John Dean – Crime Writer

Authors (from left) May Rinaldi, Linda Duncan McLaughlin, Denise Mina, Frances Crawford and Kirsty Lockwood launch Bloody Scotland 2026 (Picture: Paul Reich)

Crime fiction fans will head for Stirling on Friday 18 September for the Bloody Scotland festival.

Last year, the festival introduced a guest programmer, in the shape of Sir Ian Rankin; this year Denise Mina has taken on the mantle and will be talking to big names including Lucy Foley, Lee Child, SA Cosby, Jane Harper, Jane Casey, Tana French and Ardal O’Hanlon, and Val McDermid.

Other big names spending some time in Stirling this weekend include Chris Brookmyre and Abir Mukherjee, festival co-founder Lin Anderson, Richard Osman and Mark Billingham, Louise Welsh, Liz Nugent, Elly Griffiths and the Queen of Icelandic Noir, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. Among the celebs are broadcaster Jeremy Vine, and Matthew Sweet, creator of TV show Bookish.

New York Times bestselling writer SA Cosby will also be at the festival.

Also there will be the writers on the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize shortlist at an event on Friday afternoon. Frances Crawford; Linda Duncan McLaughlin; Kirsty Lockwood; Zoë Rankin, and Dumfries and Galloway author May Rinaldi will talk to festival co-founder Alex Gray ahead of the presentation of the prize at an event in the Church Of The Holy Rude.

Also being unveiled in the church on Friday night will be the winner of the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist this year is: Tariq Ashkanani; Gavin Bell; Frances Crawford; Philip Miller and Zoë Rankin.