Harrogate International Festivals launches McDermid Debut Award

Harrogate International Festivals has launched a new prize, the McDermid Debut Award for new writers, dedicated to crime author Val McDermid. 

Organisers said: “Named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid, who co-founded the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new voices in crime fiction through the New Blood panel is legendary, this new award seeks to continue her legacy, celebrating and platforming the best debut crime writers in the UK.”  

McDermid said: “Curating the New Blood panel over 20 years exposed me to an extraordinary range of crime fiction I might otherwise have missed. I’m hoping that this new award will do the same for the army of avid readers out there looking for new talent.” 

The prize is open to full-length debut crime novels by UK and Irish authors published for the first time in hardback or paperback original between 1st May 2023 and 30th April 2024, with submissions closing on 21st March.  

A shortlist of six titles, selected by an academy of established crime authors, will be announced on 13th June at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, with the winner determined by a panel of industry experts. All shortlisted authors will receive a full weekend pass to the festival. The award will be presented at the festival’s awards event on 18th July with the winner receiving a £500 cash prize. 

Chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals Sharon Canavar said: “We are delighted to announce this new award honouring Val McDermid, one of the icons of the genre, and we can’t wait to discover the stars of the future, be they writers of psychological thrillers or murder mysteries.” 

Submissions are also now open for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.