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Bloody Scotland announces winner of 2024 McIlvanney and Debut prizes
Bloody Scotland has announced Chris Brookmyre, with The Cracked Mirror, as the winner of the 2024 McIlvanney Prize. Published by Sphere it is described as a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly.
The judges, BBC Scotland presenter, Bryan Burnett, category manager for Waterstones, Angie Crawford and journalist and editor, Arusa Qureshi said: "It was the ambition that impressed us most and the fact that he has practically invented a new genre. In anyone else’s hands it could have gone off the rails but the mark of Brookmyre’s talent is that he’s able to combine these disparate elements into a brilliant piece of storytelling."
It is the second time that Chris Brookmyre has won the McIlvanney Prize; he first won it with Black Widow in 2016. Brookmyre also writes historical crime fiction as Ambrose Parry with his wife, former consultant anaesthetist, Marisa Haetzman. The next Ambrose Parry novel, published in 2025, will mark his 30th book.
The winner of the 2024 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was revealed to be Allan Gaw with The Silent House of Sleep, marking the first time a self-published author has won the prize. A doctor and medical pathologist who worked for more than 30 years in the NHS and at universities across the UK and in the US, Gaw "has used his experiences in pathology to shape his stories".
New product development manager from sponsors Glencairn Crystal, Kenny Tweeddale, and journalist, author and 2022 Debut Prize-winner, Tariq Ashkanani said: "We liked that Allan was trying to take the crime novel to new and interesting places. The central character perfectly expresses the damage of both the period and his environment, and the author’s pathology background was skilfully deployed in this highly original thriller."
Kirsty Nicholson, design and marketing manager at Glencairn Crystal said: "A massive congratulations to Chris Brookmyre for winning the McIlvanney Prize and to Allan Gaw for winning the Debut Prize.
"It is a privilege to play some small part in celebrating such talented authors. The Cracked Mirror by Chris is a truly gripping novel, and Allan was the runner up in our Glencairn Glass short story competition last year. As a Scottish family company it is an honour for us to support these prestigious annual awards with the world’s favourite whisky glass, the Glencairn Glass."
