Bloody Scotland to Launch Programme with Ambrose Parry Event
Join us for this special launch event with Ambrose Parry in Stirling on the 22nd of June, as we announce the programme for Bloody Scotland 2023.
The fourth historical crime novel from the husband and wife writing team of Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman is set in a time of unprecedented scientific discovery where the public’s appetite for wonder has seen a resurgence of interest in mesmerism, spiritualism and other unexplained phenomena.
Book your tickets here: https://bloodyscotland.com/events/18478/
About Ambrose Parry – Voices of the Dead
EDINBURGH, 1853.
In a city of science, discovery can be deadly . . .
Dr Will Raven is wary of the shadowlands that lie between progress and quackery, but Sarah Fisher can’t afford to be so picky. Frustrated in her medical ambitions, she sees opportunity in a new therapeutic field not already closed off to women.
Raven has enough on his hands as it is. Body parts have been found at Surgeons’ Hall, and they’re not anatomy specimens. In a city still haunted by the crimes of Burke and Hare, he is tasked with heading off a scandal.
When further human remains are found, Raven is able to identify a prime suspect, and the hunt is on before he kills again. Unfortunately, the individual he seeks happens to be an accomplished actor, a man of a thousand faces and a renowned master of disguise.
With the lines between science and spectacle dangerously blurred, the stage is set for a grand and deadly illusion.
The Glencairn Glass – the world’s favourite whisky glass produced by Scottish
glassware company Glencairn Crystal – has revealed the winner and runner-up of its
Scottish themed crime short story competition.
Having supported and celebrated Scottish crime writing talent with its ongoing
sponsorship of the prestigious McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing
literary awards since 2020, the Glencairn Glass first launched its very own crime short
story competition two years ago. Since its inception, the competition has attracted a
huge number of gripping entries from both novice and experienced crime writers all
over the world.
The theme for this year’s competition – in partnership with Scottish Field Magazine and
the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival – is “A crime story set in Scotland”. Over 100
stories were entered into the competition – each one comprising of no more than
2000 words.
The winner and runner-up were selected by a panel of three judges including Tariq
Ashkanani, whose debut novel Welcome to Cooper won last year’s Bloody Scotland
Debut Award 2022, and Sharon Bairden, an established book reviewer and author of
psychological thrillers; Sins of the Father and You Need Me. The third judge was
Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director and experienced crime writer Gordon Brown.
The judges can now reveal the winner and runner-up as follows:
Winner: The Dummy Railway by Frances Crawford.
A captivating tale of a disturbing discovery through the eyes of a young Scottish girl.
Frances is a passionate advocate of lifelong learning. In 2022, she graduated at the
age of 60 with an MLitt (First) in Creative Writing from Glasgow University. Having
published a number of short stories with disabled protagonists she is particularly
interested in characters traditionally overlooked in fiction. Frances lives in Glasgow
with her family,
Frances said; “I was inspired to enter the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story
Competition because it is open to writers at all stages of their journey, from published
authors to novices. It is an honour to win such a prestigious prize and I am absolutely
chuffed! The theme, ‘A crime story set in Scotland,’ inspired my Glasgow setting, and
having a child who finds a murder victim as the narrator, I hoped to show the way
violent crime has far-reaching consequences.”
Runner-up: The Last Tram to Gorbals Cross by Allan Gaw.
Set in a Glasgow police station in 1928, the police try to unravel a series of gruesome
murders.
Allan Gaw is a pathologist by training but now writes full-time. He writes short stories,
novel length historic crime fiction and poetry. He recently won the UK Classical
Association Creative Writing Competition, the International Alpine Fellowship Writing
Prize and the International Globe Soup 7 day Writing Challenge. Allan lives and works
near Glasgow.
Allan said: “I am delighted to be placed in such a prestigious writing competition.
The Glencairn Glass Short Story Competition was a great opportunity to write in my
favourite genre — historic crime with just a touch of madness”.
Competition judge, Tariq Ashkanani, commented: “The quality of this year’s stories
was incredibly high which made choosing two winners even more difficult. Both The
Dummy Railway and The Last Tram to Gorbals Cross stood out from the rest. The
Dummy Railway was a particular highlight. From its opening line to its final reveal, it
tells a dark tale using wonderful language and sharply-written dialogue. A fantastic
story and well-deserved winner!”.
Commenting on The Dummy Railway, judge Sharon Bairden said: “brutally raw
authenticity – it ticked all my boxes and gave me all the feels”. In relation to The Last
Tram to Gorbals Cross she commented: “it packs a massive punch into 2000 words.”
