The Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition

 

The Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition Returns in Association 

with Bloody Scotland

The official glass for whisky, the Glencairn Glass, is once again raising a toast to crime fiction with the return of its popular annual Crime Short Story Competition.

 Launched in partnership with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, the competition invites both experienced and novice writers from around the world to submit an original crime story of under 2,000 words. The criteria this year is that the protagonist must be from Scotland. Entries close on 31 March 2026.

The overall winner will receive £1,000, publication of their story on the Bloody Scotland website, and will be offered a guest appearance at the Bloody Scotland Festival in September 2026. The runner-up will be awarded £500, with both winning stories also published on the Glencairn Glass website (whiskyglass.com).

The Glencairn Glass is no stranger to the world of Scottish crime fiction. It is produced by the award-winning Scottish family glassware business Glencairn Crystal and the company 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.

 Previous winners:

Since its inception, the competition has drawn hundreds of entries from both established and emerging voices in crime fiction worldwide. For many writers, it has been a career springboard.

Allan Gaw, runner-up in 2022/23, has since achieved major success, winning the 2024 Bloody Scotland Debut Novel Prize and securing a seven-book publishing deal with Polygon. Frances Crawford, the 2022/23 winner, has signed a two-book publishing deal with Penguin and sees her first novel hit the shelves in 2026. The competition’s inaugural winner, Brid Cummings (2021), went on to sign with a UK literary agency after finishing her first psychological suspense novel which has since been published by Audible.

 The Judges

For the first time, this year’s judging panel includes six of the UK’s leading crime book influencers* alongside Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal.

Commenting on the competition, Kirsty said: “We’re thrilled to launch the fourth year of our short story competition with our official whisky glass, the Glencairn Glass, as we continue to support and celebrate the world of crime fiction. Each year the calibre and creativity of the entries exceed our expectations, and we’re excited to discover the new voices and gripping stories that this year’s competition will bring.”.

 How to enter:

All short story entries must be submitted at www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition. The competition closes at midnight on Tuesday 31st March 2026. The winner and runner up will be announced in the summer. Bloody Scotland’s Festival Director, Bob McDevitt, said: “We are excited to read a new crop of stories, and hope that the competition provides a stepping stone in developing the careers of some talented new voices”.

 For further details about the competition please visit: www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition  

Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Winners announced

 

Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival kicked off wth the prize announements; A Day of The Dead parade led by an Effigy of Sir Ian Rankin and the big reveal of the mystery crime writer. 

The winner of the McIlvanney Prize was revealed – in the ballroom with a giant crystal glass –  to be Tariq Ashkanani with The Midnight King.  It was presented to him on stage on the opening night of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival by the winner of the 2024 McIlvanney Prize, Chris Brookmyre. Tariq, a solicitor from Edinburgh, appeared as a support act for Ian Rankin in Crime in the Spotlight at the 2021 festival and went on to win the Bloody Debut Prize in 2022. The McIlvanney Prize win brings the process of nurturing authors at Bloody Scotland full circle.

The judges who included broadcaster, Nicola Meighan, journalist and writer Arusa Qureshi and crime reviewer Gordon McGhie said

“Tariq Ashkanani manages to create an atmosphere of dread while uniquely exploring the theme of nature vs nurture...When we speak about thrillers being page turners (this) should be used an example of how it should be done”

The winner of the 2025 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was revealed to be David Goodman with A Reluctant Spy (Headline). Like Tariq he was previously selected for Crime in the Spotlight. He appeared as a support act for thriller writer Frank Gardner at Bloody Scotland last year. This year it is he who takes centre stage.  He also won the inaugural Theakston Old Peculier McDermid Debut Award in July. He lives in East Lothian with his family. 

The 2025 prize was judged by crime writer and Bloody Scotland founder, Alex Gray; broadcaster Bryan Burnett and Kenny Tweeddale from The Glencairn Glass. They said:

‘Everything about this feels authentic. In fact, the only thing that’s not believable is that this could be a debut novel.'

Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at the awards sponsor Glencairn Crystal, said

‘A huge congratulations to Tariq Ashkanani on winning the McIlvanney Prize with his page-turning thriller The Midnight King, and to David Goodman on receiving the Debut Prize for his gripping first novel A Reluctant Spy.  Being a Scottish family company, we are proud to sponsor these distinguished annual awards with the Glencairn Glass, the official glass for whisky - both of which are deeply rooted in Scotland. It is an honour to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on such exceptional authors in the wonderful world of crime fiction.

The prize giving was followed by the inaugural Bloody Scotland Day of the Deid procession with actors and local pipeband in full make up led by the two winners and an effigy of Sir Ian Rankin. It concluded at the Albert Halls where the ‘mystery authors’ behind Evelyn Clarke’s, The Ending Writes Itself, (HQ, 7 April 2026) were finally revealed to be #1 Sunday Times bestselling author, V.E. Schwaband longtime friend and screenwriter Cat Clarke. V.E. Schwab is best known for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones. HarperCollins acquired rights in a nine publisher auction and will be publishing simultaneously in the US and Australia.

Highlights on Saturday included Mick Herron (author behind TV series Slow Horses), broadcasters Steph McGovern, Jeremy Vine and The Reverend Richard Coles, bestselling writer Kate Atkinson, actor Richard Armitage and superstar of American crime fiction Kathy Reichs. The day concluded with a Bloody Scotland take on Crime Family Fortunes and the sold-out Karaoke at the Coo where famous authors took to the mic.

Longlist for 2025 McIlvanney Prize Scottish Crime Novel of the Year

 

Whispers of the Dead, by Lin Anderson (Macmillan)
The Midnight King, by Tariq Ashkanani (Viper)
The Dying Light, by Daniel Aubrey (HarperNorth)
Carnival of Lies, by D.V. Bishop (Macmillan)
Unsound, by Heather Critchlow (Canelo)
The Moon’s More Feeble Fire, by Allan Gaw (Polygon)
The Good Father, by Liam McIlvanney (Bonnier)
Paperboy, by Callum McSorley (Pushkin Press)
The Good Liar, by Denise Mina (Vintage)
Gunner, by Alan Parks (John Murray)
Death of Shame, by Ambrose Parry (Canongate)
Midnight and Blue, by Ian Rankin (Orion)
A Thief’s Blood, by Douglas Skelton (Canelo

The McIlvanney Prize, named in honor of William McIlvanney, author of the novel Laidlaw, will be presented on Friday, September 12, during this year’s Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival. Previous winners include Chris Brookmyre, Craig Russell, Francine Toon, Peter May, and Charles Cumming.

McIlvanney Prize 2024 Shortlist

 

The Shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize has been announced by Bloody Scotland. The award, previously known as the Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing, will be presented on Friday 13 September 2024 on the first night of the Bloody Scotland Festival. 

Congratulations to all the nominated authors. 

McIlvanney Prize and Bloody Scotland Debut Prize announced!!

 

WINNERS REVEALED FOR THE McILVANNEY PRIZE 2023 & THE BLOODY SCOTLAND DEBUT PRIZE

Sponsored by The Glencairn Glass

We're thrilled to reveal the 2023 winners of The McIlvanney Prize and The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize. The finalists for both prizes led the iconic torchlit procession from Stirling Castle through the historic old town this evening accompanied by the pipes and drums of the Stirling and District Schools Pipe Band. On stage at The Albert Halls Kenny Tweeddale, from sponsors The Glencairn Glass, presented the winner of The Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year to Kate Foster for The Maiden (Mantle) and The McIlvanney Prize Scottish Crime Book of the Year to another debut author, Callum McSorley for Squeaky Clean (Pushkin Press).

The judges for The McIlvanney Prize were unanimous in their praise for Squeaky Clean which beat off competition from previous McIlvanney Prize winners Craig Russell and Denise Mina and previous Bloody Scotland Debut winner, Robbie Morrison, to be named Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

Bryan Burnett from BBC Radio Scotland said:

‘A wonderfully rich and funny new voice in Scottish crime. McSorley has created characters you invest in and a plot that keeps you hooked right from the start. Although it’s dark and gruesome it’s full of laugh out loud lines that still bring you pleasure long after you’ve finished the book. A novel I couldn’t wait to recommend to friends. ‘Glasgow’s least popular detective’ is about to hit the big time.’ 

