Bloody Scotland 2019 Launch

Bloody Scotland Launches 2019 Programme with a Special Event with Val McDermid

Val McDermid leading the 2017 Bloody Scotland torchlight procession with Ian Rankin and Denise Mina (credit: Paul Reich)

After launching the 2018 Bloody Scotland Programme with a hugely popular one-off event by Alexander McCall Smith, Director, Bob McDevitt has done it again and secured Val McDermid to star at the programme launch in Stirling on 3 June 2019.

In My Scotland (Sphere, 6 June) she examines how she has used distinctive settings in her books. Organised book by book, My Scotland goes through McDermid’s titles and the places in which they are set. She will be on stage at the Golden Lion Ballroom with Alan McCredie (her teammate on BBC Radio 4 panel show “Round Britain”), whose photographs of Scotland illustrate it.

Val famously celebrated 30 years of crime writing by leading – along with Denise Mina and Ian Rankin - the first Bloody Scotland torch-lit procession from the castle to the Albert Halls then getting everyone to their feet as the lead singer with the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers.

In addition to her many books for Hachette she also contributed to the Bloody Scotland book which came out in paperback this year. Her short story in the collection, Ancient & Modern, was recently shortlisted for an Edgar, widely acknowledged to be the most prestigious crime writing awards in North America.

She is a national treasure and we are absolutely delighted that she can join us at the launch of Bloody Scotland particularly as she will be in New Zealand at the time of the Festival itself.