Glencairn’s marketing director Gordon Brown said: “’Now in its second year, the
standard of entries for the Glencairn Glass Short Story Competition has been
wonderful. With so many good stories to choose from, the judging process has been
tough and I’d like to take the opportunity to say a huge thanks to everyone who
entered.”
The first prize winner, Frances Crawford, receives £1000, and runner-up, Allan Gaw
receives £500. Both writers will also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn
Glasses. The winning story will be published in the May issue of Scottish Field Magazine
(on shelf Friday 7th April). Both stories will also be published from 11th April on Scottish
Field Magazine’s website; www.scottishfield.co.uk and the Glencairn Glass website:
www.whiskyglass.com.
Last year’s inaugural competition was won by Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and
occupational therapist, based in South Australia. Her winning story – Halmeoni’s
Wisdom – was a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade and a desire for freedom.
Finally, for further information about this year’s McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland
Debut crime-writing prizes, as well as the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival taking
place in Stirling, Scotland, from the 15th to 17th September 2023. More information at:
www.bloodyscotland.com.
the McIlvanney Prize and Debut Prize, sponsored by The Glencairn Glass, are now open for submissions – deadline is 5pm on Friday 31st March 2023.
The winner of The McIlvanney Prize – Scottish Crime Book of the Year will receive £1,000 and the winner of The Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year will receive £500. Books entered for The Debut Prize will automatically be considered for The McIlvanney Prize.
ENTRY RULES
· Publishers may submit full length novels first published in the United Kingdom between 1st August 2022 and 31st July 2023 for the McIlvanney Prize and The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize.
· For the purposes of both prizes, a crime novel is eligible if the author was born, raised, is a permanent resident in, or has a strong and enduring connection to Scotland.
· Please indicate in your submission the criteria that the author meets, using the appropriate box to explain why you believe the book qualifies. Please also note on the form if the book is a debut.
· Books published as hardback, paperback originals or exclusively as e-books are eligible, either published by publishers, or self-published.
· The submission of an author’s work by the publisher will be taken as agreement by the author that he/she/they are willing for the submitted work to be considered and shared (in all formats) with those involved in the selection process.
· It is a condition of entry that publishers will put the award logo and “Winner of The McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2023/Winner of The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2023” or “Shortlisted for The McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2023/Shortlisted for The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2023” including the name(s) of sponsor(s), on the cover of subsequent editions of winning/shortlisted books. We have designed roundels with this information on them if you’d like to use those.
· Publishers will, on request, provide a cover image and author photograph with the necessary clearances for use by Bloody Scotland.
· Publishers will make every effort to ensure that any shortlisted authors for either prize will attend the ceremony in Stirling on Friday 15th September 2023, and will be available for media interviews before, immediately afterwards and throughout the Bloody Scotland weekend.
· There is no charge for entering, but there will be a charge of £500 + VAT per longlisted title for the McIlvanney Prize, and £400 + VAT per shortlisted title for the Debut Prize, to cover promotion and marketing of the prize. By entering, publishers agree to pay this contribution. If a book is longlisted/shortlisted for both prizes, only the £500 fee will apply.
· The longlist for the McIlvanney Prize will comprise up to twelve books. The shortlist for the debut prize is usually 4 or 5 titles. Publishers will be notified immediately after the organisers meeting in June 2023 only if their book has been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize or shortlisted for the Debut Prize.
· Paper copies of all longlisted or shortlisted books should be made available upon request.
· The judges’ decision is final. Neither discussion nor correspondence concerning any decision can be entered into.
· A DRM-free digital copy of each entry (PDF or eBook) must be submitted to the Prize Administrators.
· Please fill in a submission form HERE and submit your book to: bob@bloodyscotland.com with ‘McIlvanney Prize/Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2023 Submission_Book Title’ clearly stated in the subject line.
We are delighted to say that Bloody Scotland 2022 was a huge success and we can’t wait to do it all again next year. Crime writers, bloggers, publishers and readers descended on the historic city for the first fully functioning festival since 2019. Contrary to all predictions and expectations revenue for the 10th Anniversary festival is within 10% of the best ever pre-Covid festival.
The train strike was cancelled at the eleventh hour and crime fiction fans who hadn’t anticipated being able to get to Stirling were able to do so. The death of the Queen was marked with a haunting rendition of Highland Cathedral by the Royal Burgh Pipe Band followed by a minute’s silence at Stirling Castle and a silent torchlit procession down cobbled streets to the Albert Halls.
The festival opened with Denzil Meyrick and a founder of Bloody Scotland, Alex Gray. The winners of the McIlvanney Prize (Alan Parks) and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize (Tariq Ashkanani) were interviewed live on stage by Janice Forsyth from BBC Scotland and the evening concluded with Ian Rankin interviewed by board member, Abir Mukherjee.
