Rankin, Mukherjee and McDermid to headline Bloody Scotland Festival

Scottish crime scene heavyweights Ian Rankin (pictured), Abir Mukherjee and Val McDermid are among authors appearing at the Bloody Scotland crime festival, taking place this year as a hybrid event in Stirling.

The authors will appear in person alongside Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre, Marisa Haetzman, Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson, Alan Parks, Morgan Cry, Craig Russell and Stuart MacBride, discussing their latest works.

Also participating via live stream will be Stephen King, Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, Jeanine Cummins, Linwood Barclay and Robert Peston. The authors will be interviewed live in front of a digital and in person audience, with the footage screened in the Albert Halls venue.

Other highlights include Paula Hawkins, Luca Veste, Mark Billingham, Mick Herron, S J Watson, Lisa Jewell, Stuart Neville, Kia Abdullah, E S Thomson, Doug Johnston and Louise Candlish participating, some of whom will perform in a cabaret-themed quiz.

At The Golden Lion venue, panels will be recorded in front of a live audience and broadcast 24 hours later. Hosts of "The Red Hot Chilli Writers", Vaseem Khan and Mukherjee will be on stage with a live version of their crime podcast. Tickets will be discounted for local residents and and those with access requirements will be provided with a taxi service between venues.

Following last year’s digital first with "The Never-Ending Panel" featuring 27 Scottish writers from around the world, this year’s marathon digital-only event will be an "A-Z of Crime", starting with Megan Abbott and concluding with Anne Zouroudi, hosted by the crime writers on the Bloody Scotland board. The global element continues with "Around the World in 80 Deaths", featuring authors from Argentina, the Sicangu Lakota Nation, Russia and Nigeria, chaired by Craig Sisterson.

Commenting on the line-up, festival director Bob McDevitt said: "It's going to be a Bloody Scotland like no other but we do love a challenge and I can’t wait to see all of our authors, and crime fans back together in real life while extending our global reach as we beam the festival all over the world."

Stirling council leader Scott Farmer added: "I’m delighted to welcome back Bloody Scotland to Stirling. The return of this famous event, which showcases the best in Scottish crime writing, is a significant boost for tourism as well as Stirling’s wider economic recovery from the pandemic. Stirling is without doubt an excellent destination for world class events and the hosting of Bloody Scotland does justice to our reputation for hosting further events of this nature."