After the pandemic pushed Bloody Scotland online in 2020, it was wonderful this year that writers and fans could return in person to Stirling (with Covid measures in place), as well as see the festival capitalise on the fact digital enables it to introduce high-profile guests from across the world (connections willing). Digital has also bred the high-wire act of the A-Z Of Crime panel, in which 26 authors pop in and out of a rolling panel to chat, and the audience can dip in and out as they wish.
Among the big names on the main stage, Ian Rankin spoke about the “act of ventriloquism” he performed in turning 100 or so pages of notes left behind by William McIlvanney into a new Laidlaw novel, the trepidation he felt in taking on the task and the enjoyment he found diving into 1972 Glasgow while we couldn’t travel in real life. Meanwhile, Val McDermid’s latest novel, 1979, features Allie Burns, a reporter for a Glasgow tabloid with “superficial” similarities to the Fife-born writer’s life – though the episode in the novel involving a nudist beach in Ayrshire is based on a story McDermid wrote while a reporter in Glasgow… The self-proclaimed “Debbie Harry of crime fiction” also talked of how impressed she is by the expansion of crime fiction into new territories, both geographical and thematically.
Lee and Andrew Child spoke about how Lee came to decide Andrew was the perfect person to take over the Jack Reacher series – though Lee admitted “my secret fear is that he is going to do it better than me”. Their first collaboration, The Sentinel, brought Reacher into a more modern era, a deliberate move by the pair to shake things up a little. As for the Reacher TV series, Lee says the first three episodes are “fabulous”; it should arrive next year.
Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo and Karin Slaughter bookended the festival. Harry Hole creator Nesbo’s latest release is a collection of short stories, which he says he had fun with, in a change from writing a novel, which he describes as “driving a supertanker” which needs planning and is hard to change course with, unlike the short form. Slaughter was especially passionate about writing about violence against women, describing getting pushback in the early years of her career for showing the issue through the lens of a woman. Elsewhere, talking about how “atmosphere should be another character” she said Denise Mina’s Garnethill coloured her idea of Glasgow and there was laughter when she said the reality hadn’t quite matched up.
But it was Stephen King that drew the headlines ahead of the festival, and it was Stephen King – in conversation with Linwood Barclay – who stole the show on Saturday night, resplendent in a Buckie Thistle football shirt and showing off his current read: Want You Gone by Chris Brookmyre. Their relaxed conversation was full of interesting nuggets – King doesn’t plot at all where Barclay likes a “big picture” plan; both enjoy going back and folding in hints. Both still want the next book to be their best ever. And in contrast to a hilarious section sparked by Barclay recalling running a trailer park, there was a sweet moment when they acknowledged their wives had believed in them from the start.
Bloody Scotland has also always supported writers at the earliest stages of their career, and this year was no different, with masterclass sessions, two panels highlighting debut novelists, Crime In The Spotlight – which sees new writers given a few minutes to read from their work before some of the biggest events – and Pitch Perfect, where unpublished writers pitch to a panel of industry experts (congratulations to winner Kris Haddow).
On Friday night, the Albert Halls applauded as the Debut Crime Book of the Year prize went to Robbie Morrison for Edge of the Grave, and the McIlvanney Prize went to Craig Russell for Hyde – making him the first person to win the title twice after taking it in 2015 for The Ghosts Of Altona; his two winning novels could not be more different.
But while the festival’s awards celebrate Scotland’s writers, elsewhere the focus was outwards. There was Nordic Noir in person on Saturday night, and two live video link-ups, with four writers from four continents in Around The World In 80 Deaths (chaired by Craig Sisterson, a Kiwi living in London, for good measure), and A Mexican Stand-Off, chaired by Oscar de Muriel, a Mexico City native who now lives in the UK and has written a series set in Victorian Edinburgh.
To me, some of the most memorable events at Bloody Scotland are those which feature writers letting their hair down. Seeing the Fun Lovin Crime Writers back on stage was a huge highlight for me, and the Saturday night quiz, which this year included a flavour of Crime At The Coo, plus the Red Hot Chilli Writers live podcast were great fun.
Elsewhere, panels covered the breadth of the world of Tartan Noir, the police procedural, using humour, the modern spy novel, giving a voice to those who are marginalised and so much more. And best of all? Thanks to the digital pass option, you could watch from afar, watch panels you missed live, and watch your favourites again and again.
Most of the events are online until the end of September with the purchase of a digital pass. For more information, visit: https://bloodyscotland.com/events/digital-pass/
Louise Fairbairn is a freelance journalist and former crime fiction reviewer for The Scotsman newspaper. She blogs at: www.crimebookgirl.com