Highlights of the festival always include the fringe activities. The Bloody Scotland England v Scotland crime writers football match at a new location in Kings Park was won decisively by Scotland 6-4. The Crime at the Coo crime writers’ cabaret included musical numbers from festival director, Bob McDevitt and author, Emma Christie with what she terms ‘lesbian acoustic folk’ as well as the usual suspects. In a slight departure from the traditional Quiz, Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan hosted A Red Hot Night of a Million Games which concluded with a mass Britney Spears sing-a-long.
The festival continued in a hybrid format allowing huge names like Janet Evanovitch, Peter May, David Baldacci, Donna Leon and Irvine Welsh to be beamed into the new venue at The Tolbooth which also hosted a Bloody Scotland 10 Year Anniversary exhibition. In terms of actual ticket sales, the introduction of digital ticketing takes the 2022 audience 40% above the audience figures in 2019.
In terms of physical events the bestseller was Ann Cleeves in conversation with forensic pathologist Professor James Grieve and in the slightly smaller venue of The Tolbooth the Agatha Christie homage with Lucy Foley, Tom Hindle and Carla Valentine was also a sell-out.
Bob McDevitt, Festival Director said:
‘I think this was the kindest and most emotional Bloody Scotland yet; from the minute’s silence before the torchlit procession to Pitch Perfect being won by a Ukrainian refugee and to see Alan Parks (a former debut panelist) and Tariq Ashkanani (a former Spotlighter) pick up the prizes. So many people stopped me in the street and in our venues to say thanks for putting on the festival for the past ten years. The authors, publishers, chairs, journalists, bloggers and readers seemed to relish being back together, enjoying something that we are all passionate about. Oh, and Scotland won the football!’
Joe Chacko, Crime in the Spotlight act ahead of Anthony Horowitz said:
‘It’s difficult to believe that Bloody Scotland is organised by just 11 people. It has the feel of a world-class event with the intimacy and welcome of a local festival.’
Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival will return to Stirling from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 September 2023.
Sponsored by The Glencairn Glass
We are delighted to announce the winners for the McIlvanney Prize 2022 and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize! The finalists for both prizes led a torchlit procession from Stirling Castle to the Albert Halls this evening where Arusa Qureshi revealed the winner of the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize to be Tariq Ashkanani with Welcome to Cooper (Thomas & Mercer) and Ayo Onatade revealed the winner of the McIlvanney Prize to be Alan Parks with May God Forgive (Canongate).
Ayo Onatade, chair of the McIlvanney Prize judges described May God Forgive as:
‘A terrific continuation of Alan Parks police procedural “month’ series. May God Forgive is every bit as entertaining, gritty, darkly humorous and steeped in the grimy underbelly of Glasgow as the previous books. A fantastic book with an intriguing cast of characters that not only keeps to a tight timeframe, but is fast, hard, edgy and thought provoking. 1970s Glasgow has never been so thoroughly invoked. A truly gripping read.’
May God Forgive is the fifth outing for Alan Parks’ Glasgow detective Harry McCoy and sees a desperate search for two kidnapped boys. Parks was also a finalist for The McIlvanney Prize in 2021. Prior to becoming an award-winning crime writer he worked with Lloyd Cole and the Commotions and various other bands first at London Records and then at Warner Music. His debut novel, Bloody January, was published in December 2017.
Arusa Qureshi, chair of the judges for The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize described Welcome to Cooper as:
‘Well-structured, bleak and just the right amount of disturbing. Tariq Ashkanani has crafted a terrific debut that doesn’t provide an obvious hero but instead, draws out the flaws and bad choices of its central characters. This provides a sense of discomfort that stays with you throughout but that’s where the beauty lies. I found myself going back and re-reading once I’d finished to make sure I had every detail right, which I think is the mark of a really clever and riveting story.’
Tariq Ashkanani is a solicitor based in Edinburgh and a dynamic new addition to Scotland’s crime writing roster. His assured US-set debut was the first in a two-book deal with Thomas & Mercer. His second novel Follow Me to the Edge was published in March 2022 and is also set in small town Nebraska.
The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, has again sponsored both The McIlvanney Prize and The Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year. The winners were presented with a trophy by Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal – who said:
“A huge congratulations to Tariq Ashkanani and Alan Parks for winning this year’s awards. It has been a privilege and a delight to once again support these prestigious awards with the Glencairn Glass – both of which are uniquely Scottish – and to celebrate the array of talented writers in the world of Scottish Crime fiction.”