Jason Allardyce, former editor of Sunday Times Scotland described it as:

‘A fresh new voice brings a Brookmyre-esque beauty that sparkles like a motor straight out the car wash. Full of unforgettable, three-dimensional characters and laugh out loud moments in every chapter to offset the violence among the valets.’

Angie Crawford Category Manager for Waterstones called it:

‘A thoroughly astonishing brutally brilliant novel written with wit and verve and laced with a very black humour that betrays a vulnerability and gets right under the skin. Callum McSorley’s writing is fresh and exciting, I can’t wait to read more.’

Squeaky Clean (Pushkin) features DI Ally McCoist the least popular detective in the Glasgow police who has been demoted. It’s a contemporary thriller packed with black humour and hints of Breaking Bad. Like Tim in the book, Callum McSorley worked at a carwash to make money while he was a student which has informed some of the colourful characters.  He is from East Kilbride (as is the original footballing Ally McCoist) and graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2013. His stories have appeared in Gutter magazine and New Writing Scotland.

The judges for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize selected The Maiden by Kate Foster (Mantle) as the best Debut of the Year.

Pauline McLean from BBC Scotland said:

‘The Maiden is a finely crafted, multi layered story. I didn’t want it to end, and certainly not in the way I knew it did, being based on a true-life case. A rare and poignant female perspective in a decidedly male world, told with passion and humour. Much more than a crime novel, and apt that its own development began at Bloody Scotland in 2020.’

 Kenny Tweeddale, New Product Development Manager from The Glencairn Glass said:

‘I thought The Maiden was a terrific bodice ripping tale that kept you guessing till the end.  The fictional story was built around factual characters and a historical incident from the chequered past of Auld Reekie. Bouncing between two strong female characters it demonstrates how women had to strive to survive in a male orientated world.’

Journalist and Editor Arusa Qureshi said:

‘The Maiden is a fascinating and immersive debut, that places you in an imagined yet historically familiar time and space. Stories about women in history are so often lost or forgotten so it’s refreshing to read something based on a true case that is skilfully constructed and utterly gripping, with a woman’s voice front and centre.’

Kate Foster has come full circle at Bloody Scotland. She first appeared on the virtual stage at Pitch Perfect during lockdown in 2020. She won the pitching panel with an outline of The Maiden and went on to get an agent and publisher. The Maiden (Mantle) is set in the 17th Century and is a reimagining of true historical events in which Lady Christian Nimmo is charged with the murder of her lover - and uncle - James Forrester. Kate Foster is a journalist and lives in Edinburgh.

Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal, said:

‘We’re raising a celebratory dram in our Glencairn Glass to salute Callum McSorley and Kate Foster for winning this year’s awards. A massive congratulations to them both on their success. We’re very proud of our Scottish heritage and it has been a huge honour to sponsor the awards over the past few years that showcase the diverse array of talent that currently exists in the world of Scottish crime fiction.’

A huge congtulations to both winners!

Finalists Revealed for The McIlvanney Prize 2022

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 feature 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.

Bloody Scotland announce the Longlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2022

We are delighted to announce the longlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2022. In Bloody Scotland’s 10th Anniversary year, it seems very fitting that a clear longlist of ten books emerged after the prize readers scores were tallied. Six years ago, the Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award was renamed the McIlvanney Prize in memory of William McIlvanney. The Prize recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, and includes a prize of £1,000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.

The longlisted titles are:
May God Forgive by Alan Parks (Canongate)
The Second Cut by Louise Welsh (Canongate)
A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton (Polygon)
From the Ashes by Deborah Masson (Transworld)
A Matter of Time by Claire Askew (Hodder)
A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry (Canongate)
The Heretic by Liam McIlvanney (Harpercollins)
Rizzio by Denise Mina (Polygon)
The Sound of Sirens by Ewan Gault (Leamington Books)
The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster (Harpercollins)

The McIlvanney Prize will be judged by Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime fiction critic, Janice Forsyth, presenter of the Afternoon Show on BBC Radio Scotland and Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer from Waterstones Glasgow. The Glencairn Glass, the world’s favourite whisky glass, is again sponsoring both The McIlvanney Prize and The Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year for 2022.

