mcilvanney prize long-list announced
Bloody Scotland today reveals the longlist for the 2026 McIlvanney Prize which will be judged by author and broadcaster, Sally Magnusson, radio and podcast presenter, Nicola Meighan and crime blogger, Gordon McGhie.
The 2026 longlist includes last year’s winner, Tariq Ashkanani and last year’s debut winner David Goodman. It also includes two other former McIlvanney Prize winners, Chris Brookmyre and Callum McSorley and FOUR of the five women crime writers who have been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2026:
THE HOLLOW BOYS by Tariq Ashkanani (Viper)
138 MAIN STREET by Gavin Bell (S&S)
QUITE UGLY ONE EVENING by Chris Brookmyre (Abacus)
A BAD, BAD PLACE by Frances Crawford (Bantam)
UNKNOWN by Heather Critchlow (Canelo Crime)
SOLITARY AGENTS by David Goodman (Headline)
WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID by Kirsty Lockwood (Orion)
RAT RACE by Callum McSorley (Pushkin Vertigo)
THE DIARY OF LIES by Philip Miller (Polygon)
THE PINNACLE by Abir Mukherjee (Harvill)
THE VANISHING PLACE by Zoe Rankin (Viper)
LIAR THIEF by May Rinaldi (Black Spring Crime)
The list features eight authors who have been or are currently shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, indicative of the important role the Debut Prize plays in developing the careers of new Scottish writers. The longlist is rounded out by Abir Mukherjee, winner of last year’s British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year, the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and shortlisted for the 2026 CWA Dagger in the Library; Heather Critchlow on the list for the second year in a row; Gavin Bell writing under his own name having previously been longlisted as Mason Cross and Philip Miller who previously won a major crime writing award in the US but has never appeared on the McIlvanney longlist.
Festival Director Bob McDevitt said:
“I’ve been hugely enjoying reading my way through the books that were submitted for the prizes this year and I’m excited to see that some of my favourites have made the longlist. It’s also great to see smaller independent publishers holding their own against the big guns of London.”
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 Friday 18 September. The winner will be announced in the Church of the Holy Rude on the opening night of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and interviewed on stage by BBC presenter, Bryan Burnett.
Glencairn Short Story Competition - Winner announced
Winner and runner-up announced in this year’s Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition
The Glencairn Glass, the official glass for whisky, has announced the winner and runner-up of its annual Crime Short Story Competition, held in partnership with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.
Following another year of outstanding entries from aspiring and established crime writers around the world, Kathy Schilbach - also writing under the name Kate Finnemore - has been named the overall winner for her dark and disturbing story, Making Friends. Ross Alexander was selected as runner-up for his compelling story, Life Wasted.
Kathy receives the £1,000 first prize and a guest appearance at the Bloody Scotland Festival in September. Ross receives £500, and both winning stories will be published on the Bloody Scotland and Glencairn Glass (whiskyglass.com) websites.
Produced by the award-winning Scottish family glassware company Glencairn Crystal, the Glencairn Glass has celebrated and supported the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival since 2020 with its Glencairn Glass sponsorship of both the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year awards.
Winner: Making Friends by Kathy Schilbach
A disturbing tale about a mysterious and anxious woman who has a dark secret to keep.
Kathy Schilbach lived in France for over 30 years, where she taught English in a lycée in the small historic town of Chinon. She loves to read crime and historical novels and had always wanted to write. Retirement from teaching gave her the time and opportunity she needed - she now lives in West Sussex and under her pen name, Kate Finnemore, has had short stories and pocket novels published as well as achieving success in several writing competitions.
Kathy said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that my story has been chosen as the winner of the Glencairn Glass Crime Story Competition. Winning this prize in what is nowadays a difficult, crowded market has given me an amazing feeling of achievement. Thank you to everyone at Glencairn for running such a great competition. I had a certain real-life murderer in mind when I started to write. She was just a name from history though, a starting point in the process of writing.”
Runner-up: Life Wasted by Ross Alexander
A gripping confession from an unlikely vigilante who took justice into his own hands to free a woman from her abusive, alcoholic husband.