Follow us @bloodyscotland #BloodyScotland
Information about the Prizes
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012. Full information at www.bloodyscotland.com
The McIlvanney Prize recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. Previous winners are Craig Russell with Hyde in 2021, Francine Toon with Pine in 2020, Manda Scott with A Treachery of Spies in 2019 (who chose to share her prize with all the finalists), Liam McIlvanney with The Quaker in 2018, Denise Mina with The Long Drop 2017, Chris Brookmyre with Black Widow 2016, Craig Russell with The Ghosts of Altona in 2015, Peter May with Entry Island in 2014, Malcolm Mackay with How A Gunman Says Goodbye in 2013 and Charles Cumming with A Foreign Country in 2012.
The initial longlisting is handled by over 100 crime fiction readers from all over Scotland including booksellers, bloggers, librarians and festival-goers and the longlist is then handed to the high-profile team of judges to decide on the eventual winner.
The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.
In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.
Bloody Scotland in partnership with The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, with media support from the Scottish Field Magazine, received entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in Scottish Field Magazine.
To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events (see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5).
A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area. (see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount)
In addition free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability (see bloodyscotland.com/standby)
We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email info@bloodyscotland.com A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Bloody Scotland board is made up of crime writers Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown and Abir Mukherjee, James Crawford (chair), Muriel Robertson (finance) and Catriona Reynolds (governance).
Bloody Scotland receives vital funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council and Culture and Business Fund Scotland. We are also grateful to our many sponsors and supporters including The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Stirling Castle, Literary Tours in Egypt, Waterstones, The Open University in Scotland and Go Forth Stirling along with a wide range of publishers.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com.
The shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2022 was:
The Heretic, Liam McIlvanney (Harpercollins)
May God Forgive, Alan Parks (Canongate)
A Corruption of Blood, Ambrose Parry (Canongate)
The Second Cut, Louise Welsh (Canongate)
The McIlvanney Prize judges were Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime fiction critic, Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer from Waterstones Glasgow and Jacky Collins, otherwise known as the podcaster, Dr Noir and programmer of Newcastle Noir.
The shortlist for The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize for crime fiction was:
Tariq Ashkanani, Welcome to Cooper (Thomas & Mercer, Amazon).
Frankie Boyle, Meantime (John Murray).
Amanda Mitchison, The Wolf Hunters (Fledgling Press).
George Paterson, The Girl, The Crow, The Writer and The Fighter (Into Books).
Sarah Smith, Hear No Evil (Two Roads).
Arusa Qureshi, a former editor of The List, replaced Janice Forsyth as a judge for the Bloody Scotland Debut this year and she joined Kenny Tweeddale from sponsors, The Glencairn Glass, and Simon Lloyd from Waterstones.
Sponsored by The Glencairn Glass
Winners to be presented on Thursday 15 September 2022
In Bloody Scotland’s 10th Anniversary year, the judges are delighted to reveal the finalists for The McIlvanney Prize 2022:
Liam McIlvanney – The Heretic (HarperCollins)
Alan Parks – May God Forgive (Canongate)
Ambrose Parry – A Corruption of Blood (Canongate)
Louise Welsh – The Second Cut (Canongate)
A hat trick for Canongate and indeed for Scottish independent publishing! The McIlvanney Prize judges are Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime fiction critic, Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer from Waterstones Glasgow and Jacky Collins, otherwise known as the podcaster, Dr Noir and programmer of Newcastle Noir. They were unanimous in their praise for all four finalists:
Liam McIlvanney – The Heretic (HarperCollins)
The masterful rendering of a richly layered plot makes you want to read this novel again as soon as you’ve finished it. It’s a warts and all tale with memorable characters and a great setting.
Alan Parks – May God Forgive (Canongate)
This expertly handled and morally ambiguous novel paints a dark and mesmerising portrait of 1970s Glasgow. The skillfully written and complex plot builds to a thrilling and highly unconventional denouement.
Ambrose Parry – A Corruption of Blood (Canongate)
A real slow burner of a novel which is a marvellous tale of murder and deception in Victorian Edinburgh. It handles some difficult subject matter with sensitivity and care and has a real feeling of authenticity.
Louise Welsh – The Second Cut (Canongate)
The raw, tight prose of this novel delivers an edgy glimpse into the underbelly of 21st century Glasgow. The novel features the welcome return of Rilke from Louise’s classic debut The Cutting room in a witty and sometimes sordid tale of a rank outsider.
The winner will be revealed in Stirling on Thursday 15 September. All of the shortlisted authors will be invited to a VIP reception at the Church of the Holy Rude at 7pm and to lead the torchlit procession from Stirling Castle to The Albert Halls where the winner of both the McIlvanney and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prizes will be revealed at approximately 8.30pm. They will then be interviewed on stage by BBC Radio Scotland’s Janice Forsyth.