Finalists for the McIlvanney Prize will be revealed at the beginning of September. The winner will be revealed in Stirling on Thursday 15 September.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.

Winner of Glencairn Glass inaugural short story competition winner announced

The Glencairn Glass announces the winners of its inaugural short story competition

The world’s favourite whisky glass – The Glencairn Glass – has been celebrating Scottish crime writing talent over the past two years as headline sponsor of the prestigious McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing prizes.

To support this creative collaboration, The Glencairn Glass launched its first very own crime short story competition, inviting all budding crime writers to curate their stories around the theme: ‘A Crystal-Clear Crime’ in no more than 2000 words. The competition has been in partnership with Scottish Field Magazine and Bloody Scotland.

The winner and runners up were selected by a panel of three judges including Deborah Masson, 2020 winner of the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year with her book ‘Hold Your Tongue’ and Peter Ranscombe, Scottish Field’s drinks columnist and author of the historical thriller ‘Hare’, along with Glencairn’s marketing director Gordon Brown who is also an author, writing under the name Morgan Cry.

The competition attracted entries from all over the world and the judges can now reveal the winner and two runners up as follows:

Winner: (£1000 prize)

Halmeoni’s Wisdom – a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade and a desire for freedom. Written by Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and occupational therapist, based in South Australia.

Brid said; “When I heard I’d won the Glencairn Glass crime short story competition, I was absolutely delighted. With such an intriguing theme, I enjoyed the challenge of writing the story, but had no expectation of winning. The news has given me a huge confidence boost and the encouragement to complete my psychological suspense novel. Many thanks to Glencairn Crystal and the Bloody Scotland team for this fantastic opportunity.”

Runners up: (£250 prize for each runner up)

Teardrops – a story about a confession to murder and a need for retribution, born of revenge. Written by Jennifer Harvey, a Scottish author based in Denmark.

Jennifer said: "I am delighted to be a runner-up in the Glencairn Crystal crime short story competition. Many thanks to the judges for selecting my story 'Teardrops'. I will raise a glass to the winners and all the entrants in celebration. Cheers!"

Auld Bride – a story about a lost soul returning to the island of her birth, where more than a new job awaits her. Written by Judith O’Reilly, author and former political producer with BBC and ITN and correspondent with The Sunday Times, based in Northumberland. 

Judith was also a ‘Crime in the Spotlighter’ at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2019.

Judith commented: "I'm thrilled to be named as a runner up in this great crime writing short story competition run by Glencairn Glass. The story itself is a cross between The Wicker Man and Kinky Boots, with a flash of Whisky Galore thrown in for good measure. I really wanted to add a touch of the supernatural to a story about whisky and the comeback of a ghost distillery. Whisky with all its history and traditions is a very evocative thing to write about. I hope readers enjoy it."

Judges’ comments:

Describing the winning story Halmeoni’s Wisdom by Brid Cummings, Peter Ranscombe commented: “I was gripped from the excellent start all the way through to the satisfying finish”. Peter selected Teardrops by Jennifer Harvey because; “the theme was very well chosen – a really ‘of-the moment’ story. The structure was interesting with a suitably unsettling ending too”. He described Auld Bride by Judith O’Reilly as: “an old-fashioned blend of suspense and mystery that led up to a chilling climax”.

Deborah Masson said: “Halmeoni’s Wisdom was unique. The imagery was expertly drawn and it had a satisfying end with redemption realised. Teardrops was a fascinating tale, and an all too real danger in today’s modern world. Then in Auld Bride - masterful descriptive writing is displayed in setting the scene in this tale and a surprise twist brings not only past and present together, but also good and evil.”

Glencairn’s marketing director Gordon Brown, who is also a founding director of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and has written eight crime novels with his latest, ‘Thirty-One Bones’, under the pseudonym Morgan Cry said: “The quality of entries was outstanding. With entries from all over the planet it demonstrates the continuing fascination with crime writing. This is why Glencairn is delighted to continue their sponsorship of both the McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland debut crime prizes which will be announced at this year’s Bloody Scotland Festival in September.

