The Bloody Scotland festival today announced contenders for the two awards it hosts that celebrate Scottish noir, the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Book of the Year award.

Both awards are handed out at the Bloody Scotland festival in Stirling, Scotland which takes place September 15-17.

The McIlvanney Prize recognizes excellence in Scottish crime writing, and includes a prize of £1,000. Below is the McIlvanney Prize 2023 longlist. (The shortlist will be announced in August.)

THE MCILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLIST

• D V Bishop – Ritual of Fire (Macmillan)
• Heather Darwent – The Things We Do To Our Friends  (Penguin)
• Kate Foster – The Maiden (Mantle)
• Mark Leggatt – Penitent (Fledgling Press)
• S G Maclean – The Bookseller of Inverness (Quercus)
• Callum McSorley – Squeaky Clean  (Pushkin)
• Val McDermid – 1989 (Little,Brown)
• Denise Mina – The Second Murderer (Vintage)
• Robbie Morrison – Cast A Cold Eye (Macmillan)
• Ian Rankin – A Heart Full of Headstones (Orion)
• Craig Russell – The Devil’s Playground (Little,Brown)
• Douglas Skelton – An Honourable Thief (Canelo)

THE BLOODY SCOTLAND DEBUT PRIZE SHORTLIST

• Heather Critchlow — Unsolved (Canelo)
• Heather Darwent — The Things We Do To Our Friends (Penguin)
• Kate Foster — The Maiden (Mantle)
• Callum McSorley — Squeaky Clean (Pushkin)
• Fulton Ross — The Unforgiven Dead (Inkshares)

The Debut Prize winner is awarded a cheque of £500 and a trophy sponsored by The Glencairn Glass.