About the Prizes
The McIlvanney Prize recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. Previous winners are Craig Russell with Hyde in 2021, Francine Toon with Pine in 2020, Manda Scott with A Treachery of Spies in 2019 (who chose to share her prize with all the finalists), Liam McIlvanney with The Quaker in 2018, Denise Mina with The Long Drop 2017, Chris Brookmyre with Black Widow 2016, Craig Russell with The Ghosts of Altona in 2015, Peter May with Entry Island in 2014, Malcolm Mackay with How A Gunman Says Goodbye in 2013 and Charles Cumming with A Foreign Country in 2012.
The initial longlisting is handled by over 100 crime fiction readers from all over Scotland including booksellers, bloggers, librarians and festival-goers and the longlist is then handed to the high-profile team of judges to decide on the eventual winner.
The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.
In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.
Bloody Scotland in partnership with The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, with media support from the Scottish Field Magazine, received entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in Scottish Field Magazine.
To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events (see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5).
A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area. (see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount)
In addition free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability (see bloodyscotland.com/standby)
We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email info@bloodyscotland.com A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Bloody Scotland board is made up of crime writers Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown and Abir Mukherjee, James Crawford (chair), Muriel Robertson (finance) and Catriona Reynolds (governance).
Bloody Scotland receives vital funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council and Culture and Business Fund Scotland. We are also grateful to our many sponsors and supported including The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Stirling Castle, Literary Tours in Egypt, Waterstones, The Open University in Scotland and Go Forth Stirling along with a wide range of publishers.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com.
The full longlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2022 was:
A Matter of Time, Claire Askew (Hodder)
The Sound of Sirens, Ewan Gault (Leamington Books)
The Blood Tide, Neil Lancaster (Harpercollins)
From the Ashes, Deborah Masson (Transworld)
The Heretic, Liam McIlvanney (Harpercollins)
Rizzio, Denise Mina (Polygon)
May God Forgive, Alan Parks (Canongate)
A Corruption of Blood, Ambrose Parry (Canongate)
A Rattle of Bones, Douglas Skelton (Polygon)
The Second Cut, Louise Welsh (Canongate).
The shortlist for The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize for crime fiction is:
Tariq Ashkanani, Welcome to Cooper (Thomas & Mercer, Amazon).
Frankie Boyle, Meantime (John Murray).
Amanda Mitchison, The Wolf Hunters (Fledgling Press).
George Paterson, The Girl, The Crow, The Writer and The Fighter (Into Books).
Sarah Smith, Hear No Evil (Two Roads).
Arusa Qureshi, a former editor of The List, replaces Janice Forsyth as a judge for the Bloody Scotland Debut this year and she joins Kenny Tweeddale from sponsors, The Glencairn Glass, and Simon Lloyd from Waterstones.
Sponsored by The Open University in Scotland
Bloody Scotland continues to support up and coming writers and are delighted to reveal the authors chosen for ‘Crime in the Spotlight’ at this year’s 10th Anniversary Festival.
Our ‘In the Spotlight’ pairings are:
Thursday 15th
Liz Webb from London with Alex Gray and Denzil Meyrick
Heather Fitt a Scot from Hampshire with Ian Rankin and Abir Mukherjee
Amen Alonge from London via Lagos and Edinburgh with Irvine Welsh
Friday 16th
Graham Bartlett from Sussex with AK Turner, Mary Paulson Ellis and Doug Johnstone
Maureen Myant from Glasgow with Dr Marie Cassidy and Dr Sohom Das
Emma Styles from London with Denise Mina, Elly Griffiths & Imran Mahmood
Sarah Bonner from West Sussex with Jo Spain, Ellery Lloyd and Julie Mayhew
Tom Mead from Derbyshire with Ruth Ware, Jane Casey & Lisa Unger
Jonathan Peace also from Derbyshire with Lin Anderson, Chris Brookmyre & Claire Mackintosh
John Brownlow from Toronto with David Baldacci
Angela Edgar a local author from Dunblane with John Connolly & Alex North
Saturday 17th
Ross Macfarlane, an advocate from Edinburgh with S J Parris & Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Catherine Yaffe, from Yorkshire with Charles Cumming, Ben Creed & Kim Sherwood
Carole Johnstone, from Glasgow with Ann Cleeves
Nick Edmunds, a local author from Stirling with Jeffrey Archer and Abir Mukherjee
Karen Taylor from Cornwall with Brian McGilloway, Simon Toyne and C L Taylor
Joe Chacko from Glasgow with Anthony Horowitz (was previously at Pitch Perfect)
Scott Cumming from Aberdeen with Mark Billingham & Mick Herron
John Harkin from Glasgow with Frankie Boyle
Sunday 18th
F J Watson, local author from Braco near Dunblane with Joanne Harris & Janice Hallett
John Coughlan from Johnstone with Sarah Vaughan and Alan Johnson
Caron McKinlay from East Scotland with Louise Welsh, Lilja Sigurdarddottir & David Fennell
In the interest of inclusivity authors were given the option of appearing live on stage or via video link.
