Bloody Scotland: The Case of the Book Festival
Professional crime writer Russel D. McLean gets into gumshoe character to investigate the annual gathering of our finest criminal authors in Stirling each September – there, it seems, for the dark, devious and devilishly fun Bloody Scotland
A Glasgow summer: grey skies and rain soaked pavements glistening in the hints of sunlight that sneak through the clouds as though afraid to be noticed. The client – The Skinny Magazine – emails the office with a particularly tough case. “There are rumours about a group of crime writers gathering in Stirling in September. We need to know what they’re up to.”
Sure, it’s the kind of case I can crack. I have my sources. I’m one of them, after all; a crime writer in search of a few good readers. I’m more than aware of Bloody Scotland; the yearly gathering of crime writers and readers. This year, they’re taking over the town from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September. But The Skinny needs more information. So I slip on my hard-soled shoes and step out onto the mean streets of Stirling to see what evidence I can sniff out about this year’s festival.
No investigator worth his salt can do without informants. I reach out to one of mine and ask, what’s so special about this year’s Bloody Scotland? “It’s Agatha Christie’s 125th Anniversary,” she says, handing me blackmail pictures of crime writers Alex Gray and Christopher Brookmyre dressed as Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot respectively. “We’re paying homage to crime writers past, present and future.” The thought intrigues me. Crime fiction has a rich history, but they’re right to look to the future, too. There are so many writers coming through now, changing the face of the genre in the same way dames like Christie once did. Sure, now we know all of Dame Agatha’s tricks, but back in the day she took everyone by surprise with unexpected twists and jigsaw-puzzle plots.
Digging deeper, I see that there are more than a few surprises at this year’s festival. Events that mark out Bloody Scotland from other, more traditional gatherings of books lovers. There’s the Scotland v England football match on the Sunday afternoon, for example. So far, it’s proved to be one of the few times that a Scotland football team has won anything quite so decisively (last year’s result being 14-2) and is now a fixture of the festival, with the Scotland team led by none other than Ian Rankin! And then there are evening events, including a live improvised crime novel on the Friday and the inaugural Crime at the Coo on Saturday night, where Bloody Scotland will take over a pub in the middle of Stirling. There’s even the chance to catch some new talent, thanks to the Crime in The Spotlight events that will precede some of the main sessions.
"No investigator worth his salt can do without informants. I reach out to mine and ask, what’s so special about this year’s Bloody Scotland?"
Determined to know more, I track down Craig Robertson, author of The Last Refuge and one of the masterminds behind the festival. “'We try to do more than just have crime writers talking about their books,” he says, when I apply the thumb screws. “We’ve recreated a murder trial in Stirling's Sheriff Court and we've had crime writers cooking for the audience. It's a bit left field, but it keeps things lively.” In that vein, even their traditional events try to stay away from the usual suspects. There are panels on true crime and even on screenwriting. One might expect a festival called Bloody Scotland to include only Scottish authors, but the line-up is international, with a big European presence, including the spectacular Gunnar Staalesen, whose books are so popular over in Norway that the town of Bergen has erected a bronze statue of his investigator, Varg Veum. Staalesen will be appearing with Swedish author Johan Theorin and Icelandic bestseller Ragnar Jonasson on Saturday afternoon.
I have to wonder if a bronze statue of their protagonist(s) might be an incentive for the authors shortlisted for the Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year. This year’s list, as always, is highly eclectic with both established authors and new names up for the award. Tracking down the elusive nominees, I corner Louise Welsh, author of Death is A Welcome Guest, who is hugely honoured to be in the final five. “I'd say that the competition was cut-throat,” she tells me, “but actually we're a friendly crowd!” Fellow nominee Lin Anderson also agrees to spill the beans on what she’s been feeling since the announcement: “Astonishment mainly,” she says, “because I’m aware of all the excellent books… submitted for the award. Followed, of course, by excitement and delight.” She echoes the thoughts of fellow nominee, Christopher Brookmyre: “I’m honoured to be among such reprobates.” The overall winner of the prize will be announced on the Saturday night.
As my contact stated, 2015 is Christie’s 125th anniversary; something a crime festival cannot ignore. Christie’s obsession with poisons will form the centrepiece of a discussion on the Saturday, between Dr Kathryn Harkup, author of A Is For Arsenic, and Ragnar Jonasson, who has translated Christie’s work into Icelandic since he was seventeen. If anyone offers you a mysterious cup of coffee before or during this event, these two will be ideally placed to recommend whether it’s safe to drink. And in a looser Christie Connection, Sophie Hannah, who wrote a new adventure for Poirot in 2014, will also be at the festival on the Sunday to talk about her new novel.
But poison is not the only way to commit murder. The means and methods of death are wide and varied, something that Lin Anderson will be teaming up with Val McDermid to discuss on Saturday morning. McDermid recently had a mortuary named after her in Dundee after raising money for their incredible 'Million for a Morgue' Campaign (others who contributed included Stuart MacBride, who earned a dissecting room in his name and Caro Ramsay, who has an embalming tank named for her) and proved her forensic credentials with her latest non-fiction title Forensics: An Anatomy of Crime.
In addition to these femme fatales, my source gives me the names of some of the other incredible women on the schedule including the magnificent Martina Cole, whose visits to Scotland are always worthwhile. There’s also the horror author turned crime writer Sarah Pinborough, who will be talking about the thin line between the two genres with Steve Mosby. Meanwhile, Anya Lipska, Eva Dolan and Kati Hiekkapelto will be talking crime fiction and politics.
For those seeking out testosterone, Simon Kernick heads up a panel on muscle-flexing thrillers with Tom Wood and G.J. Brown, while the brilliant Linwood Barclay – whose twisty bestsellers will appeal to fans of Harlan Coben – closes out the festival on Sunday with a rare UK appearance.
I’m barely scratching the surface, however; my investigation throwing up a cavalcade of compelling evidence as to why Bloody Scotland may be one of the most intriguing crime festivals in the UK. As I reach my final conclusions, I turn my face to the window. The rain is gone. The sun is shining. Maybe it’s a sign. I call my client and tell him that, sure, there’s a gathering of criminal masterminds in Stirling. But based on the testimony of some compelling witnesses, it means that the city is in for an incredibly entertaining weekend.
Bloody Scotland runs from 11-13 Sep at locations throughout Stirling