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)

Bloody great times in Scotland

The torchlit parade from Stirling Castle heads through the town on Thursday night

Craig every second Tuesday. 

I hope you're all having a good day as you read this, not just because I wish good things for readers in general, but because it's actually my birthday - and I'd love for everyone to have a lovely day. 

Firstly, apologies for a wee absence. Quite a lot of tumult in August, ranging from broken laptops to heart-breaking family medical matters. The latter has been and is the toughest to deal with, but it was the former that for a few weeks put paid to my posting on Murder is Everywhere, as old accounts and new devices decided they weren't fans of each other. In better news, I have plenty of fun stuff to chat about today, birthday aside, as I spent recent days enjoying Bloody Scotland. 

Sunrise, from Stirling Castle on Friday

For those who haven't been before (those who have know), Bloody Scotland is one of the world's best festivals, held each year - 2020 aside, due to COVID - in Stirling, which is both one of the newest cities in the UK (having got city status twenty years ago for the Queen's golden jubilee) and one of the most historic places, being a former capital, a royal burgh, and the home of Robert the Bruce's castle, perched atop a craggy (Craig-y?) cliff of volcanic rock overlooking lush plains laced with rivers and small lochs where famed battles between the English and Scottish happened in centuries past.  

Well, actually, some of those battles still happen, on the football field at Bloody Scotland each year, where Scottish crime writers battle their English counterparts in a fight-to-the-(not)death for honour, glory, and a shiny trophy. It used to be that other nationalities attending Bloody Scotland were drafted into either side, but as the festival has grown and national pride is on the line, that's been kiboshed. 

(Plus it saves fights about who gets Norwegian virtuoso Thomas Enger in their squad.) This year a new field was tried, and in a high-scoring, hard-fought contest Scotland emerged victorious, 6-4. 

Not sure if this is the shot where Liverpool crime writer, Fun Lovin' Crime Writers bassist, and stalwart England keeper Luca Veste busted his pinkie 

But before the football on Saturday afternoon (as well as during and afterwards), there was a whole lot of bookish greatness across what was Bloody Scotland's 10th anniversary. Festivities commenced on Thursday evening in the historic Church of the Holy Rude, which dates back nearly 1,000 years. History seeps from the altars, stone walls, stained glass, and wooden ceiling. As hundreds gathered to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Bloody Scotland and officially kickstart a wonderful weekend, we were standing in the space where an infant James VI was crowned King of Scotland in 1567.

Scottish crime writers Alex Gray and Lin Anderson, who helped establish Bloody Scotland a decade ago, with festival director Bob McDevitt in the Holy Rude. 

On the Thursday night, as well as seeing lots of old friends - and meeting some people in person for the first time who I'd only corresponded with online or via Zoom, eg US author Lisa Unger, which is always lovely - we got to enjoy the return of the famed torchlit parade from the front of Robert the Bruce's castle down through the historic streets of Stirling, to the Albert Halls where the prizes for Scottish crime novel of the year would be awarded: a debut category and the McIlvanney Prize for the Best Scottish Crime Novel of the Year (named after William McIlvanney, godfather of Tartan Noir).

Fancy seeing you here: running into US crime writer Lisa Unger
outside Stirling Castle as we prepared for the torchlit parade

After the excitement of trying not to trip and set ourselves alight during the torchlit parade, it was on to the prizes. Some outstanding books in the running this year, particularly the quartet shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. I've been a past judge and judging chair of this award, but had no clue who might win this year out of THE HERETIC by Liam McIlvanney, THE SECOND CUT by Louise Welsh, A CORRUPTION OF BLOOD by Ambrose Parry, and MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks. 

Given the likes of 1979 by Val McDermid, THE DARK REMAINS by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin, and RIZZIO by Denise Mina - all superb books too - were also published in the past year or so, along with lots of other fabulous Scottish crime fiction, there's no doubt 'Tartan Noir' is in fine fettle.

