Yesterday I received the books I need to read and score as I once again was asked to be a Bloody Scotland reader! Myself and others are given 4-6 books to read over 6-8 weeks and score. ?Our lips are sealed though as we can’t share the books we’re reading until the embargo is lifted…We send our scores back and from that, the longlist for the McILVANNEY award will be chosen! A huge honour to be a part of this. Although we’re still unsure whether Bloody Scotland will go ahead, the awards most certainly will! Here’s more about that:
BLOODY SCOTLAND CONFIRMS THAT THE McILVANNEY PRIZE AND BLOODY SCOTLAND DEBUT PRIZE WILL GO AHEAD WITH NEW SPONSOR – THE GLENCAIRN GLASS
Bloody Scotland is delighted to confirm that The McIlvanney Prize will be going ahead in 2020 with new sponsor, the Glencairn Glass, the World’s Favourite Whisky Glass and the Official Glass for Whisky. The Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year, which was launched last year and won by Claire Askew with All the Hidden Truths, will also go ahead, sponsored by the Glencairn Glass.
The award winning, Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal, creators of the Glencairn Glass, has always produced the decanter for the winner of The McIlvanney Prize so it was a natural partnership for them to come on board as sponsors of the prizes in their entirety.
Over sixty entries have been received for the 2020 award. The longlist will be announced at the end of June after which a panel of judges including Karen Robinson, Editor of The Times Crime Club; James Crawford, chair of Publishing Scotland and presenter of BBC series Scotland from the Sky and Stuart Cosgrove, writer, broadcaster and former senior executive at Channel 4, will select the finalists.The winner of the debut prize will be selected by a panel including Lin Anderson, author and a founding director of Bloody Scotland, and representatives from Waterstones and Glencairn Crystal. It is perfectly possible that a debut could also win the main prize.
Bob McDevitt, Director of Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival said:
‘It’s great to see that in this time of great uncertainty, the Bloody Scotland prizes have attracted another great crop of Scottish crime novels for readers to escape into. It’s especially heartening to see so many excellent debut authors slugging it out with the more established names. I’m also really pleased to welcome the Glencairn Glass on board as a sponsor of the prizes this year and look forward to working with them in the future.’
Kirsty Nicholson, Glencairn’s Design and Marketing Manager commented:
‘We are delighted to sponsor the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year. As a Scottish family company we are excited and proud to be involved with such prestigious prizes that both celebrate and reward such a rich and talented tradition as Scottish crime fiction. Like Scottish crime writing, the Glencairn Glass is uniquely Scottish with a truly global appeal. We look forward to a great working relationship with Bloody Scotland and would like to wish everyone who has entered the best of luck.’
The winner of the Scottish Crime Book of the Year will be awarded The McIlvanney Prize in memory of William McIlvanney on Friday 18 September. The award recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing, includes a prize of £1000, a Glencairn Crystal Decanter and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize will receive £500 and a Glencairn Star Trophy.
Previous winners of The McIlvanney Prize are Manda Scott with A Treachery of Spies in 2019 (which she chose to share with her fellow finalists Doug Johnstone, Denise Mina and Ambrose Parry), Liam McIlvanney with The Quaker in 2018, Denise Mina with The Long Drop in 2017, Chris Brookmyre with Black Widow in 2016, Craig Russell with The Ghosts of Altona in 2015, Peter May with Entry Islandin 2014, Malcolm Mackay with How A Gunman Says Goodbye in 2013 and Charles Cumming with A Foreign Country in 2012.
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012. The festival uses a number of atmospheric, historic venues in Stirling’s Old Town setting it apart from other literary festivals. Full information at www.bloodyscotland.com
