Crime in the Spotlight at Bloody Scotland 2024

The Open University is delighted to be supporting Crime In The Spotlight at Scotland's International Crime Writing Festival,​ Bloody Scotland 2024.

Inspired by the concept of support acts at music festivals, Crime in the Spotlight pairs the rising stars of the crime fiction scene with established crime writers and to date over 100 authors have taken to the spotlight stage.

Most famously author, Graeme Macrae Burnet was paired with Ian Rankin in 2015 and went on to be shortlisted for The Booker. Claire Askew who was a spotlighter in 2018 went on to win the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize in 2019 and this year is longlisted for the McIlvanney.

This year's selection of up-and-coming crime writers are: Simpson Grears, TY Garner, Morag Pringle, Jake Bowen-Bate, Brian Cook, Claire Wilson, David Goodman, Isobel Shirlaw, Nina Bhadreshwar, Charlotte Stevenson, Donna Morfett, Jack O’Donnell, Susan Allott, LM Chilton, Jane McLoughlin and Rhiannon Barnsley.

Jack O’Donnell will be reading from his book Beastie at the OU sponsored Irvine Welsh & Louise Welsh event on Saturday the 14th of September at 8.30 pm at the Albert Halls.

Crime in the Spotlight offers a platform to shine a spotlight on new crime writing talent during the festival, and authors will prepare a short reading or presentation before the events to share with audiences at Albert Halls, as well as book signing alongside the authors.

Some of these events are available both in person and online.

For more info and to book your place to watch online or in-person, please go to the Bloody Scotland website. 

You can try Creative Writing course content for free, on the OU site OpenLearn, such as Start writing fiction. 

The OU offers the modules Creative Writing and Advanced Creative Writing, a BA (Honours) English Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Writing.