Prizes and where to read the stories:

Three prizes are awarded to the winning authors: the first prize winner, Brid Cummings, receives £1000, whilst the two runners up, Jennifer Harvey and Judith O’Reilly, each receive £250. All three winners also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses. The overall winning entry will be published in the May issue of Scottish Field Magazine (on shelf Friday 8th April). The runners’ up stories will also be published from 8th April online on Scottish Field Magazine’s website (www.scottishfield.co.uk).

You will also be able to read the winning story and the runners up stories on the Glencairn Glass website: www.whiskyglass.com from Monday 11th April.

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, for four days from the 15th to 18th September, please visit www.bloodyscotland.com

Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize 2021 Finalists Revealed

 

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival reveals

five finalists for the McIlvanney Prize 2021 

sponsored by The Glencairn Glass with match funding from 

Culture & Business Fund Scotland

Five years ago the Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award was renamed the McIlvanney Prize in memory of William McIlvanney. This year his final book, The Dark Remains, completed with the help of Ian Rankin, was launched at the Edinburgh Book Festival immediately prior to the announcement of the McIlvanney Prize shortlist.

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

They selected five finalists from the longlist of thirteen. The list includes 2015 winner, Craig Russell; established names Stuart MacBride and Alan Parks and two debut authors, Emma Christie and Robbie Morrison who beat some of the biggest names in crime fiction to make the cut. Emma Christie was one of the up and coming authors selected to appear at Crime in the Spotlight as a support act for The Never Ending Panel last year.

The judges described Craig Russell as ‘an author who never disappoints and always gets to the heart of a story’ and they ‘loved the presentation of Victorian Edinburgh and Celtic myths’ in HYDE (Constable)

They praised THE APRIL DEAD by Alan Parks (Canongate) for ‘continuing to innovate’ and said they ‘enjoyed the well-drawn characters and cliffhanger ending’.

They called THE COFFIN MAKER’S GARDEN by Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins) ‘a dark, edgy and original novel, full of action and a great sense of place with just the right kind of humour'

They described THE SILENT DAUGHTER by Emma Christie (Welbeck) as ‘taking the domestic noir genre and offering something fresh and different with well controlled characters’ and called EDGE OF THE GRAVE by Robbie Morrison (Macmillan) ‘. They enjoyed the pace of the novel and the unforeseen twist at the end. Both are also on the shortlist for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize.

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

The winners of both prizes will be revealed at the Albert Halls in Stirling at 5.15pm on Friday 17 September and broadcast live on-line.

The McIlvanney Prize 2021 Longlist

 

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival 17-19 September 2021

LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE McILVANNEY PRIZE 2021

sponsored by The Glencairn Glass

Winners to be presented on Friday 17 September 2021

Five years ago the Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award was renamed the McIlvanney Prize in memory of William McIlvanney. This year his final book, The Dark Remains which was completed with the help of Ian Rankin will be published on 2 September coinciding with the announcement of the McIlvanney Prize shortlist. 

The longlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2021 is today revealed to be:

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

Thirteen - a crime festival’s dozen! Only Val McDermid also featured on the list last year and Chris Brookmyre has featured on every longlist either as himself or his alter ego Ambrose Parry. He describes himself as ‘the Meryl Streep of the McIlvanney’. Craig Russell and Denise Mina are also previous winners. 

Bob McDevitt, Director of Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival said:

'The McIlvanney Prize longlist once again reaffirms that our crime readers love great books by well-loved authors they are familiar with but are always on the lookout for new voices and new ways to tell a crime story. It's a testament to the breadth and depth of Scottish crime writing'

The McIlvanney Prize will be judged by Karen Robinson, formerly of The Times Crime Club and a CWA judge; Ayo Onatade, winner of the CWA Red Herring Award and freelance crime fiction critic and Ewan Wilson, crime fiction buyer from Waterstones Glasgow. For the second year running the sponsor will be The Glencairn Glass – the world’s favourite whisky glass.

Finalists for the McIlvanney Prize will be revealed at the beginning of September coinciding with publication of The Dark Remains. The winner will be revealed in Stirling and on-line on Friday 17 September. 