Inspired by the concept of support acts at music festivals, Crime in the Spotlight pairs the rising stars of the crime fiction scene with established crime writers and to date over 100 authors have taken to the spotlight stage.
Most famously author, Graeme Macrae Burnet was paired with Ian Rankin in 2015 and went on to be shortlisted for The Booker. Claire Askew who was a spotlighter in 2018 went on to win the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize in 2019 and this year is longlisted for the McIlvanney.
We wish all our spotlighters lots of luck and look forward to following their crime writing careers with interest.
About Bloody Scotland
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012. Full information at bloodyscotland.com
The festival takes place in various venues (including The Albert Halls, The Tollbooth and the social hub of the festival, The Golden Lion Hotel) in the historic town of Stirling from 15-18 September 2022.
The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.
In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.
Bloody Scotland in partnership with The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, with media support from the Scottish Field Magazine, received entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in Scottish Field Magazine.
The Pitch Perfect and Crime in the Spotlight sessions are sponsored by the Open University in Scotland.
To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events (see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5).
A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area. (see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount)
In addition free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability (see bloodyscotland.com/standby)
We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email info@bloodyscotland.com A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Bloody Scotland board is made up of crime writers Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown and Abir Mukherjee, James Crawford (chair), Muriel Robertson (finance) and Catriona Reynolds (governance). PR, Marketing & Sponsorship is handled by Fiona Brownlee and Tim Donald of Brownlee Donald Associates. Social Media and the website is handled by Dawn Geddes.
Bloody Scotland receives vital funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council and Culture and Business Fund Scotland. We are also greatefu to our many sponsors and supported including The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Stirling Castle, Literary Tours in Egypt, Waterstones, The Open University in Scotland and Go Forth Stirling along with a wide range of publishers.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival first launched Pitch Perfect in 2012.
The winner was Joseph Knox whose book went on to be a Sunday Times bestseller. In 2016 the winner was Alison Belsham who travelled all the way from London to participate and found herself an agent and a publisher:‘I stumbled across a post on Facebook about a pitching event at a crime-writing festival in Scotland. I’d never heard of Bloody Scotland or the Pitch Perfect event. I hadn’t written a crime novel and I wasn’t Scottish. In theory, I should have scrolled right on past. But two little words caught my eye: ‘professional feedback’… Jenny Brown chaired the Pitch Perfect panel and offered to represent me the same week.’
Pitch Perfect at Bloody Scotland. Image by Paul Reich
Everyone who has won the prize has been picked up by an agent and most have had books published, as have many of the other Pitch Perfect participants. This year the Festival would like to encourage aspiring authors from diverse backgrounds to apply. If book festivals are to become more diverse we need more diverse crime writers in the first place. Pitch Perfect is a great place to start.
Pitch Perfect is Sponsored by The Open University in Scotland
Applications: https://bloodyscotland.com/take-part/pitch-perfect/
Previous winners of Pitch Perfect are:
2012 Joseph Knox
2013 Alex Cox
2014 Margaret Stewart
2015 Matt Wesolowski
2016 Alison Belsham
2017 Mark Wightman
2018 C O Vollmer (David Bishop)
2019 Suzy Aspley
2020 Kate Foster
2021 Kris Haddow
In the interest of inclusivity a number of the pitchers will have the option to pitch on-line. Chaired by literary agent, Jenny Brown, the 2022 panel includes Toby Jones, editorial director at Headline, Katherine Armstrong, deputy publishing director at Simon & Schuster and Robbie Guillory, agent at Underline Literary Agency. They will listen to eight aspiring authors pitching their ideas for a crime novel, offer constructive feedback and select a winner.
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012. Full information at bloodyscotland.com
The festival takes place in various venues (including The Albert Halls, The Tollbooth and the social hub of the festival, The Golden Lion Hotel) in the historic town of Stirling from 15-18 September 2022.
The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.
In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.
Bloody Scotland in partnership with The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, with media support from the Scottish Field Magazine, received entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in Scottish Field Magazine.
The Pitch Perfect session is sponsored by the Open University in Scotland. To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10 th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events (see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5).
