Festival will give crime fiction fans a bloody good time
Authors and readers will flock to Stirling this weekend to celebrate their love of the genre in all its guises, writes Louise Fairbairn
Crime fiction fans have been looking forward to the crispness of a Scottish autumn for months, and counting down the days until this year’s Bloody Scotland crime writing festival arrives – the wait is almost over, as it begins on Friday 18 September.
Last year the festival introduced a guest programmer, in the shape of Sir Ian Rankin; this year Denise Mina has taken on the mantle and opened up her address book to bring some stellar names to Stirling to chat to. She starts by talking to Lucy Foley on Friday afternoon, then will be conversing with Lee Child, SA Cosby, Jane Harper and Jane Casey, Tana French and Ardal O’Hanlon, and rounds off the festival on Sunday with Val McDermid.
Other big names spending some time in Stirling this weekend include Chris Brookmyre and Abir Mukherjee, festival co-founder Lin Anderson, Richard Osman and Mark Billingham, Louise Welsh, Liz Nugent, Elly Griffiths and the Queen of Icelandic Noir, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. Among the celebs are broadcaster Jeremy Vine, and Matthew Sweet, creator of TV show Bookish.
But the festival is also the place to be if you’re looking to find a new name in crime fiction – if you’re in the Albert Halls, look out for Crime In The Spotlight. This offers emerging writers the chance to read from their work in front of a hefty crowd ahead of events featuring some of the biggest authors in the genre, and gives the audience a sneak peek of the talent out there.
You can also meet the writers on the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize shortlist at an event on Friday afternoon. Frances Crawford; Linda Duncan McLaughlin; Kirsty Lockwood; Zoë Rankin, and May Rinaldi will talk to festival co-founder Alex Gray ahead of the presentation of the prize at an event in the Church Of The Holy Rude.
Also being unveiled in the church on Friday night will be the winner of the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist this year is: Tariq Ashkanani; Gavin Bell; Frances Crawford; Philip Miller and Zoë Rankin. Ashkanani – a former winner of the Debut Prize – took home the 2025 McIlvanney Prize, will it be two in a row?
Afterwards, there will be a procession led by the two winners and Denise Mina, with Royal Stirling-themed performers and musicians, to the Albert Halls.
If you’re keen to spot the stars of the future, be in the audience for possibly the most nerve-wracking event of the weekend: Pitch Perfect, where writers pitch their novel to a panel of publishing industry figures. This year the event is sponsored by Whodunnit Magazine, which will award £500 to the winner. Pitch Perfect alumni include Alison Belsham, Matt Wesolowski, Kate Foster, Suzy Apsley, and DV Bishop. May Rinaldi, who is on this year’s Debut Prize shortlist, is also a previous finalist.
But maybe you also want to watch established authors talking about your favourite sub-genre – well, Bloody Scotland has something for you. Like historical? Get yourself to History In The Making with DV Bishop, Cressida Dowling and AE Goldin. Like spy stories? Rogue Agents with David Goodman, CJ Merritt, Kim Sherwood and Paul Warner is just the ticket. Maybe you want both together? Spies, Lies And Allies with Douglas Jackon, Catherine Merridale and Alan Parks has your historical espionage needs covered.
Fancy something a little cosier? Pop along to the Golden Lion on Saturday to see Janice Hallett, Steve Higgs and Olly Smith in conversation. Or try Returning Characters with Jack Anderson, Lucy Andrew and Vaseem Khan discussing taking on James Bond’s Q, Moriarty and the world of Jane Austen.
If you like police procedurals, Saturday gives you both Straight To The Heart with Patricia Gibney, Sarah Hilary and Simon Mason, and Call The Polis with Andrew James Greig, James Oswald and Caro Ramsay. If it’s legal thrillers you’re after, former lawyers Steve Cavanagh and Nadine Matheson are in conversation on Saturday.
If you want to get really specific, how about mysteries set on the railway (Dangers On A Train), luxurious summer settings (Evil Under The Sun) and even The Housing Crisis Is Murder.
There are of course a whole host of Scottish or Scotland-based authors to watch covering pretty much the whole country – wherever you hail from in Scotland there’s a crime novel set not far away. But one of the best things about reading is armchair travel, and Bloody Scotland always has a strong international flavour, with authors and novel settings in locations from the southern US to New Zealand to Norway to Greece. This year the festival welcomes Cai Jun, China’s top crime and horror author, and a collaboration between Bloody Scotland and Helsinki Noir brings Finnish authors Martta Kaukonen, Satu Rämö and Antti Tuomainen.
If your tastes lean to the non-fiction side, Professor Lara Frumkin of the Open University will challenge the audience in Where Does Free Speech End And Extremism Begin? An hour that could not be more topical… There is also How To Clean A Crime Scene with Ben Giles, and on Sunday criminologist Prof David Wilson offers A History Of Modern Britain In Twenty Murders.
It wouldn’t be Bloody Scotland without a few extra-curricular events though. Saturday night has both Karaoke At The Coo, and Eight Out Of Ten Crime Writers Do Countdown, where Craig Robertson will attempt to oversee a quiz that bears no resemblance to a popular TV show. Or on Friday evening, join Antony Johnston for an interactive puzzling session, Can You Solve The Murder?
Elsewhere, You, The Jury is based on a real court case, updated and scripted by Douglas Skelton and featuring real-life lawyers, forensic specialists and court staff. The jury will be chosen from the audience – will they come to the same verdict as at the original trial?
The Tolbooth is the place for film fans, with a showing of The Maltese Falcon introduced by Julie M Rivett, one of Dashiell Hammet’s grandchildren and a trustee of his literary estate.
As a special treat for theatre fans, Dundee Rep Theatre and Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre are offering a rehearsed reading of Huntly, an adaptation of Denise Mina’s novella Rizzio, about the murder of Mary, Queen of Scots’ closest advisor, David Rizzio.
After all that indoor excitement, you might feel the need for some reviving fresh air, so why not join the True Crime Walking Tour which runs at various times over all three days, led by Colin Sinclair, who will take you around the city revealing tales of chilling misdeeds – the final story being told over a dram in a historic pub.
If you’re thinking about coming along but are a little nervous as you’ve never been to a crime fiction festival before, just give it a go. Everyone is there because they love crime fiction, so you’ve got something in common! Whether it’s in a queue for a coffee, waiting for an event to begin or in the Golden Lion bar, strike up a conversation with the person next to you. If you can’t make it, a selection of panels are being livestreamed to give you a flavour of the event from the comfort of your own sofa.
And if you are heading along in person, don’t forget to bring an extra bag to take home all the books you couldn’t resist buying and having signed…
Bloody Scotland 2026 runs from Friday to Sunday in various venues in Stirling. For more information and tickets, including livestream options, visit this link.
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