2018 is go!
We have launched! Thanks to all who joined us for our launch events in Stirling and London, with special thanks to Alexander McCall Smith for opening our festival season with huge laughs at this event, chaired by Lin Anderson, in the Bloody Scotland festival hub, the Golden Lion Hotel. Also with thanks to our sponsor Stirling Gin for supplying our favourite own-brand cocktail!
We captured a few moments from both launches for you to enjoy. Can you spot yourself anywhere? (All photos courtesy of Paul Reich.)
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The 2018 Bloody Scotland programme revealed!
VAL MCDERMID // IRVINE WELSH // DENISE MINA // LOUISE PENNY // STUART MACBRIDE // ANN CLEEVES // AMBROSE PARRY // QUINTIN JARDINE // PETER JAMES & SO MUCH MORE
This year's gala opening will take place on Friday 21 September where we will present the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. Denise Mina and Val McDermid will then lead a torchlight procession, after rave reviews last year, to their event followed by a performance from the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers.
We welcome: Louise Penny, Ann Cleeves, Chris Brookmyre, Mark Billingham, Peter James, Stuart MacBride, Quintin Jardine, Denzil Meyrick, Martyn Waites and Bloody Scotland board members old (Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown) and new (Abir Mukherjee).
Experts galore: BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, forensic scientists Dr Richard Shepherd and Professor Sue Black, Kate Bendelow, author of The Real CSI and consultant anaesthetist, Dr Marisa Haetzman who forms the other half of Ambrose Parry along with husband Chris Brookmyre.
From book to telly: MC Beaton will be appearing with cast and crew of her Agatha Raisin series and Helen FitzGerald with cast from the new TV adaptation of The Cry.
Crime from across seas: We reveal a very special relationship with the Word Festival in Christchurch and will be welcoming Fiona Sussman and Paul Cleave, two winners of the Ngaio Marsh Prize, thanks to funding from Creative New Zealand.
And, of course... it wouldn't be Bloody Scotland without...
Paul Reich
Crime at the Coo - guaranteed to sell out within hours so if you fancy rubbing (sweaty) shoulders with some of crime writing's finest in the Curly Coo get your tickets right now! Very limited space.
- Craig Robertson's hilarious quiz
- The play, this year from the marvellous mind of Douglas Skelton and...
- The Scotland v England crime writers football match (this year captained by Chris Brookmyre and Mark Billingham) along with...
- Last year's hit, a live podcast hosted by Steve Cavanagh & Luca Veste which guarantees as many laughs as the Crime at the Coo.
- We will also be presenting our first ever musical, an original piece from the pen of Sophie Hannah.
We can't wait to see you in September!
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW
One week until launch
It's only one week until we announce the 2018 Bloody Scotland programme in Stirling, with all events going live at 12pm!
Sharon from Chapter in my Life was nice enough to do a very cool doodle which we think should be a Google Doodle - a collage of everything that makes up Bloody Scotland. It may even hint towards some of the events you have to look forward to...
While you're here, sign up to our fresh new mailing list here.
Alexander McCall Smith celebrates at Bloody Scotland
Picture by Alex Hewitt/Writer Pictures
We're delighted to announce that we will be launching the 2018 programme on June 4th in Stirling in the presence of one of Scotland’s best loved crime writers, Alexander McCall Smith.
The official programme launch on Monday 4 June will be followed by afternoon tea in the Ballroom of The Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling as Alexander McCall Smith celebrates the 20th anniversary of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.
Alexander McCall Smith says ‘I can’t think of any better way to celebrate 20 years of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency than with afternoon tea at the launch of Scotland’s biggest crime book festival. I have always wanted to appear at Bloody Scotland & am glad we have managed to make it work as I’ll be in Botswana when the actual festival takes place.’
Not only will Bloody Scotland announce the line up for the 2018 festival, it will toast a milestone anniversary for one of Scotland’s greatest crime writers. Incredibly, it is 20 years since The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency was first published, introducing Precious Ramotswe to captivated audiences around the world. In the two decades since, Mma Ramotswe- along with Grace Makutsi and the excellent mechanic, Mr J L B Matekoni – have entertained us in a further 17 novels from Botswana. Their creator is as captivating as his characters.
Tickets are available here: http://culturestirling.org/events/alexander-mccall-smith/ or from the Albert Halls or The Toll Booth in Stirling.
We look forward to seeing you on June 4th!
TICKETS
McIlvanney Prize 2017 Winner
We're pleased to announce the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2017 winner to be...
Denise Mina's The Long Drop!
Lee Randall, chair of the judges said:
‘The Long Drop by Denise Mina transports us back to dark, grimy Glasgow, telling the social history of a particular strata of society via the grubby, smokey pubs favoured by crooks and chancers. She takes us into the courtroom, as well, where Manuel acted as his own lawyer, and where hoards of women flocked daily, to watch the drama play out.