A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area. (see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount)
In addition free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability (see bloodyscotland.com/standby)
We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email info@bloodyscotland.com A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Bloody Scotland board is made up of crime writers Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown and Abir Mukherjee, James Crawford (chair), Muriel Robertson (finance) and Catriona Reynolds (governance). PR, Marketing & Sponsorship is handled by Fiona Brownlee and Tim Donald of Brownlee Donald Associates. Social Media and the website is handled by Dawn Geddes.
Bloody Scotland receives vital funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council and Culture and Business Fund Scotland. We are also grateful to our many sponsors and supported including The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Stirling Castle, Literary Tours in Egypt, Waterstones, The Open University in Scotland and Go Forth Stirling along with a wide range of publishers.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com . Follow us on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2022. With thanks to The Glencairn Glass for their support of this year’s prizes.
The shortlisted titles are:
Tariq Ashkanani, Welcome to Cooper (Thomas & Mercer, Amazon)
Frankie Boyle, Meantime (John Murray).
Amanda Mitchison, The Wolf Hunters (Fledgling Press).
George Paterson, The Girl, The Crow, The Writer and The Fighter (Into Books).
Sarah Smith, Hear No Evil (Two Roads).
The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was launched in 2019 and two of the early winners, Claire Askew and Deborah Masson have this year graduated to the longlist for the McIlvanney Prize.
The shortlist for the 2022 Debut Prize features two women and three men. In a David and Goliath moment the behemoth that is Amazon is battling Into Books, an indie so small they haven’t yet published enough books to qualify for membership of Publishing Scotland.
The full shortlist is:
Tariq Ashkanani, Welcome to Cooper (Thomas & Mercer, Amazon). A dark thriller set in small town America by an Edinburgh based solicitor and podcaster.
Frankie Boyle, Meantime (John Murray). A picaresque detective story set against the backdrop of post referendum Scotland by one of Britain’s best-known comedians and writers.
Amanda Mitchison, The Wolf Hunters (Fledgling Press). Set in a brutal, chaotic Scotland of the near future. The author is an award-winning journalist and author of several children’s books.
George Paterson, The Girl, The Crow, The Writer and The Fighter (Into Books). An epistolary tale of murder and chicanery which spans continents and lifetime by a writer, DJ and musician.
Sarah Smith, Hear No Evil (Two Roads). Based on a true case from Scottish legal history about a young Deaf woman accused of murder. Smith is a family history researcher and a creative writing tutor.
Arusa Qureshi, a former editor of The List, replaces Janice Forsyth as a judge for the Bloody Scotland Debut this year and she joins Kenny Tweeddale from sponsors, The Glencairn Glass, and Simon Lloyd from Waterstones.
The McIlvanney longlist and the Bloody Scotland shortlist will be promoted in bookshops throughout Scotland in the period between the announcement and the presentation on Thursday 15 September. For the first time the presentation will take place AFTER the torchlight procession through Stirling in order that all shortlisted authors can take their place at the front. The procession will conclude with a formal event at The Albert Halls where the two winners will be revealed and Janice Forsyth will interview them live on stage.
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012. Full information at bloodyscotland.com
The festival takes place in various venues (including The Albert Halls, The Tollbooth and the social hub of the festival, The Golden Lion Hotel) in the historic town of Stirling from 15-18 September 2022.
The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.
In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.
Bloody Scotland in partnership with The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, with media support from the Scottish Field Magazine, received entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in Scottish Field Magazine.
To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events (see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5).
A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area. (see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount)
In addition free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability (see bloodyscotland.com/standby)
We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email info@bloodyscotland.com A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Bloody Scotland board is made up of crime writers Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown and Abir Mukherjee, James Crawford (chair), Muriel Robertson (finance) and Catriona Reynolds (governance). PR, Marketing & Sponsorship is handled by Fiona Brownlee and Tim Donald of Brownlee Donald Associates. Social Media and the website is handled by Dawn Geddes.
Bloody Scotland receives vital funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council and Culture and Business Fund Scotland. We are also grateful to our many sponsors and supported including The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Stirling Castle, Literary Tours in Egypt, Waterstones, The Open University in Scotland and Go Forth Stirling along with a wide range of publishers.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Stirling 15-18 September 2022
We are very exciting to announce our 10th anniversary programme!
Ten years on from the first Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival the run has extended to four days, the number of events has doubled and the authors are more diverse than ever.
2022 sees the return of several Bloody Scotland favourites that we haven’t seen since the pre-pandemic days of 2019. Our dramatic torchlit procession through Stirling historic old town led by the pipes and drums of the Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band and Stirling and District Schools Pipe Band encourages locals who don’t normally attend literary events to get involved. Scotland tackle England in our crime writers’ football match at the new venue of King’s Park, a free fun event which is also aimed at breaking down barriers. There will be a return of the ever-popular Crime at the Coo cabaret featuring an array of crime writers showing off their musical talents and the much-loved Quiz this year takes the form of Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee’s ‘Red Hot Night of a Million Games’ in which they steal the best bits from the game shows of yesteryear and mash them up into something truly remarkable.