Ross Alexander is a Scottish author based in East Lothian who writes crime thriller novels and short stories. He has had several short stories published by Darkstroke Books and his short story ‘Deadly Night Shades’ featured in the first edition of the Tangled Web/Aspiring Fiction magazine, a publication specialising in Tartan Noir. He has also written a number of novels, including five in his DI Joanne Christie series, set in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Ross said: “I was thrilled to hear that I had been selected as the runner up in this year’s Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition. To be recognised by a panel of judges made up of crime fiction enthusiasts is very humbling. The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival is close to my heart, which makes this award so very special.”
Since its launch in 2021, the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition has attracted hundreds of entries from around the globe and has helped launch the careers of several emerging writers.
Among its success stories are Frances Crawford, winner in 2022/23, who has since signed a two-book deal with Penguin - her first novel was published earlier this year. Allan Gaw, runner-up in 2022/23, went on to win the 2024 Bloody Scotland Debut Novel Prize and secure a four-book publishing deal with Polygon.
For the first time, this year's entries were judged by a panel comprising six of the UK's leading crime book influencers alongside Kirsty Nicholson, Marketing Director at Glencairn Crystal. The criteria was that the protagonist must be from Scotland.
Kirsty Nicholson said: "Each year we are amazed by the quality and originality of the entries we receive, and 2026 was no exception. Kathy's story stood out for its atmospheric storytelling and psychological tension, while Ross's entry impressed the judges with its strong narrative voice and engaging execution. We are delighted to celebrate both writers and continue supporting emerging talent within the crime-writing community."
Bloody Scotland Festival Director Bob McDevitt said: The standard of entries this year was exceptionally high, making the judging process both challenging and rewarding. Congratulations to Kathy and Ross on their well-deserved success, and thank you to everyone who entered and helped make this another fantastic year for the competition."
Download Kathy's story here
Download Ross's story here
2026 Programme Revealed
BLOODY SCOTLAND INTERNATIONAL CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL REVEALS FULL 2026 PROGRAMME
The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival will take place in the historic city of Stirling from 18-20 September. Big names on the 2026 Bloody Scotland festival programme include Richard Osman, Liz Nugent, Sarah Pinborough, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Steve Cavanagh, Nadine Matheson, Gregg Hurwitz, Robert Bryndza, Janice Hallett, China’s bestselling crime writer, Cai Jun, bestselling Irish crime writer, Andrea Mara and broadcasters Robert Peston, Olly Smith and Jeremy Vine.
Guest programmer, Denise Mina reveals her full list of special guests to include Irish comedian and actor, Ardal O’Hanlon, Australian idol Jane Harper, Jane Casey, Lucy Foley, Tana French, S A Cosby and Lee Child - who sold out within 24 hours of his early bird tickets going on sale. She said:
‘If Bloody Scotland 2026 is even half as much fun as I had helping to put this festival together then it’s going to be bloody brilliant. See you there!’
In addition to Denise, the Scottish lineup includes bestsellers Harriet Tyce, Abir Mukherjee, Chris Brookmyre, Callum McSorley, Alex Gray, Lin Anderson, Alan Parks, Louise Welsh and Graeme Macrae Burnet. The festival also introduces Scottish debut prize shortlisters, Zoë Rankin, Frances Crawford, Kirsty Lockwood, May Rinaldi and Linda Duncan McLaughlin.
There will be some fascinating nonfiction events including Where does free speech end and extremism begin? with Professor Lara Frumkin, How to Clean a Crime Scene with Ben Giles, How to Pitch Your Book with Sheila M Averbuch and A History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders with Professor David Wilson.
One thing which distinguishes Bloody Scotland from other crime festivals are the fringe events which this year include a Royal Stirling-themed procession led by Denise Mina, a Saturday night game show, Eight Out Of Ten Crime Writers Do Countdown, an event with the creator and stars of huge Netflix hit Dept Q, a play based on Denise Mina’s Rizzio which will take place in the historic setting of the Church of the Holy Rude, an interactive murder mystery experience led by a New York Times bestselling author, a literary take on Desert Island Discs with Desert Island Crooks, a screening of the film The Maltese Falcon introduced by the author’s granddaughter, a play You the Jury starring real-life lawyers and forensic experts in Stirling Sheriff Court, the ever popular True Crime Walking Tour and the annual cabaret night, Karaoke at the Coo.
For the first time the festival includes a partnership with Helsinki Noir, welcoming Finnish authors to Stirling and sending Scottish authors back to Helsinki for a 'Bloody Scotland' panel in 2027.