Full of astute psychological observations, this novel’s not only about what happened in the 1950s, but about storytelling itself. It shows how legends grow wings, and how memories shape-shift and mark us.
For my money this is one of the books of 2017 — in any genre.’
Huge congratulations to Denise. More about Denise's win throughout the Bloody Scotland weekend!
Buy The Long Drop
Waterstones | Amazon | Hive
The Northern Powerhouse
There are some traces of some great literary footsteps in the North East - Ann Cleeves, Mari Hannah and L J Ross who all plot and kill with the stunning Northumberland hills, Hadrian’s Wall and the North Sea crashing along the rugged coastline.
But what other criminally good places can you visit ‘Up North’. An old mining town would be good for some mystery of the past to come back to haunt the present wouldn’t it? What about a city built on industry and pride? A city which gave us Hornby trains and Meccano as well as the most well know singers of their time?
Well, you’re in luck..
Howard Linskey is your culprit for this footprint. He’s written seven novels set in the North East, with Durham being his main hunting ground.
In his most recent novel, The Search, a girl goes missing in County Durham and the serial killer behind bars, the prime suspect in the case, is dying and now claims to want to tell the truth. But about what?
Howard’s book No Name Lane was set in a mining town and the mystery was set against a town with a faded past and buried secrets. It also lovingly highlights the Northern humour and dry wit; when describing a marriage and relationships with their ups and downs for example:
“Roller coasters are exciting but I wouldn’t want to spend 35 ruddy years on one”
The mean streets of Newcastle are in on display as Danielle Ramsay splashes her colours of the city onto an easel with tears and slashes on the canvas.This is no pretty picture but it's a compelling one. It certainly is grim up north if this book is anything to go by! That said, it's a unique and utterly gripping view of a North East which might not be on the tourist board's website anytime soon but it should definitely be on your radar.
Much of the action takes place in and around DS Harri’s flat on the Quayside. Even that is grim- being on the fifth floor of a derelict building on an embankment shrouded in darkness. However she often goes jogging along the river and comments on the beauty of the Millennium Bridge with its hypnotic blue lights – “A poetic feat of balance and modern-day engineering” The dazzling lights reflected off the menacing water” A real contrast of a place then for an police officer to live. Run yourself along the banks of the river to the Free Trade Inn where she stops – it is a nice view.
Liverpool has many famous exports - There’s the Beatles, Cilla Black and the man who invented Hornby trains, Dinky Toys and Meccano believe it or not! Many things a city should be proud of. On the crime writing front, there’s also a very good crime writer who hails from these parts by the name of Luca Veste. Not a very Liverpudlian sounding name granted, but his writing and roots are firmly grounded in the city, its heritage, culture and its people.
His characters Murphy and Rossi are well known in the city now too having worked through 4 books so far. Blood Stream looks at the world of social media stars whilst his latest Then She Was Gone, looks at what happens when a man takes his baby daughter for a walk when tragedy strikes.
Luca writes with skill and Scouse wit – he has more than an insight into criminology and psychology given his own background and study. It’s a fine mix for a crime writer to have and Luca’s characters are a mix of Northern grit and Italian feistyness and that makes for a winning combination.
For more books set in these cities and more:
North East England http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/?location=North+East+England&setting=&author=&genre=&booktitle=#books
Bradford http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/?location=Bradford&setting=&author=&genre=&booktitle=#books
Liverpool http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/?location=Liverpool&setting=&author=&genre=&booktitle=#books
It really is good up North! Durham, Bradford, Liverpool...what else will you discover there with these three criminal guides to three very different but unique Northern landscapes?
The Northern Powerhouse: Luca Veste, Danielle Ramsay and Howard Linskey
Saturday 9 September from 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
Opening Gala sold out!
The Opening Night Reception is now SOLD OUT! If you have purchased a ticket we look forward to seeing you on Friday in the Great Hall at Stirling Castle at 6.30pm sharp. Please make sure you are at the Hall for 6.30pm as we have a busy itinerary and the frivolities will kick off promptly!
Please note: No tickets can be bought on the door. If you did NOT buy a ticket, OR accept a VIP invitation via an official RSVP with Bloody Scotland staff which was acknowledged, you will NOT be able to gain access to the castle. It will be a packed event and we need to keep the area clear strictly for ticket-holders only. Thank you!
Pitch Perfect 2017
The class of Pitch Perfect 2017 have been chosen! We're pleased to welcome:
Helen Calder (pitching 'Singularity')
Mark Wightman (pitching 'Sleeping in the Tiger’s Lair')
Ajit Panickar (pitching 'Inspector Chatpati and the Arms of Durga')
Sandra Kohls (pitching 'The Waltzers')
Francis Shennan (pitching 'An Innocent in the Scandal')
Nick Jury (pitching 'The Guilt Avenues')
Fiona Stirling (pitching 'Fire Boy')
M A McShane (pitching 'The Mercy Season')
The finalists have been selected by crime writer and founder of Bloody Scotland, Lin Anderson and leading agent Jenny Brown. The standard was extremely high this year and and the list is remarkable for books set in distinctive locations or which feature unusual protagonists. This year the expert panel who will give valuable feedback and choose an eventual winner features Jo Dickinson, publishing director at Simon & Schuster, Keshini Naidoo, Associate Publisher at Bookouture, Jade Chandler, editorial director for crime fiction at Harvill Secker, and agent Jemima Forrester.