Val McDermid has described Bloody Scotland as a ‘dizzying weekend of pleasure’, Jake Kerridge talking on BBC Radio 4 praised Bloody Scotland for ‘thinking outside the box’ creating ‘a sort of fringe’ and William McIlvanney spoke fondly of it being ‘so friendly, so welcoming’. It is with great delight that we look forward to putting on that sort of inclusive, imaginative festival again to celebrate our 10th Anniversary.
In addition to the headliners we are welcoming to Stirling such as Sir Ian Rankin, Anthony Horowitz, Lisa Unger, Jeffrey Archer, Ann Cleeves and Frankie Boyle, debuts are at the heart of what Bloody Scotland is all about. The very first festival featured a ‘Fresh Blood Panel’ and this year in addition to the ‘Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Panel’ we have ‘Alex Gray’s New Crimes Panel’ plus debut authors appearing in various events throughout the programme and twenty new authors appearing ‘In the Spotlight’ on stage ahead of the established names.
We continue our commitment to bring the festival to the wider world and those who can’t make it to Stirling can buy digital passes for individual events or the whole weekend. Val McDermid, David Baldacci, Sara Paretsky, Donna Leon and Irvine Welsh will all join us live for digital sessions. More information about which events will be available to watch on-line can be found at bloodyscotland.com/digital-pass
Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing at Creative Scotland said:
‘Much has changed in the decade since Bloody Scotland launched their first festival, in terms of Scottish crime writing and literature festivals more generally. This 10th anniversary programme is not only the biggest, it also embraces a hybrid model that means a wider audience can engage with authors either on stage or on screen. Bloody Scotland continues to promote the highly popular genre of Scottish crime writing to the world, while also connecting Scottish readers to the work of both new and much loved authors.’
James Crawford, Chair of Bloody Scotland said:
‘It’s fantastic to be able to mark the 10th anniversary of the festival with a full, four-day programme of in-person events – along with a brilliant selection of digital offerings – featuring the best that crime writing has to offer. Bloody Scotland was established a decade ago to shine a spotlight on crime writing and to help develop a whole new generation of writers. Debut authors have always been central to this, and to the vibrant community that has grown up around the festival. Along with the excitement of seeing familiar faces comes the thrill of finding your new favourite writer. Bloody Scotland 2022 is a festival full of possibilities and discovery.’
Stirling Councillor Leader, Councillor Chris Kane said:
‘The fact that Bloody Scotland is now enjoying its 10th Anniversary is a welcome plot development for a festival that has grown into one of Stirling’s most loved events. Bloody Scotland has brought a wide range of visitors into Stirling over the years while making sure Stirling residents are an integral part of the occasion, such as the spectacular torchlit procession that lights up our city centre.’
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012.
The festival takes place in various venues (including The Albert Halls, The Tollbooth and the social hub of the festival, The Golden Lion Hotel) in the historic town of Stirling from 15-18 September 2022.
The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.
In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.
In order to maintain a year-round presence Bloody Scotland set up the Bloody Scotland Book Club in Spring 2021. The panel rotates every month and those on the panel take responsibility for choosing the three books which are discussed.
In 2017 Bloody Scotland partnered with Historic Environment Scotland to produce the Bloody Scotland book of short stories which has been reprinted for the 10th Anniversary and will be distributed free of charge throughout Stirling and the surrounding areas to encourage more engagement with Scottish crime fiction within the local community.
Bloody Scotland recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, sponsored by The Glencairn Glass with media support from The Scottish Field received over 132 entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in the Scottish Field Magazine.
To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events (see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5).
A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area. (see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount)
In addition free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability (see bloodyscotland.com/standby)
We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email info@bloodyscotland.com A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Bloody Scotland board is made up of crime writers Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown and Abir Mukherjee, James Crawford (chair), Muriel Robertson (finance) and Catriona Reynolds (governance). PR, Marketing & Sponsorship is handled by Fiona Brownlee and Tim Donald of Brownlee Donald Associates. Social Media and the website is handled by Dawn Geddes.
Bloody Scotland receives vital funding from Creative Scotland, Stirling Council and Culture and Business Fund Scotland. We are also grateful to our many sponsors and supported including The Glencairn Glass, H W Fisher, Stirling Castle, Literary Tours in Egypt, Waterstones, The Open University in Scotland and Go Forth Stirling along with a wide range of publishers.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot