2026 McIlvanney Prize Shortlist

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival announced the shortlist of nominees for the 2026 McIlvanney Prize. The winner will be awarded on September 18.

2026 McIlvanney Prize Shortlist

The Hollow Boys, by Tariq Ashkanani (Viper) 

138 Main Street, by Gavin Bell (Simon & Schuster UK)

A Bad, Bad Place, by Frances Crawford (Bantam) 

The Diary of Lies, by Philip Miller (Polygon) 

The Vanishing Place, by Zoë Rankin (Viper) 

HT: The Rap Sheet

BLOODY SCOTLAND CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL AWARDS 2025

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival announced the winners of two crime fiction prizes tonight. Congratulations, Tariq and David!

2025 McIlvanney Prize Scottish Crime Novel of the Year

The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani 

2025 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Winner

A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman

McILVANNEY PRIZE: Bloody Scotland

The McIlvanney Prize was announced at Bloody Scotland. The award, previously known as the Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing, was presented on Friday, September 13, on the first night of the Bloody Scotland Festival. 

Chris Brookmyre is this year’s winner of the McIlvanney Prize for his latest crime thriller, The Cracked Mirror.

The Cracked Mirror, published by Sphere, has been described as a “cross genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly”, with judges declaring it “a brilliant piece of storytelling”.

The judges were BBC Scotland presenter Bryan Burnett; category manager for Waterstones, Angie Crawford; and journalist and editor, Arusa Qureshi.

Read more Here. 

The Shortlist:

McILVANNEY PRIZE SHORTLIST 2024

The Shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize has been announced by Bloody Scotland. The award, previously known as the Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing, will be presented on Friday, September 13, on the first night of the Bloody Scotland Festival. Congratulations to all!

2024 McILVANNEY PRIZE Longlist

The longlist for the McIlvanney Prize has been announced by Bloody Scotland. The award, previously known as the Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing, will be presented on Friday, September 13, on the first night of the Bloody Scotland Festival. Congratulations to all!

McILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST

D V Bishop – A Divine Fury (Pan Macmillan) 
Chris Brookmyre – The Cracked Mirror (Sphere) 
Val McDermid – Past Lying (Sphere) 
Charles Cumming – Kennedy 35 (HarperCollins) 
Andrew James Greig – The Girl in the Loch (Storm Publishing) 
Doug Johnstone – The Collapsing Wave (Orenda) 
S G Maclean – The Winter List (Quercus) 
Abir Mukherjee – Hunted (Vintage) C S Robertson – The Trials of Marjory Crowe (Hodder & Stoughton) 
Kim Sherwood – A Spy Like Me (HarperCollins) 
Doug Sinclair – Blood Runs Deep (Storm Publishing) 
Douglas Skelton – The Hollow Mountain (Polygon)

2023 McIlvanney Prize Shortlist: Bloody Scotland

The Shortlist for the 2023 McIlvanney Prize for Scotland's prestigious annual crime writing award, was announced. The Prize is named in memory of the 'Godfather of Tartan Noir', the great William McIlvanney: 

SQUEAKY CLEAN by Callum McSorley (Pushkin): the judges said: "A wonderfully rich and funny new voice in Scottish crime. McSorley has created characters you invest in and plot that keeps you hooked right from the start."

 

THE SECOND MURDERER by Denise Mina (Vintage): the judges said: "Seriously stylish and oozing with attitude, this Philip Marlowe mystery is an exquisite read."

 

CAST A COLD EYE by Robbie Morrison (Macmillan): the judges said: "A story inhabited by brilliantly drawn characters. Not just a crime novel but a vivid and immersive account of life in Glasgow in the 1930s."

 

THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND by Craig Russell (Little, Brown): the judges said: "Mesmerising from the start. Devilishly dark and dripping with menace. A breath-taking masterclass in twisty crime writing."

These events are part of a three-day annual showcase of crime writing at Bloody Scotland, which is Scotland's international crime writing festival. Both prizes are again sponsored by The Glencairn Glass, Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal, said: 

"Now in our third year of sponsoring these prestigious awards with the Glencairn Glass, we’re very proud to be a part of this amazing Scottish annual event in the world of crime fiction. We continue to be impressed and enthralled by the talented authors who enter and we wish everyone the very best of luck."

The 2023 Bloody Scotland festival begins at 1: 30pm on Friday, September 15 , with the final event concluding at 2pm on Sunday September 17. It takes place at various venues in the historic centre of Stirling, including the Albert Halls, Trinity Church, and the Golden Lion Hotel. 