Grab your tickets to Pitch Perfect HERE (Sunday 10th Sept, 12:45pm).
Off the Beaten Track
Scotland’s darkest deeds aren’t confined to its mean streets in its even meaner cities. Think the Scottish countryside can be a nice place to get some rest and relaxation? Not if you’re in the hands of rural crime writers it’s not.
Dundrennan
http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/the-weight-of-angels/
Take Dundrennan for example. It’s a lovely little village about five miles east of Kirkcudbright. There’s only about 230 people living here and the most noticeable thing about it, are the ruins of Dundrennan Abbey, a 12th-century Cistercian monastery. However, allow Catriona to be your guide, and it takes on a very dark and disturbing tone. A dead body found in the ruins? A village on the edge and that’s before you factor in the e psychiatric facility nearby?
The setting of a real life abbey with history and heritage, mixed with murder and mystery is a very powerful one. Scotland’s small villages are noted for their serenity, they’re often located amongst some of the most stunning countryside in the world... but danger can lurk anywhere in the hands of a crime writer.
Duncul
http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/errant-blood/
Even if the place you read about is fictional, a seasoned crime writer can place you there with their words. C.F. Peterson for example writes about Duncul as if it were the most creepy and damp place on earth. It has a castle where much of the action takes place, but this is no Manor of the Glen. Quite the opposite in fact.
Errant Blood is a tale of big city problems in a gothic, damp and remote Scottish castle. The story does take place across a rain -soaked winter in the Scottish Highlands though so there are some aspects of the novel you won’t find hard to imagine.
The fun of novels like this, set in fictional places which when evoked seem as real as any other, is finding the place where it could be. Duncul appears to be located close to Inverness so there are many castles to visit up and down Loch Ness for example. If there aren’t enough fictional monsters in the novel, then there’s a very famous one in this loch! But then again... is it real?
Wyvis and the Scottish Highlands
http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/amnesia/
The furthest north of the them all, Michael Ridpath’s Amnesia which is set in the most mountainous part of Scotland - around the area of Wyvis and Loch Glass. A nice village and rural areas for climbing and walking without seeing a soul. A dead soul in this case of course but with a lake that reflects all the bad things going on around it.
The chilling realisation about this setting is the fact that It could be a place where older people might think of retiring to. Whichever path you take in your retirement plans, the author ensures that if you take the Ridpath, it’s going to be covered in blood. (Maybe his name is not a quirk of birth after all but is carefully chosen.)
Off the Beaten Track: Catriona McPherson, C.F. Peterson, Michael Ridpath
Saturday 9 September from 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Click here for more novels set in Scotland.
McIlvanney Prize Finalists 2017
Congratulations to the five finalists of the 2017 Scottish Crime Book of the Year, the McIlvanney Prize! Judges Lee Randall, Susan Calman and Craig Sisteron had the below to say about the top 5:
Val McDermid - Out of Bounds (Little, Brown)
'The Queen of Scottish crime adds yet more jewels to her crown with Out of Bounds and shows us why she's writing at the very top of her game…Karen Pirie is one of the most engaging and charismatic of all the fictional Scottish Detectives'
Denise Mina - The Long Drop (Random House)
'This elegantly written novel confirms Denise Mina's stature among the great Scottish crime writers…The Long Drop transports you to the pubs, grubby back alleys and courtrooms at the heart of this unsavoury chapter of Scottish history'
Craig Russell - The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid (Quercus)
'The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid is an assured riff on a classic noir caper which reveals Glasgow in all its gritty and compelling glory…The writing is as stylish as Lennox's bespoke suits'
Craig Robertson – Murderabilia (Simon & Schuster)
'An intriguing premise in a contemporary setting which tiptoes along the darker edges of crime fiction with an unusual detective at its heart…Murderabilia is a terrific addition to this inventive series'
Jay Stringer - How to Kill Friends and Implicate People (Thomas & Mercer)
'This unexpected and explosive novel proves that Jay Stringer has reached the major league of Scottish crime fiction…The prose in How to Kill Friends and Implicate People crackles like a roaring campfire and you find yourself rooting for the unlikeliest of heroes'
The winner of the Scottish Crime Book of the Year will be awarded The McIlvanney Prize in memory of William McIlvanney at the opening reception at Stirling Castle on Friday 8 September (6.30-8.30pm) and followed by a torchlight procession – open to the public - led by Ian Rankin on his way down to his event celebrating 30 years of Rebus. The award recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.