Osman, Rankin and Baldacci join Bloody Scotland line-up

Debut author Richard Osman will join Ian Rankin, David Baldacci, Denise Mina and Shari Lapena for this year's Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival. 

Bloody Scotland revealed its 2019 programme in Stirling today (Monday 3rd June) followed by a one-off performance by Val McDermid who will be in New Zealand during the festival itself this year. The London launch will be in Scotland House at 6.30pm tomorrow evening, hosted by bestselling author and Bloody Scotland director Abir Mukherjee.

This year's festival will include a ‘Killer Ceilidh’; a procession of Harley Davidson riders; a play at the Sheriff Court which will allow the audience to vote on the verdict of a real murder trial and a screening of classic crime films from The 39 Steps to Reichenbach Falls, introduced by Ian Rankin.  

Author Val McDermid at the launch

The gala opening on Friday 20th September will once again feature the announcement of the winner of the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and will also reveal the first winner of the new prize for Scottish crime fiction debut.  The winners will join one of the world’s leading thriller writers, David Baldacci, at the head of the annual torchlight procession down to the Albert Halls. 

Highlights include Ian Rankin; Alexander McCall Smith; Alex Gray and Lin Anderson, interviewed by the BBC’s Janice Forsyth; Denise Mina and Louise Welsh; two married couple writing partnerships, Nicci French and Ambrose Parry; Icelandic queen of crime Yrsa Sigurdardottir; Stuart MacBride; Mark Billingham and, straight from Pointless, Richard Osman who has just signed a much publicised seven-figure deal for his first crime novel The Thursday Murder Club to be published by Viking next year. 

McDermid said: "The secret of Bloody Scotland's success is that everyone's a winner. There are rewards for readers and writers alike. For the audience, there's everything from panel discussions to the most incoherent football match in the country, from the spectacle of a torchlit procession through the streets of Stirling to convivial conversations that go on long into the night. And for writers, there are showcases for emerging authors, opportunities to perform before a generous and well-informed audience, and the thrill of the McIlvanney Prize. It's a dizzying weekend of pleasure. Nobody leaves Bloody Scotland without their head birling like a peerie."