2023 Mcilvanney Prize Longlist & Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Shortlist

Bloody Scotland announced:

The McIlvanney Prize Longlist (Shortlist will be announced in August)

D V Bishop – Ritual of Fire (Macmillan)
Heather Darwent – The Things We Do To Our Friends  (Penguin)
Kate Foster – The Maiden (Mantle)
Mark Leggatt – Penitent (Fledgling Press)
S G Maclean – The Bookseller of Inverness (Quercus)
Callum McSorley – Squeaky Clean  (Pushkin)
Val McDermid – 1989 (Little,Brown)
Denise Mina – The Second Murderer (Vintage)
Robbie Morrison – Cast A Cold Eye (Macmillan)
Ian Rankin – A Heart Full of Headstones (Orion)
Craig Russell – The Devil’s Playground (Little,Brown)
Douglas Skelton – An Honourable Thief (Canelo)

The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Shortlist

Heather Critchlow with Unsolved (Canelo) – a cold case mystery about two women who disappeared 35 years ago which was inspired by a true crime podcast. Heather Critchlow grew up in rural Aberdeenshire. She lives in St Albans.

Heather Darwent with The Things We Do To Our Friends (Penguin) - a suspense debut about a toxic friendship in 1^st year at Edinburgh University. Originally fromYorkshire, Heather Darwent, now lives outside Edinburgh.

Kate Foster with The Maiden (Mantle) – set in the 17^th Century is a reimagining of true historical events in which Lady Christian Nimmo is charged with the murder of her lover James Forrester. Kate Foster won Pitch Perfect at Bloody Scotland in 2020 with her outline for the book. She lives in Edinburgh.

Callum McSorley with Squeaky Clean (Pushkin) featuring DI Ally McCoist the least popular detective in the Glasgow police. A thriller filled with pitch-black humour. Callum McSorley graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2013 and since then his stories have appeared in Gutter magazine and New Writing Scotland.

 

Fulton Ross with The Unforgiven Dead (Inkshares) about a Highland Constable who is reluctant to embrace his gift of second sight. Inspired by Gaelic folk tales it is a fresh take on gothic crime noir. Fulton Ross is from the Highlands, went to Glasgow University and now lives in Northern Ireland.

  

McILVANNEY PRIZE FINALISTS 2022: BLOODY SCOTLAND

Bloody Scotland revealed the finalists for The McIlvanney Prize 2022:

Liam McIlvanney – The Heretic (HarperCollins)
Alan Parks – May God Forgive (Canongate)
Ambrose Parry – A Corruption of Blood (Canongate)
Louise Welsh – The Second Cut (Canongate)

The McIlvanney Prize recognizes excellence in Scottish crime writing, includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.

The winners will be revealed in Stirling on Thursday 15 September.  There will be a VIP reception at the Church of the Holy Rude at 7pm and to lead the torchlit procession from Stirling Castle to The Albert Halls where the winner of both the McIlvanney and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prizes will be revealed at approximately 8.30pm. They will then be interviewed on stage by BBC Radio Scotland’s Janice Forsyth.

Read more here. 

The shortlist for The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize for crime fiction:

Tariq Ashkanani, Welcome to Cooper (Thomas & Mercer, Amazon).
Frankie Boyle, Meantime (John Murray).
Amanda Mitchison, The Wolf Hunters (Fledgling Press).
George Paterson, The Girl, The Crow, The Writer and The Fighter (Into Books).
Sarah Smith, Hear No Evil (Two Roads).

McILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST 2022

The Longlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2022 was announced today to mark book festival Bloody Scotland’s 10th anniversary. The annual prize goes to the best Scottish crime book of the year.

McILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST 2022

A Matter of Time, Claire Askew (Hodder)

The Sound of Sirens, Ewan Galt (Leamington Books)

The Blood Tide, Neil Lancaster (Harpercollins)

From the Ashes, Deborah Masson (Transworld)

The Heretic, Liam McIlvanney (Harpercollins)

Rizzio, Denise Mina (Polygon)

May God Forgive, Alan Parks (Canongate)

A Corruption of Blood, Ambrose Parry (Canongate)

A Rattle of Bones, Douglas Skelton (Polygon)

The Second Cut, Louise Welsh (Canongate)

The shortlist will be revealed in early September, with the winner being announced on September 15 at Bloody Scotland in Stirling.

The Debut Prize Shortlist will be announced in July.

 

 

BLOODY SCOTLAND PRIZES

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival announced the 2021 awards. Congratulations to all!

