Bloody Scotland 2023

Somehow it's four weeks since I got back from Bloody Scotland! Four weeks! How on earth did that happen? Well, I slept for the first week, as these things take it out of me. The other three, no idea where they went. There's been four book festivals in the UK, I think, since then and there are another two this forthcoming weekend. But I still wanted to share a bit about my Bloody Scotland weekend because it's one of the highlights of my year and one of my favourite festivals. Also, if you're thinking about coming next year, and I hope you are or that this piece will at least encourage you to think about it, you need to book accommodation sooner rather than later. There is somewhere to stay for every budget in Stirling but everywhere fills up really quickly for the festival weekend.

This year was the 11th Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival and my sixth, maybe seventh. It's a slick operation with a programme filled to bursting with fantastic events - there are four different ones for most time slots, so hard to choose! The programme is planned and overseen by Festival Director Bob McDevitt and the Bloody Scotland Board and runs with the help of techy people, booksellers and and a vast army of volunteers. The timings changed slightly this year with an earlier start on Friday afternoon and an earlier finish at Sunday lunchtime.

I have struggled quite badly with anxiety for the last three or four years, and even this festival, where I know so many people and places, now fills me with trepidation. For no reason, of course, but that's anxiety for you. So I was grateful to go with Lynsey Linn, who you can find over at Books by Bindu blog and also at the Murder at the Bookshop online shop, who has become a firm friend since we met at last year's festival. She was a most excellent wing woman and kept me calm. She also kept me right about what I was doing and where I was going!

I have learned from experience that I can't do too much and need to make sure I make time to eat and chill. So over the course of the weekend I attended seven events plus the opening celebrations and, of course, the Scotland vs England Crime Writers Football Match. I won't go into huge detail about all the panels I went to but they were all great. My phone camera isn't great so some of the panel pictures aren't that great, sorry!

Lynsey and I at the end of one of the panels

Friday was all about new books with firstly Alex Gray's New Crimes with Jo Callaghan, Martin Griffin, Fulton Ross and Alex Hay followed later on, after checking into our hotel, by the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Shortlist featuring Fulton Ross again, Kate Foster, Callum McSorley and Heather Critchlow. Unfortunately, the fifth shortlisted author, Heather Darwent, couldn't be there.

I was struck by how different all the books were in both panels, showing just how wide the crime fiction genre is. Let me take Alex Gray's New Crimes selection as an example. Jo Callaghan's In The Blink of an Eye features a detective with an AI partner, The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin has two strangers claiming to be the same person but who is telling the truth? The Unforgiven Dead by Fulton Ross features a policeman with second sight and references highland myths and legends and Alex Hay's The Housekeepers is set in the early 1900s and the servants aren't happy... I really enjoyed this panel and all the books sound great. 

Alex Gray's New Crimes

With Fulton Ross

The Debut Shortlist Panel was absolutely packed and it was great to hear these new authors talking about their work. I had read three of the five on the list and loved them all so very glad I didn't have to decide the winner! Another highlight of this event was meeting long time online friend Steve Munoz from Los Angeles, so that was pretty special.

The Debut Shortlist 

Meeting Steve Munoz

From there I headed up to the Church of the Holy Rude where we were piped in for the Opening Reception. We heard from Bob McDevitt and a representative of Stirling council and partook of excellent Bloody Scotland cocktails courtesy of Stirling Gin. 

Photo by Steve Munoz

Bob McDevitt at the Opening Reception

From there it was up to Stirling Castle for the annual torchlit parade down through the town. The rain didn't dampen our spirits, although Lynsey wimped out because she didn't have a hood! 😂 I love this tradition and it's great to see folk coming out of the pubs to watch us. I was really disappointed, though, that a panel was scheduled against this, particularly as it was one I would've loved to attend. I think this is the first time a panel has been held in this timeslot. 

Photo by Steve Munoz

With Patricia Forsyth

Photo by Steve Munoz

The parade culminated at the Albert Halls for the prizegiving. Big congratulations to Kate Foster for winning the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year with The Maiden and to Callum McSorley for winning to the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year, with his debut book, Squeaky Clean. Both prizewinners were interviewed by Janice Forsyth. 