Out of a strong field, WELCOME TO COOPER by Tariq Ashkanani (Debut of the Year) and MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks were revealed as this year's winners. Congratulations and celebrations. 

Alan Parks is revealed as the 2022 McIlvanney Prize winner

From there, the festival unfolded over the rest of that night and the next three days with dozens of amazing author panel discussions, plus fun events like Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan's Night of a Million Games, and the Curly Coo extravaganza of music, craic, and whisky drinking. Of course, as anyone who's been to a crime writing festival knows, some of the best things happen away from the official programme - the catchups and meetings with authors and booklovers, the spontaneous meals, the great conversations, the random moments. Bloody Scotland was back in full force this year, celebrating its 10th anniversary with an extra day of events, and a full slate (eg last year's still-excellent festival didn't have the football, torchlit parade, Coo, or the welcome reception at the Holy Rude). 

It was a lot, in a good way. By Friday evening I'd felt like I'd already been part of a full festival weekend, and we still had the whole weekend itself to go. Huge bouquets to all involved, from director Bob McDevitt and the Festival Board who've steered the festival oh-so-well through its first decade of terrific events and significant growth, to all the volunteers, technicians, venue staff, and more. 

I'm grateful to feel like a wee part of the festival family, having been involved onstage for eight years in a row now, as well as being a past judge of the McIlvanney Prize. I'd highly recommend that any crime fiction lover puts Bloody Scotland on their to-do list (there's an online option for those who can't make it in person). With a weekend full of highlights, I could rave on for ages. So here's just a few wee pics.

Stoked to hang out with cool Aussie writer Emma Styles, who was 'spotlight' author before my first panel with Denise Mina, Elly Griffiths, and Imran Mahmood

Double-duty on Friday: in the evening I chaired 'Without a Trace' with
the fab Fiona Cummins, Alex Dahl, and Tim Weaver

Bestselling crime writers Martin Waites, CL Taylor, and Elly Griffiths showing
they're full of hot air as they try to win Vas and Abir's game show. 

One of many fab meals with fab people, this one a spontaneous late-night Italian
after a full Saturday of parkrun, panel watching, and other goodness. 

She'll be Write, Mate: a short-notice meet-up of Aussies and Kiwis at the historic
Nicky-Tams Bar and Bothy, originally opened in 1718

A lovely personal moment: a reader (Peter) saw me in the audience of an event and had a copy of our new anthology DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER for me to sign.

Chris Brookmyre, Mark Billingham, and Luca Veste had the crowd in stitches
with several bawdy songs at the Curly Coo 

I had the pleasure of 'closing down' the festival in the Albert Halls on Sunday,
chairing the terrific trio of David Fennell, Liljs Sigurðardóttir, and Louise Welsh

Have you ever been to Stirling, for Bloody Scotland or otherwise? Are you a fan of crime writing festivals and meeting authors and readers? Please share your thoughts in the comments. 

Until next time. Ka kite anō. 

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. This one was used by Michael Bennett onstage at Bute on Sunday, so seems appropriate:

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata! 

(What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!)

With Ayo Onatade, chair of this year's McIlvanney Prize judges
and past judge of the Ngaio Marsh Awards (nice t-shirt Ayo!)

Feeling Bloody wonderful in Scotland

Welcome back! Five continents of crime writing on show in a hybrid event before a live in-person and online audience: Sergei Lebedev, Claudia Pineiro, Femi Kayode, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden beamed in, and I was onstage solo in the Albert Halls. 

Craig every second Tuesday.

"Kia ora and gidday everyone."

Those five words are how I've opened my fortnightly Murder is Everywhere posts this year, but long before that they were how I'd often open book festival author panels I'd had had the pleasure and privilege of being asked to chair over my years based in the UK. A wee nod to my antipodean heritage, wherever I was onstage in various towns or cities in England, Canada, or Scotland (and even occasionally back in New Zealand, pre-pandemic). 