McIlvanney Prize for Crime Novel of the Year: Hyde, by Craig Russell (Constable)

Also nominated: The Silent Daughter, by Emma Christie (Wellbeck); The Coffinmaker’s Garden, by Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins); Edge of the Grave, by Robbie Morrison (Macmillan); and The April Dead, by Alan Parks (Canongate)

Scottish Crime Debut of the Year: Edge of the Grave, by Robbie Morrison (Macmillan)

Also nominated: The Silent Daughter, by Emma Christie (Wellbeck); Waking the Tiger, by Mark Wightman (Hobeck); and No Harm Done, by Alistair Liddle (Self-published)

McILVANNY PRIZE SHORTLIST: Scottish Crime Book of the Year

McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021

Silent Daughter by Emma Christie 

The Coffin Maker’s Garden by Stuart MacBride 

Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison 

The April Dead by Alan Parks 

Hyde by Craig Russell

The winners of both the McIlvanney Prize and the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year will be revealed at the Albert Halls in Stirling at 5.15pm on Friday 17 September and broadcast live on-line. This year, the prize ceremony will be free but ticketed to watch or attend! 

Get your free ticket for in-person attendance or online viewing.

BLOODY SCOTLAND McILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST: Scottish Crime Book of the Year

Bloody Scotland announced the Longlist for the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021. The McIlvanney Prize recognizes excellence in Scottish crime writing, and includes a prize of £1,000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.

 The Cut, Chris Brookmyre
The Silent Daughter, Emma Christie
Before the Storm, Alex Gray
Dead Man’s Grave, Neil Lancaster
The Coffinmaker’s Garden, Stuart MacBride
Still Life, Val McDermid
Bad Debt, William McIntyre
The Less Dead, Denise Mina
How To Survive Everything, Ewan Morrison
Edge of the Grave, Robbie Morrison
The April Dead, Alan Parks
Hyde, Craig Russell
Waking the Tiger, Mark Wightman

 

BLOODY SCOTLAND PRIZES

I'm really enjoying Virtual Bloody Scotland Conference. Such fun. Thanks to the organizers for making this available to all and sundry. Right now they are awarding the McIlvanney Prizes.

McIlvanney Prize

Francine Toon: Pine
 

Bloody Scotland Debut Prize

Deborah Masson: Hold Your Tongue

BLOODY SCOTLAND PRIZE: SHORTLIST

Bloody Scotland announced their Shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize. Winner will be announced on September 18 at Virtual Bloody Scotland.

McIlvanney Prize Shortlist

Andrew James Greig: Whirligig 
Doug Johnstone: A Dark Matter 
Ambrose Parry: The Art of Dying 
Francine Toon: Pine

Read more here

Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize Winners

The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival (September 20-22, 2019) announced the winners of the McIlvanney Prizes. 

McIlvanney Prize

A Treachery of Spies, by Manda Scott (Transworld)

McIlvanney Debut Prize

 All the Hidden Truths, by Claire Askew (Hodder)

These annual awards recognize “excellence in Scottish crime writing,” are named in honor of William McIlvanney, author of the novel Laidlaw.

MCILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST: Scottish Crime Book of the Year

The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival (September 20-22, 2019) organizers announced the shortlists for the McIlvanney Prizes. 

McIlvanney Prize Longlist:
• All the Hidden Truths, by Claire Askew (Hodder)
• No Man’s Land, by Neil Broadfoot (Little, Brown)
• Fallen Angel, by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown)
• Breakers, by Doug Johnstone (Orenda)
• All That’s Dead, by Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins)
• In the Silence, by M.R. Mackenzie (Bloodhound)
• Broken Ground, by Val McDermid (Little, Brown)
• A Breath on Dying Embers, by Denzil Meyrick (Polygon)
• Conviction, by Denise Mina (Vintage)
• The Way of All Flesh, by “Ambrose Parry” (Canongate), aka Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman
• In a House of Lies, by Ian Rankin (Orion)
• A Treachery of Spies, by Manda Scott (Transworld)
• Thunder Bay, by Douglas Skelton (Polygon)

McIlvanney Debut Prize Shortlist:
• All the Hidden Truths, by Claire Askew (Hodder)
• From the Shadows, by G.R. Halliday (Vintage)
• Black Camp 21, by Bill Jones (Polygon)
• In the Silence, by M.R. Mackenzie (Bloodhound)
• The Peat Dead, by Allan Martin (Thunderpoint)

The winners of both awards will be announced on Friday, September 20, during the opening reception at the Bloody Scotland convention in Stirling.

These annual awards recognize “excellence in Scottish crime writing,” are named in honor of William McIlvanney, author of the novel Laidlaw.

HT: The Rap Sheet