Festival Director, Bob McDevitt said:
'Working with Denise on the programme this year has been an absolute joy, and I'm now really looking forward to what promises to be a sensational weekend of non-stop bookish delights!'
Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing at Creative Scotland said:
‘Bloody Scotland has pulled together an exceptional programme for 2026, combining the stars of Scottish crime writing with luminaries from across the globe. It will be exciting for fans of crime fiction to see names like Lee Child being brought to Stirling, sitting alongside Louise Welsh, Graeme Macrae Burnet and more emergent authors such as Callum McSorley. Just as important is the work the festival does to launch and develop new Scottish writers, from pitching unpublished work to agents, then sharing a stage with established names, to hopefully having their own events in future. Altogether, this is fantastic offering for Scotland's readers and writers.’
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Susan McGill said:
‘Bloody Scotland is firmly established as a Stirling institution and this year’s bumper programme shows why it continues to grow in stature as an internationally-renowned festival. We can’t wait to welcome some of the world’s best crime writers to Stirling in addition to celebrating the very best of Scottish writing talent.
‘Bloody Scotland is a jewel in the crown of Stirling’s cultural offerings which attracts visitors from around the globe, and we’re once again looking forward to being joined by bookworms and crime fiction aficionados for this annual celebration of mystery, murder and mischief.’
Debut Prize Shortlist annonced
Bloody Scotland prides itself on supporting new talent and The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize which
began in 2019 has launched the careers of numerous Scottish crime writers including David Goodman,
Natalie Jayne Clark, Tariq Ashkanani, Allan Gaw, Claire Askew, Kate Foster and Callum McSorley.
For the first time ever, the shortlist for The Bloody Scotland Prize is entirely made up of women, which
feels extremely appropriate given that Denise Mina – a vocal champion of women’s rights – is guest
programmer for the festival in 2026. She said:
“As a previous judge of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, I am absolutely delighted to see that the 2026
Bloody Scotland Debut shortlist is entirely made up of women. For decades, short lists only had
occasional women or none at all. A debut is always a howl into an indifferent abyss. Sometimes the
abyss is listening and it thinks you’re fucking brilliant. Congratulations!”
The full shortlist for the 2026 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize is revealed to be:
Frances Crawford with A Bad, Bad Place (Transworld) An alumni of the University of Glasgow
creative writing course, she was tutored by bestselling crime writer, Louise Welsh. Described as The
List of Suspicious Things meets Shuggie Bain it was acquired by Transworld in a ten publisher
auction. It has also just been shortlisted for the Theakston’s McDermid Debut Prize. She lives in
Glasgow.
Linda Duncan McLaughlin with Original Sins (Into Books). The manuscript for this novel was
nominated for the CWA’s Debut Dagger. In the book a troubled young woman discovers that her birth
father is a convicted serial killer and confronts the possibility that she has inherited his darkness.
Linda is a playwright and a screenwriter for River City on BBC Scotland.
Kirsty Lockwood with We Know What You Did (Orion) which will be published on 4 June. Described
as Strange Sally Diamond meets Listen for the Lie, it is a character-driven suspense novel from an
award-winning Scottish journalist. Kirsty lives in Glasgow.
Zoë Rankin with The Vanishing Place (Viper). She grew up in Scotland but now lives in New Zealand
where her love of hiking in remote locations inspired the idea for her novel about a young girl who has
witnessed a double murder deep in the bush.
May Rinaldi with Liar Thief (Black Spring). She has previously been selected for Pitch Perfect and
won the 2023 Black Spring Press Crime Novel which led to their publishing it in 2025. It’s a
psychological thriller about two childhood friends, one a self-confessed serial killer, one a cop.
She lives in Dumfries & Galloway.
The judges for 2026 are broadcaster, Bryan Burnett, crime writer, Vaseem Khan and chaired by
Bloody Scotland founder, Alex Gray.
Podcast - Season Two
The first episode of season two of our podcast has been released, and we couldn’t be happier with our first guests – last year’s guest programmer Sir Ian Rankin and Leodora Darlington who has gone from a successful publishing career to releasing her debut novel. Listen here: https://bloodyscotland.podbean.com/
The Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition - open for submissions
Denise Mina announced as 2026 Guest Programmer
We're absolutely thrilled to announce that the one and only Denise Mina is our guest programmer for 2026.