On Saturday afternoon I got to say those words onstage for the first time in two years, and it felt bloody great. And a little surreal. That was all thanks to the marvellous team behind Bloody Scotland, a festival that is deeply entwined with my British life - I attended for the first time mere days after arriving at Heathrow, and every year since. Even last year I chaired a panel, on my birthday from my living room, as part of the online Bloody Scotland. 

Preparations for the return of real-life Bloody Scotland were a little different; books aplenty and also COVID testing (along with vaccination requirements)

Stealing the words of my six-year-old daughter, I was 'nerva-cited' about hopping on the train to Stirling for this year's Bloody Scotland. It had been exactly two years since my last book festival (I usually attend several each year), and 18 months since my last real-life event of any kind, a book launch in London a few weeks before the first lockdown. 

I was looking forward to seeing everyone who'd be there, and being part of the festival, while being a wee bit hesitant about the few hours cooped up with strangers on the train to get up there, the COVID test I needed to take beforehand (an author or two had to pull out in the lead-up to the festival, having tested positive), and how I'd feel being back somewhere I love so much, but would in curtailed form compared to many great 2014-2019 memories. 

Masks inside, social distancing, limited crowds in big venues, a few key events not happening etc. How would it feel? Oh, and it would also be my first festival appearance since my own first book was published during the pandemic. 

Nerva-cited indeed. 

Within a few minutes of checking into my own hotel, I ran into editor
Ben Willis outside the festival hotel, the start of a weekend full of
wonderful catch-ups with friends old and new. 

Within moments of arriving in Stirling, any nervousness had evaporated. It felt like coming home. I ran into editor extraordinaire Ben Willis outside the festival hotel, The Golden Lion, and while we were catching up, several other people we knew wandered past, including crime writer Sarah Hilary. The two years apart evaporated. It felt good to be back. Later on that evening for the McIlvanney Prize announcement then the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers we were masked and audience numbers limited inside the Albert Halls, but those differences were quickly tuned out and it just felt like another fantastic Bloody Scotland festival. So good to see everyone, to be together again. 

Craig Russell makes history, becoming the first two-time winner of the McIlvanney Prize, for HYDE, his gothic tale inspired by Stevenson's classic. 

The Bloody Scotland organisers had created a really wonderful line-up of events for this year's festival, a mix of in-person onstage sessions, and having authors beaming in from other parts of the world. Bloody Scotland had gone fully hybrid, with digital passes to individual sessions or the entire weekend meaning anyone around the world with an internet connection could access some amazing panels. That's something I think many festivals will (hopefully) do in future, allowing them to be more inclusive for authors and readers/audience alike. 

Of course there's a huge cost to doing this in a high-quality manner, which many who've enjoyed free Zoom panels throughout the pandemic - I've participated in several myself - may not grasp. Bloody Scotland had a highly skilled team of professionals involved, creating videos, mixing sound, and managing the livestreams. Kudos to them all. 

My 'return' to in-real-life chairing was suitably hybrid too, after 18 months of online events and chairing Zoom panels. I was stoked to be asked to chair what was effectively a 'five continents of crime writing' panel, with Russian author Sergei Lebedev (UNTRACEABLE), Argentinean crime queen Claudia Pineiro (ELENA KNOWS), Nigerian author Femi Kayode (LIGHTSEEKERS) and Lakota Sicangu author David Heska Wanbli Weiden (WINTER COUNTS). What a line-up! It was momentarily a little strange being onstage alone (see photo at the top of this post) but boy did it feel fantastic to be back in front of an audience, and feel the enthusiasm from everyone there. 

My book Southern Cross Crime among some very fine company following
the Around the World in 80 Deaths panel at the Albert Halls

Pre-festival, I'd been curious/concerned about how book sales would be affected, with restricted audience numbers and the festival bookseller not having full pop-up bookshops with everyone's books all there at each venue, all the time for regular browsing and buying, like in years past. Instead, a table of the particular panelists books would be there after each event. I was particularly concerned about my own first panel, given none of the authors would be there to sign their books. But I needn't have worried - Sergei, Femi, David, and Claudia were so wonderful and created such a buzz with our conversation, that loads of their books were bought - sold out in a couple of cases! 