The McIlvanney award recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. The 2021 longlist features established crime writers and debuts, corporates and indies. Previous winners are 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 McIlvanney Prize - Bloody Scotland Prizes – Entry Rules

 

·       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.

·      When considering the entries the judges will take into account quality of writing, originality of plot and potential durability in the crime genre.

·   We open for 2021 entries on Monday 8th February 2021 and entries should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 9th April 2021.

 ENTRY RULES:

·    Publishers may submit full length novels first published in the United Kingdom between  1st August 2020 and 31st July 2021 for the McIlvanney Prize. (Note the shortlist for The Bloody Scotland Debut of the Year will be drawn from the McIlvanney Prize entries.)

·   For the purposes of both prizes, a crime book is eligible if the author was born or raised in Scotland. If the author was not born or raised in Scotland, the book will still be deemed eligible if the author lives in Scotland and has done so for at least six years, AND the book submitted for the award is substantially set in Scotland.

·       Other novels may be deemed eligible at the discretion of the organisers.

·       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 is willing for the submitted work to be considered and that they consent to share that book (in all formats) with readers, judges and the board in consideration for the prize.

·  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 2021/Winner of The Bloody Scotland Debut of the Year” or “Shortlisted for The McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021/Shortlisted for The Bloody Scotland Debut of the Year” 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 on the Bloody Scotland website.

·       Publishers will make every effort to ensure that any shortlisted authors for either prize will attend the ceremony either virtually or in Stirling on Friday 17th September 2021, and will be available for media interviews before, immediately afterwards and/or on the following morning.

·       There is no charge for entering, but there will be a charge of £300 + VAT (if applicable) per longlisted title for the McIlvanney Prize, and £250 + 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 £300 fee will apply.

·       The longlist for the McIlvanney Prize will comprise up to twelve books. The shortlist for the debut prize is usually 3 or 4 titles. Publishers will be notified immediately after the organisers meeting early in June 2021 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 submit your book to: bob@bloodyscotland.com with ‘McIlvanney Prize 2021 Submission_Book Title’ clearly stated in the subject line. Please indicate if the book you are submitting is a debut

 

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Winners of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Fiction Prizes revealed!!

BLOODY SCOTLAND INTERNATIONAL CRIME FESTIVAL REVEALS THE WINNERS OF THE BLOODY SCOTLAND DEBUT PRIZE AND THE McILVANNEY PRIZE 2020 TO BE TWO DEBUT WOMEN WRITERS

Sponsored by The Glencairn Glass with match funding from Culture & Business Fund Scotland

It has been a rollercoaster year for debut writers. Closed bookshops meant that they could have sunk without trace but reviewers, innovative booksellers, established authors and the media have been incredibly supportive and at Bloody Scotland we have been hugely grateful for the enthusiasm shown for the finalists in our second Bloody Scotland Debut Prize – Francine Toon, Deborah Masson, Stephen O’Rourke and Marion Todd.

The prize was judged by Lin Anderson, author and co-founder of Bloody Scotland, Ewan Wilson from Waterstones and Kenny Tweedale from sponsors the Glencairn Glass, who at the opening of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival on Friday evening revealed the winner of the Debut Prize to be Deborah Masson with Hold Your Tongue.

The judges described Hold Your Tongue as a 'well written, fast paced and gritty thriller with a strong female protagonist, who will stop at nothing to find the killer'.

The finalists of the prestigious McIlvanney Prize included established names Ambrose Parry and Doug Johnstone (both of whom were finalists last year) alongside relative newcomer Andrew James Greig and debut author Francine Toon who had also featured on the Bloody Scotland Debut shortlist.

Judges Karen Robinson (Times Crime Club) and James Crawford (author, TV presenter and chair of Publishing Scotland) were chaired by writer and broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove who revealed the winner of the McIlvanney Prize 2020 to be Francine Toon with Pine.

He described her book as‘an extraordinary novel which stood out because of the sheer quality of the writing and the dark brooding atmosphere of the remote rural Scottish village in which it is set. The book merges the supernatural with real crime in a very memorable way and brings an exciting new talent to Scottish crime writing.’            