Callum McSorley, Janice Forsyth & Kate Foster

With Callum McSorley

After that if was off for food and a drink or two. For mixing with other festival goers, the bar at the Golden Lion Hotel is the place to be. It is small and gets very busy and very hot but you can spill out into the lobby. Had lovely chats with lots of people including a long one with author Marion Todd. A lovely wee night and we were back in our hotel room before 11.30pm - I'm old! 😂 This meant I didn't have enough stamina for the Darkest Web panel, another scheduling thing I didn't like because it sounded like a really interesting event. 

A big breakfast and a late start on Saturday as our first panel wasn't until noon. Hot Blood, Cold Blood with Anita Agnithotri, Abir Mukherjee and Doug Johnstone celebrating Scottish and Bengali writing was really interesting. Unfortunately the collection of short stories doesn't have a UK publisher yet but I could've listened to these three for hours.  

Hot Blood, Cold Blood

With Doug Johnstone

I stayed on in the same venue for the next panel whilst Lynsey went to do her own thing for a while - honestly, it's a miracle I survived those few hours! That was mainly because other people kept me right - I definitely need a responsible adult with me at all times! 😂 Travellers with William Hussey, Graham Bartlett and Tina Baker was terrific and possibly my favourite panel of the weekend (although there was stiff competition) because it's a community I know nothing about). William and Tina both grew up in travelling fairground communities and William has gone back to his roots with Killing Jericho which features a traveller detective. Make Me Clean, Tina's book, has a cleaner of gypsy origin who tidies all her client's problems. Graham was Police Commander of Brighton, where there is a permanent traveller site, for four years and drew on that experience in Force of Hate. A fascinating discussion around otherness and prejudice, both towards and within communities. 

Travellers. Photo by Mandie Griffiths

The sun shone for the football match at Kings Park which was excellent. A great match, made even better by the company of good friends and the presence of a Stirling Gin pop up bar, so more cocktails for me. Final score was Scotland 12, England 3, with Fulton Ross winning Man of the Match. A bite to eat and a quick drink and then off to see Mark Billingham and Antti Tuomainen at the Albert Halls. What a laugh that was. Two naturally funny men chatting away. I haven't read Mark's new one yet but have only heard good things. I love The Rabbit Factor trilogy from Antti Tuomainen and just reviewed the final book, The Beaver Theory, on here earlier in the month. 

Craig Sisterton interviewing Mark Billingham & Antti Tuomainen 

Mark Billingham

Antti Tuomainen

Catching up with Thomas Enger, whose panel I unfortunately missed due to the torchlit parade

Lynsey went back to the hotel so I headed off to rendezvous with Steve Munoz at Everybody Needs Good Neighbours featuring Louise Candlish, Sarah Hilary and Kia Abdullah chaired by Douglas Skelton. Another interesting panel and I particularly liked the sound of Sarah's book, Black Thorn, featuring an autistic character. 

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

Then a quick drink with lovely friends including  Jonathan Whitelaw, (the only one I remembered to get a picture with! D'oh!) before heading to bed.

With Jonathan Whitelaw

A lovely chat over Sunday breakfast with author Fiona Erskine then coffee and goodbyes (until next time) with Steve. 

My final panel of the weekend was Ripped From The Headlines, a lively and engaging conversation with TV newshounds Martin Patience and Sarah Sultoon (BBC and CNN respectively) and climate scientist Paul Hardisty, chaired by Bryan Burnett. All had turned to fiction as they felt it can get a message across in a way news headlines or written reports just can't. I think Paul felt it the most keenly as he is confronted daily by people who continue to deny the climate crisis even when confronted by evidence it exists. The hour went far too quickly. 

Ripped from the Headlines

My weekend was finished off by a lovely lunch with relatives before the return home and to my bed. 

Books may have been bought... 
(Three came with me from home for signing) 

So there you have it, my potted experience at Bloody Scotland 2023 - thank you if you're still here. There was so much more, of course, but only so much I could do and only so much I can share here before you all get bored! I'm sorry, too, that it took me a month to get this on here - absolutely shocking effort! I can't recommend this weekend enough - it's a really open, welcoming and accommodating festival full of lovely people. Don't worry if you're thinking of coming on your own - you will have found new friends by the time you leave. Stirling itself has embraced the festival too and you'll often find yourself chatting away in shops and cafes. Next year's dates have been announced and they are - drum roll, please - 13th to 15th September. Get checking out that accommodation now, you won't regret it!