s McIlvanney Prize longlist have made the shortlist for this year’s Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year.

The Silent Daughter by Emma Christie (Wellbeck)

No Harm Done by Alistair Liddle (Self Published)

Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison (Macmillan)

Waking the Tiger by Mark Wightman (Hobeck Books)

The winner will be judged by Janice Forysth from BBC Radio Scotland, Simon Lloyd from Waterstones and Kenny Tweeddale from sponsors, the Glencairn Glass. It is the second year that both awards have been sponsored by the Glencairn Glass – the world’s favourite whisky glass.

After a year in which all authors, but particularly debut authors, suffered from bookshops being closed and festivals being cancelled, Bloody Scotland are delighted to continue to celebrate the very best in debut crime fiction. Congratulations to all!

Five years ago the Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award was renamed the McIlvanney Prize in memory of William McIlvanney. This year sees the publication of his final book, The Dark Remains which was completed with the help of Ian Rankin. In this special year, we’re delighted to announce the longlist for the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The McIlvanney Prize recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, and includes a prize of £1,000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.

With thanks to The Glencairn Glass, the World’s Favourite Whisky Glass and the Official Glass for Whisky for sponsoring the prize this year.

Watch as the Bloody Scotland team and board announce the longlist:

The Cut, Chris Brookmyre (Little,Brown)
The Silent Daughter, Emma Christie (Wellbeck)
Before the Storm, Alex Gray (Little, Brown)
Dead Man’s Grave, Neil Lancaster (HarperCollins, HQ)
The Coffinmaker’s Garden, Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins)
Still Life, Val McDermid (Little,Brown)
Bad Debt, William McIntyre (Sandstone)
The Less Dead, Denise Mina (Vintage)
How To Survive Everything, Ewan Morrison (Saraband)
Edge of the Grave, Robbie Morrison (Macmillan)
The April Dead, Alan Parks (Canongate)
Hyde, Craig Russell (Constable)
Waking the Tiger, Mark Wightman (Hobeck Books)

Congratulations to all!

The McIlvanney Prize will be judged by Karen Robinson, formerly of The Times Crime Club
and a CWA judge; Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime
fiction critic and Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer from Waterstones Glasgow.

We have also revealed our Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021.

You can find out more about each longlisted book here.

In March, we launched our Bloody Scotland Book Club and we’ve been delighted with the response!

Our virtual book club hosts an exclusive discussion with a variety of journalists, bloggers, podcasters and booksellers each month. Our guests hand-pick a selection of crime novels, from exciting new works to old favourites, and invite you to tune in live. Our Facebook group also encourages all crime literature chat throughout the month.

Not on Facebook or can’t tune in live? We’ve made a Youtube playlist where we’ll be posting all the recordings from our live events. These events are virtual roundtables, and include exclusive readings from the authors to accompany our discussion.