I even got to sign a few copies of my own book, SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME, for readers for the first time - some who bought it at the festival, and some who'd brought copies they already had to Stirling for me to sign. Thanks to everyone who stopped me and said nice things. It meant a lot, after a strange old year of everything being online. 

My first-ever reader signing: stopped on the street even before I'd done any panels. Kia ora!

As those of us who've been blessed to attend some great crime writing festivals in the past know, the panels and programmed events can be awesome, but its the things that happen in between that really make festivals special too. The random moments, the meals and conversations and spontaneous hang-outs with various people who are all gathered there together in one place due to a shared love of creativity and storytelling. That's what we haven't had during the pandemic, despite some really terrific online events that are oh-so-valuable too. 

As I was doing my first-ever book signing on the street, a few other authors and booklovers I knew walked past. More catch-ups and great conversation. It turned out Finnish author Antti Tuomainen was going to wander up to Stirling Castle, since it was his first time here (I'd met Antti at several other festivals). I had a couple of hours before my panel, so I offered to show him around historic Stirling - so for the next couple of hours a Finn and a Kiwi explored Scottish history during a crime festival, before heading onstage for our respective panels that afternoon. 

Finnish crime writer Antti Tuomainen enjoying the view over Stirling Castle

That's the thing I've maybe missed the most about crime festivals, the unplanned moments that happen when you're surrounded by interesting, creative people. There's a buzz at a festival that lingers after you leave. I always love interviewing people who are passionate about what they do - whether authors or sportspeople or lawyers or charity workers etc - because I find it inspires me to delve even more into my own passions and the things I care about.

So I've missed that festival buzz the past couple of years, despite some terrific online events. Looking ahead I hope we can have the best of both worlds: real-life moments on the ground along with lots of amazing onstage panels and events that are made even more accessible to many who can't be there, via streaming and digital passes etc.  

I think Bloody Scotland had a pretty great mix this year, and that's down to the organising team and board -  including the likes of Bob McDevitt, Fiona Brownlee, Lin Anderson, Gordon Brown, Abir Mukherjee, Craig Robertson, Alex Gray, and others - plus the tech staff and dozens of wonderful volunteers. 

They made magic. 

Since we couldn't have our usual 'Crime at the Coo' singalong event on Saturday night, the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers graced us with an acoustic set following the quiz in the Albert Halls, with a video screen nod to friend-of-the-festival Mandy Silver, owner of the Curly Coo

For those who missed it over the weekend, you can still nab a digital pass and watch the likes of Stephen King chatting with Linwood Barclay, Karin Slaughter's superb interview with Louise Welsh which closed the festival on Sunday evening, the Red Hot Chilli Writers fun-filled live podcast event, and so much more (including my Around the World in 80 Deaths panel on Saturday afternoon, and our hilarious Sunday morning event with 'masters of monstrous characters' Liz Nugent and Stuart MacBride) until the end of the month. 

It was a wonderful weekend. Kia ora rawa atu (thanks heaps) to everyone involved. Can't wait for 2022. 

What are some of your favourite book event memories? What festivals would you love to attend one day?

Until next time. Ka kite anō.

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 food basket and my food basket the people will thrive, ie everybody has something to offer, and by working together we can all flourish.)

A hangi is a traditional Māori feast where people come together to share food that has been cooked on hot stones underground. 

Bloody, bloody Scotland!!

As you will know from Jeff, it was the fourth annual Bloody Scotland crime writing festival last weekend.  Due to my superb ninja powers I survived.

