BOOKS list.co.uk/books
BLOODY SCOTLAND Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival returns in September after a hugely successful entrance into the festival fray in 2012
‘I t was a great idea waiting to happen’, says Lin Anderson, one of Bloody Scotland’s co-founding crime authors, ‘so we studied the reports on what the audiences loved and used that as a basis for this year.’ The results? ‘Plenty forensics, plenty fun, challenging and informative events and big popular names like Jo Nesbø (pictured) and Lee Child added to our own international stars.’
is,
This year’s programme if you’ll excuse the pun, criminally good, also featuring Christopher Brookmyre and Mark Billingham, William McIlvanney, Denise Mina and over 40 more bestsellers and new talents. And co-founder Alex Gray promises a ‘laidback, friendly atmosphere’, noting that ‘crime writers are the real pussycats of the book world despite their subject matter, or maybe because of it. And our panels
are designed to be different and sometimes downright quirky. Where else would you find a live performance of cookery from our Killer Cookbook?’ Also hosting the announcement of the Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award, Bloody Scotland is further proof of the insatiable appetite for crime fiction in Scotland. ‘Crime novels do tend to make sense of the world we live in, and allow readers a sense of fulfilment after the thrills and twists of our stories’, reflects Gray. ‘The truth’, says Anderson, ‘is what Ian Rankin has said on numerous occasions: we’re in the entertainment business.’ And they’re bloody good at it, too. (Paul Gallagher)
Bloody Scotland, various venues, Stirling, Fri 13–Sun 15 Sep.
40 THE LIST 22 Aug–19 Sep 2013
HITLIST THE BEST BOOKS, COMICS & EVENTS
✽ Bloody Scotland The crème de la crime – including Denise Mina, pictured – converge on Stirling for three days of thrilling events. See preview, left. Various venues, Stirling, Fri 13–Sun 15 Sep.
✽ Helen FitzGerald FitzGerald always entertains, and her latest novel, The Cry – about a missing baby and a couple who know more than they admit – will not disappoint. See preview, page 96. Waterstones Argyle Street, Glasgow, Mon 2 Sep.
✽ Jane Harris Harris’s second novel Gillespie and I has been described as
‘literary crack cocaine’. Central Library, Edinburgh, Thu 12 Sep.
✽ Richard Dawkins Love him or hate
him, Dawkins is certainly interesting. The staunch atheist and evolutionary biologist discusses his new autobiography with Professor Aubrey Manning, one of the country’s leading authorities on animal behaviour – so expect plenty of scientific debate. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Mon 16 Sep.
✽ Rosemary Goring After Flodden, the debut novel from editor and critic
Rosemary Goring, is fast-paced and meticulously researched. National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Mon 9 Sep.
✽ Gary Gibson Sci-fi author Gibson has
been called ‘the new Iain M. Banks’; here he launches his new book, Marauder. Waterstones Argyle Street, Glasgow, Thu 19 Sep.