Getting bloody in Scotland

Chris Brookmyre won the 2024 McIlvanney Prize for his outstanding meta-fiction
mystery THE CRACKED MIRROR (Bloody Scotland/Colin Hattersley)

Craig every second Tuesday

Kia ora and gidday everyone,

Well it's been a rather whirlwind week or so, full of bookish goodness. While I sadly couldn't make it across to Bouchercon in Nashville this year, and had to watch along from afar, last weekend I got to revisit possibly my favourite festival of all, Bloody Scotland! Held each year in historic Stirling, a small city in the heart of Scotland, an hour or so outside of each of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bloody Scotland is a tremendous annual gathering celebrating superb Scottish and international crime and thriller writing. 

I've had the pleasure and privilege of being involved each year over the last decade - in fact my very first weekend in the UK in 2014 was spent at Bloody Scotland! I was so warmly welcomed by everyone there, catching up with a few authors I'd interviewed in New Zealand, or by phone over the years, or at my one prior overseas festival at Harrogate in 2012, and making so many new friends and contacts who've played such an impactful role in my life in the UK the last ten years. So Bloody Scotland has always been special to me. 

A legal eagles panel at 2015 Bloody Scotland, my first UK chairing gig where I chatted with lawyer-novelists Neil White, Jeffrey Siger, and Steve Cavanagh

Each year is different of course, with various highlights, favourite moments, and events. Things evolve and change, and Bloody Scotland has grown massively since I was there as 'media' in 2014, only the third festival, and back again as a panel chair in 2015 (including a lawyers-turned-crime writers panel with Murder is Everywhere's Jeffrey Siger and then rookie author Steve Cavanagh), and then returning every year since. I understand this year was the biggest year ever in terms of tickets sales and turnouts, and it was fantastic to see the Albert Halls and other venues packed once more, back to pre-COVID levels (and beyond) for the likes of Ann Cleeves and other big stars of the genre. 

Along with catching up with crime fiction pals and having an inspiring weekend full of creativity and craic, I was really looking forward to this year's Bloody Scotland for several reasons, including that I'd had to cancel trips to some other festivals this year, that I always enjoy visiting Scotland, and that several cool New Zealand and Australian authors were coming over specifically for Bloody Scotland, including good pals Chris Hammer, Michael Bennett, and Vanda Symon, and cool Aussie author Benjamin Stevenson who I'd yet to meet in person. Combined with a few UK and Europe-based Aussies and Kiwis, it was quite the antipodean crew in Stirling this year!

Rather than me jabbering on, here's a wee photo essay of some of last weekend's happenings, onstage and off:

Fantastic to welcome fellow antipodeans, Bloody Scotland first-timers, and fantastic authors Vanda Symon, Michael Bennett, Benjamin Stevenson, and Chris Hammer

Festival director Bob McDevitt with a member of the pipe band who were part of opening night festivities, following the awarding of this year's McIlvanney Prize

The Wickedest Link game show entertained on Friday night, cut-throat quizzing with stars Chris Brookmyre, Elly Griffiths, Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Marion Todd, Craig Robertson, Mark Billingham, Tony Kent, Vanda Symon and Vaseem Khan.

Three outstanding storytellers who are helping evolve and diversify the crime and thriller genre we love: Vaseem Khan, Michael Bennett, and Abir Mukherjee

Me with Scottish reviewer Louise Fairbairn, who I got to present with a special limted-edition tee given her recent service as a Ngaio Marsh Awards judge

Visiting Māori author Michael Bennett getting to see British newspaper article on his Spitfire pilot father in the green room

Bloody Scotland co-founder Alex Gray showcasing some terrific fresh voices in crime writing, including Kiwi author Tom Baragwanath (PAPER CAGE)

Our Kiwi Crime panel on Saturday afternoon with Vanda Symon and Michael Bennett was really informative and lots of fun in front of a large, enthusiastic audience

One of my fave things about festivals is the spontaneous hang-outs and meals with various people. We had a fab dinner full of laughs and inspiring chat on Saturday with a multi-national crew: Emma Styles, Ajay Chowdhury, Michael Bennett, myself, Vanda Symon, Chris Hammer, Louise Fairbairn, and DV Bishop

Given global spread (four continents) we rarely have many Ngaios judges in same room. Thanks to Bloody Scotland here's four past-present judges (me, Louise, Ayo Onatade, Jacky Collins) with Ngaios winners DV Bishop and Michael Bennett

Emma Styles and I taking first-timers Michael Bennett and Tom Baragwanath on an early morning exploration of historic Stirling (Stirling Castle in background)

Whakataukī of the fortnight: 

Inspired by Zoe and her 'word of the week', I'll be ending my fortnightly posts by sharing a whakataukī (Māori proverb), a pithy and poetic thought to mull on as we go through life.

“Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi”

(with your basket and my basket, the people will thrive)