Both winners are debuts. Both are published by Transworld, who coincidentally also published last year’s winner Manda Scott. It is the first year that the Glencairn Glass have sponsored the prizes. Kirsty Nicholson, Glencairn Crystal's Marketing Manager said:

‘First time authors winning both prizes this year highlights what a bright future the fantastic tradition of Scottish crime writing has.We are delighted and proud to sponsor such prestigious awards with the Glencairn Glass and would like to congratulate both Francine and Deborah, while wishing them all the best for the future.'

Francine Toon was brought up in Sutherland and Fife. She has lived in Dornoch, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Canterbury, London and Portugal.

Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen. She and her children now live in the family home where she grew up.

Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize Finalists revealed

BLOODY SCOTLAND INTERNATIONAL CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL REVEALS FOUR FINALISTS FOR THE MCILVANNEY PRIZE 2020

sponsored by The Glencairn Glass with match funding from Culture & Business Fund Scotland

The annual McIlvanney judges lunch was a virtual Bank Holiday breakfast this year with Karen Robinson in London, Stuart Cosgrove in Glasgow and James Crawford in Edinburgh.

All were impressed by the variety and diversity of the finalists, with titles of dark humour, historical research, ambitious and innovative writing which demonstrate the sheer range of the crime genre and continuing strength of Scottish crime writing.

The list includes two who were finalists / bemused winners last year when Manda Scott announced that she was sharing the prize (Ambrose Parry & Doug Johnstone); an author who is also shortlisted for the 2020 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize (Francine Toon) and someone who provided and operated the audio, lighting and staging for the first Bloody Scotland Festivals and only started writing three years ago (Andrew James Greig). When he heard he was a finalist he said: “As a sound engineer I pinned a lapel mic on William McIlvanney at what was to be his last appearance at Bloody Scotland in 2014. I never imagined that in six years time I’d become a writer myself and be a finalist for the prize that bears his name."

The Shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2020 are

Whirligig by Andrew James Greig (Fledgling Press)

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone (Orenda)

The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry (Cannongate Books)

Pine by Francine Toon (Transworld)

The judges praised Whirligig by Andrew James Greig (Fledgling Press) for an ‘ambitious, innovative concept and the most intricate modus operandi for killing the victims of any book this year..... a real page turner'

They described Pine by Francine Toon (Transworld) as ‘an impressive and atmospheric novel, with a portrait of remote rural Scotland, bringing in issues of school bullying, mental health and alcoholism. Very readable and engaging, It's also beautifully written.’

It’s the third time in five years that Doug Johnstone has been a McIlvanney Finalist. A perennial favourite at the Festival his latest book, A Dark Matter (Orenda) was described by the judges as ‘a brilliant idea, a heartwarming portrait of a family with three generations of women set in an undertakers. A confident, entertaining novel with dark humour, pace and energy'.

The Art of Dying is the second collaboration by husband and wife team, Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. Chris won the McIlvanney Prize in 2016 with Black Widow and as Ambrose Parry they were finalists for the McIlvanney Prize last year. The judges loved the ‘original setting in Victorian Edinburgh’ and praised the ‘fascinating medical research’ and the ‘implicit love affair building between the two main characters – the medically trained man, and the untrained women (who is clearly the smarter of the two).’

The winner will be revealed from Stirling on Friday 18 September at 7pm and all the finalists are involved over the festival weekend. Andrew James Greig is on The Never-Ending Panel as is Doug Johnstone and Ambrose Parry; Chris Brookmyre (50% of Ambrose Parry) and Doug will also be participating in The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers – Behind the Music and Crime at the Coo Online and Francine Toon has contributed to the debut short story in association with new sponsors of the two prizes, the Glencairn Glass.

Marisa Haetzman (the other 50% of Ambrose Parry) summed it up when she said “It’s little surprise to say that this is the best news we’ve had all year.”

Shortlisted authors for the Debut Prize 2020 are:-

Hold your Tongue by Deborah Masson (Transworld)

The Crown Agent by Stephen O'Rourke (Sandstone)

See Them Run by Marion Todd (Canelo)

Pine by Francine Toon (Doubleday)

The authors shortlisted for the Debut Prize will collaborate on a short story to be co-ordinated by author and board member, Gordon Brown aka Morgan Cry, in association with The Glencairn Glass.