Caro Ramsay, Lin Anderson and Alex Sokoloff

The Festival sold over 6000 tickets, it supported the refugee campaign and it gave free entry to events for those registered unemployed so it was a jolly good effort all round.  Martina Cole, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Linwood Barclay were the support crew with Caro Ramsay and Jeff Siger being the headline acts.  I am a fiction writer.

Matt Bendoris who had the best title of the year!

At the annual award winning dinner there was a good ruffle of laughter as the chairman of the sponsors called Matt Bendoris, Matt Benders.  If you look at the cover of the DM For Murder it can look like Benders. ...or can it?

 Last year the same man called Denise Mina, Denis.  This is a photograph of me confirming that Matt was wearing his own legs under his kilt for the award dinner.  It had been a subject of speculation.

This is a picture of abject terror.  We were doing spontaneous crime writing from the stage which would have been fine if the bloke in charge had arrived more than one minute before we went on stage.  We were clueless.

This is me trying to scare the audience into giving us something decent to talk about.  My co-conspirators Christopher Brookmyre and Kevin Wignall were marvellous.  Kevin who is English/Belgian had no idea that Ailsa Craig was an island - he thought it was a person and suddenly the story took on a whole new meaning. Before he said his bit Ailsa Craig had been lying in the dark, silent sea surrounded by fog.  When it got to his turn he asked her in for a drink.

The three of us not really following anything.  But formulating some plan to assassinate Donald Trump using sweetheart cabbage and a bag of half chewed Haribos.

Somewhere in this audience is someone claiming to be John Grisham.  He looked suspiciously like Jeff Siger to me.  Come to think of it, I have never seen John Grisham and Jeff Siger in the same room.  

The plot is well on its way now. See me scribble in my notebook as I try desperately to keep some vaguely consistent narrative thread.

This is me telling Christopher Brookmyre how long an assassin's rifle would be and that it would be easier to get the rifle in the case than it would be to get the assassin in the case as somebody in the audience had suggested.

At this point my smile is rather forced as I wanted to kill the .... Seemingly at one point I told him to 'shut up' as he was spoiling a nice wee story line we were building about the blind Belgian's golden retriever and Donald Trump's wig. And the fact they would be very similar down as assassin's sight.

Sanity rules in the post event signing.  After this someone poured a glass of wine down my throat as Jeff tried to explain to me exactly where Portland is.  Either of the Portlands. I got confused as one of the Portland's described as 'east' is west of Portland. Like Krakatoa being in the wrong place in the film title.

At some point the next day we had a legal beagle panel with two of my favourite writers.  Jeff was there as well.  This is Neil White, Jeff and Steve Cavanagh.  Steve is a new author to me and has written a legal courtroom drama where the defence counsel has a bomb strapped to his chest.   No pressure.  I have asked him to do a guest blog for us later. The minute he spoke I knew he was a Belfast man as he sounded exactly like my grandad.

This is the three amigos in conversation with Craig Sisterton. With a Kiwi, a New Yorker, a Belfast man and a Yorkshireman, it was the most accented panel of Bloody Scotland.

Practising my bubble blowing ninja skills, it is more difficult than it looks.

The venue for the football.  Pretty.

The three ninjas in full flow.

The most photographed being at the football.  This dog scored more hits than Matt Bender's right leg.

As you may recall last year the score was something like 14 - 0.  It was the weekend after the referendum.  This year the English realised the Scots were taking it very seriously and somehow drafted in some very professional looking players and a couple of Icelanders.  The end result 5 - 5 was fair play to all says Caro through gritted teeth.

Craig Robertson waiting for the ball to come his way. It did. Five times.

Jeff on the sidelines. He wanted to play but we held him back. Or held him up. One of the two.

What nice authors we are, showing off Neil Broadfoot's book!

eagle eyed MIEers will spot Mr Douglas Skelton.

What grand surroundings.

Mr Malone trying not to recall the memory of his matching kilt and underpants ensemble. ( He was only ten at the time)

Caro Ramsay. Bloody Scotland survivor 18/09/2015