LONDON (AP) — It’s a chilling cliche of thrillers that women often end up abducted, abused or dead.
One writer is so sick of the violence that she has set up a book prize to reward crime novels “in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered.”
The Staunch Book Prize offers a 2,000 pound ($2,800) purse and is open to published and unpublished books alike.
London-based writer Bridget Lawless founded the contest last month after growing weary of violence against women being a “go-to motivator” in books, films and TV shows.
The contest has some writers and readers cheering, but others say it could deter authors from tackling tough issues. Scottish crime writer Val McDermid says “not to write about it is to pretend it’s not happening.”
CRIME writers Abir Mukherjee, Graeme Macrae Burnet and Val McDermid are setting off on an adventure to India together.
The trio will be championing Scottish crime fiction at the world renowned Kolkata Literary Festival.
They will also launch Bloody Scotland, an anthology of twelve tartan noir tales.
The Sunday Post chatted to authors Graeme and Abir before they set off, and found out the links between Scots and Begalis run deeper than you might think.
ABIR MUKHERJEE, author of A Rising Man and A Necessary Evil, will be acting as a ‘sort of guide’ for Graeme and Val.
Raised in the West of Scotland, Abir’s parents are originally from Kolkata, a place he often uses as the setting for his novels.
KILLER writers are heading for India to sell “tartan noir” to a new audience.
Major names in crime fiction will launch a “thrilling” anthology of “dark Scottish tales” at the Kolkata Literary Festival (KLF) next month.
Celebrated author Val McDermid, Man Booker Prize nominee Graeme Macrae Burnet and bestseller Abir Mukherjee will travel to the city – which has a population almost as big as Scotland’s – for the event.
The collection, titled Bloody Scotland after the annual crime fiction festival held in Stirling, features 12 stories from authors including Ann Cleeves, Denise Mina and Lin Anderson and comes as the literary event seeks to increase the reach of Scottish novelists.
It will also be published in America, with Kolkata-based literature house BEE Books handling the Indian release.
The firm has also set up deals to publish two works by Macrae Burnet – The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau and The Accident on the A35.
The Glasgow-based author said: “I’m completely thrilled to be travelling to Kolkata for the first time, particularly in the company of two such renowned writers as Val and Abir.
“It promises to be a very exciting and enlightening trip. And I’m particularly pleased that through the partnership with BEE Books, two of my novels will be made available to local audiences at an affordable price.”
The move is part of a project supported by the British Council
to “grow the global reach” of Scottish literature and follows previous work to introduce more readers to classic crime fiction.
Jenny Brown, chair of Bloody Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be working with BEE Books on this innovative partnership to introduce Indian readers to Scottish crime fiction by bringing writers to the Kolkata Literary Festival, and by making their work more accessible in Indian-published editions.
“We know from our visit to KLF last year that there is a huge appetite for Scottish classics including the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.
“Now we want readers to try contemporary writing.”
