I spent election day in Ullapool in the far north-west of Scotland for the book festival. Over dinner, writers of fiction, poets, travel writers and literary critics plunged into vigorous discussion. By the morning, the atmosphere was subdued and bemused. How could the English have done this?
After the election, the burning need for the English and the Scots to understand each other is clear. I prescribe a course of reading
The overwhelming majority of Scots who supported the SNP in Thursday’s election have nothing against the English. We don’t hate you. We’re not eaten up with envy either. We’re not trying to pick your pockets or force-feed you haggis. We acknowledge that we lost the referendum vote last year. We know last week was not a rerun. We understand that for the time being, we are all in this together.
Photograph: Rupert Hartley/Rex Shutterstock
We’re not dancing in the streets, in spite of a party specifically committed to making Scotland’s voice heard having claimed 56 seats out of 59. We’re not cracking open the champagne, even though we’ve made our point to the two main parties and their Lib Dem lapdogs – you don’t speak for us or our aspirations. We’re not rejoicing the way we anticipated because we know what’s coming.
Scotland voted SNP and England voted Tory. It’s not our fault David Cameron has five more years. If every voter in Scotland had obeyed Jim Murphy, Labour would still have been 40 seats adrift of power.
No one can equal Ruth Rendell’s range or accomplishmentVal McDermid
Current British crime writing owes much to a writer who consistently showed that the genre can continually reinvent itself…
Ruth Rendell was deservedly the most decorated of British crime writers. Among her many distinctions were a clutch of Daggers (four gold, one silver and the diamond for a lifetime of achievement) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America who also gave her their Grandmaster Award. She was also garlanded with the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence.
Dead Good Books launches the inaugural Dead Good Reader Awards.
The team behind crime community Dead Good Books have created six bespoke awards, which will be presented in Harrogate this July at the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival.
Each award was created in collaboration with the Dead Good Facebook community and celebrates a unique element in crime writing.
The awards will feature an online reader nomination process. Readers can nominate their favourite authors and books for the awards online through the Dead Good website. When the shortlist for each award has been selected, readers will be able to vote for their favourite with the final winners being selected through a 50% digital and public vote at the festival.
The culmination of the awards will be at a special event on Friday 17th July at the festival with well-known crime authors such as Lee Child and Val McDermid presenting the awards. The awards are as follows:
The Lee Child Award for Best Loner or Detective
The Val McDermid Award for Fiendish Forensics
The Reichenback Fall Award for Most Epic Ending
The Dr Lecter Award for Scariest Villain
The Patricia Highsmith Award for Most Exotic Location
The Dead Good Recommends Award for Most Recommended Book
Each winner will receive a specially designed magnifying glass trophy.
No one can equal Ruth Rendell’s range or accomplishment
Val McDermid