The author of The Good Liar, Rizzio and the McIlvanney Prize winning novel, The Long Drop, will work alongside our festival director, Bob McDevitt, and the programming team - which includes fellow authors, Abir Mukherjee, Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson and Gordon Brown - to bring another world class line up of authors and special guests to Stirling in September. Denise follows the success of Sir Ian Rankin, who was Bloody Scotland's first guest programmer last year.
Talking of the announcement, Denise, said: “Bloody Scotland is the high point of the crime fiction calendar in Scotland and I’m thrilled and honoured to be the second ever guest programmer. Established by crime writers for crime readers, every year feels like coming home.”
We can't wait to tell you about the delights that Denise has in store for you later in the year.
McIlvanney and Debut prizes open for submissions
The McIlvanney Prize and Debut Prize are now open for submissions - please note the (strict!) deadline of 5pm on Friday 20th March 2026.
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 2025 and 31st July 2026 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 2026/Winner of The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2026” or “Shortlisted for The McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2026/Shortlisted for The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2026” 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 18th September 2026, and will be available for media interviews before, immediately afterwards and throughout the Bloody Scotland weekend.
· There will be an entry fee of £40 + VAT for each title submitted, PLUS 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 2026 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 and eBook if available) must be submitted to the Prize Administrators.
· Please fill in a submission form HERE and submit your book to: [email protected] with ‘McIlvanney Prize/Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2026 Submission_Book Title’ clearly stated in the subject line.
Record-Breaking Year at Bloody Scotland
BLOODY SCOTLAND INTERNATIONAL CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL, CO-PROGRAMMED BY SIR IAN RANKIN, CELEBRATES BEST YEAR YET COMBINING LOCAL ENGAGEMENT WITH INTERNATIONAL REACH
The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival closed its 14th edition with a huge thanks to its first guest programmer, Sir Ian Rankin. Not only did Ian invite a star guest list to the festival, he tirelessly volunteered to interview them too and was on stage for a total of six events. Audiences responded to his eclectic choices and in person ticket sales were the highest recorded in the Festival’s history. The festival started earlier on Friday this year and ran until Sunday afternoon, with over 150 authors visiting Stirling over the weekend, which according to data collected by Go Forth Stirling increased footfall to the historic city by 20,788 from the previous week.
Waterstones reported that book sales, already up by a staggering 41% last year increased by a further 29% this year. Some of the bestsellers were Mick Herron, J D Kirk & L J Ross, Jo Nesbo and Kate Atkinson, Kathy Reichs and the Reverend Richard Coles (all guests of Sir Ian Rankin). However, it is the smaller events at more intimate venues like Trinity Church and Central Library showcasing the up and coming authors which are at the heart of the festival. This year Dark Islands featuring Scottish author Morag Pringle and two debut authors Ronnie Turner and Chris Barkley was one of the sell outs, as was the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Panel.
The digital component increased the festival’s international reach, while the buzz on the ground included BBC Radio Scotland’s Nicola Meighan broadcasting live from the green room with her Kick Up the Arts podcast and Susie Green, host of In My Good Books podcast, recording an excellent overview of the festival - https://open.spotify.com/show/0PFPUtW7wcI36rDkGaHSq1
Collaboration is a key aspect of the festival. In addition to an ongoing relationship with The Glencairn Glass (sponsors of both our prizes), Bloody Scotland partnered with Lumo to celebrate the imminent new route between London and Stirling by sending three of Bloody Scotland’s crime writers on a trip to London and back the day before while writing a new collaborative story, signing books and engaging new audiences en route.
The festival encourages local engagement. On the opening night a new ‘Day of the Deid’ procession led by Stirling and Schools District Pipe Band and actors from local theatre group, Rubber Chicken Theatre Company, carried an effigy of guest programmer, Sir Ian Rankin to his event at The Albert Halls. Ian himself walked at the front of the procession with the Lord Provost Elaine Watterson and Council Leader Gerry McGarvey accompanied by the winners of the McIlvanney Prize and Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, Tariq Ashkanani and David Goodman.
Stirling Central Library is the focus for supporting up and coming writers with the Debut Prize panel on the Friday and Pitch Perfect and a Poacher turned Gamekeeper panel which this year featured E C Nevin discussing her new book, A Novel Murder, set appropriately at a crime fiction festival. The winner of Pitch Perfect – which for the second year had a prize of £1,000, in memory of journalist Rae Stewart - was won by Edinburgh based author, Marco Rinaldi with Dark Waters. The festival drew to an end with the entire team on stage at The Albert Halls presenting Sir Ian Rankin with an engraved bottle of his favourite whisky to thank him for his outstanding work as guest programmer.
Stirling Council’s venues team managed box office and ticket sales for all events, while the historic Albert Halls was again the home of the festival and the team welcomed over 7,000 ticket holders through its doors over the 3 days.
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey said:
‘Bloody Scotland 2025 was another wonderful celebration of the best crime writing talent around. Authors and visitors from around the world mingled with residents in Stirling’s venues, bars and restaurants to create a fantastic atmosphere across the city, not only boosting the local economy but also enriching our cultural life.
The colourful ‘Day of the Deid’ parade on the Friday evening, led superbly by the Stirling and Schools District Pipe Band, was an enjoyable new addition to the programme and added to the buzz in the city.
Stirling is proud to host this world-class international festival that continues to grow in popularity and prestige year on year, which is testament to the hard work of all those involved. My congratulations to all the prize winners and we look forward to welcoming everyone back again for Bloody Scotland 2026 and to our other cultural events and festivals.’
Bob McDevitt, Festival Director said:
‘As I walked around the streets of Stirling to attend our events this year, I was struck by the incredibly positive and upbeat atmosphere. From buzzing authors who’d just been on a panel, to our eternally smiley volunteers and from publishers enjoying a cheeky day out of the office to our army of enthusiastic readers, the whole city felt infused with the Bloody Scotland spirit (and I’m not talking about our exclusive whisky bottling!). It’s great to see that so many are looking forward to next year already.’
Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing at Creative Scotland said:
‘Bloody Scotland set the stage in Stirling for a celebration of Scotland’s finest crime writing, thanks to support from The National Lottery. The debut prize shortlist showcased a thrillingly diverse array of murder mysteries - from prison corridors to distillery floors - and across contemporary and historical settings. This, alongside pitching opportunities and spotlight slots, underscores a deep commitment to nurturing talent. That commitment is paying off: former debut winner Tariq Ashkanani clinched the 2025 MacIlvanney Prize, from a shortlist featuring some of Scotland’s best known crime authors.’
Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland. Next year it will run from Friday 18 – Sunday 20 September 2026.
Crime in the Spotlight 2025
The authors have been announced for our Crime in the Spotlight slots this year.
Come and hear from this marvellous selection of new and emerging writers:
Frances Mckendrick (Words Fail Me) appearing before Setting the (Crime) Scene on Friday 12th at 12:30pm
JT Fernie (The Istanbul Gambit) appearing before Original Sins on Friday 12th at 2pm
Becky Brynolf (I Found a Body) appearing before Nordic Chills on Friday 12th at 3.30pm
Heather Darwent (A Sharp Scratch)appearing before Jo Nesbo on Friday 12th at 8.30pm
Remi Kone (Innocent Guilt) appearing before Watching the Detectives on Saturday 13th at 10am
Laura Courtie (The Life She Stole) appearing before Mick Herron on Saturday 13th at 11.30am
Jenny Morris (An Ethical Guide to Murder) appearing before Murderous Media on Saturday 13th at 1pm
EC Nevin (A Novel Murder) appearing before The Reverend Richard Coles on Saturday 13th at 2.30pm
Kingsley Pearson (Flat 401) appearing before Mark Billingham & Laura Lippman on Saturday 13th at 4pm
Rupa Mahadevan (Nine Dolls) appearing before Kate Atkinson on Saturday 13th at 5.30pm
Andrew Raymond (The Bonnie Dead) appearing before Denise Mina & Richard Armitage on Saturday 13th at 7pm
Roger Corke (Deadly Protocol) appearing before Kathy Reichs on Saturday 13th at 8.30pm
Chris Black (Capo) appearing before JD Kirk & LJ Ross on Sunday 14th at 10.30am
Allison Meldrum (Keep Me Safe) appearing before Elly Griffiths & Belinda Bauer on Sunday 14th at 12noon
Piotr Cieplak (Zofia Nowak’s Book of Superior Detecting) appearing before Adam Kay on Sunday 14th at 1.30pm
