2022 will see the return of Bloody Scotland’s spectacular torchlight procession through Stirling.

With Stirling’s 10th Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival just around the corner (15-18 September), we caught up with Festival Director Bob McDevitt to find out more:

What’s new for 2022?

This year’s festival is longer (four days instead of three), with more events and authors than ever before.

Headliners include Sir Ian Rankin, Anthony Horowitz, Lisa Unger, Jeffrey Archer, Anne Cleeves and Frankie Boyle.

We've a new venue, The Tolbooth theatre, which will be home to all of our digital events this year; featuring the likes of Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh, Sara Paretsky, Donna Leon, David Baldacci and Peter May.

Are you excited to be returning to in person events?

We’re looking forward to getting that full Stirling buzz back! We’re so pleased to be able to host the torchlight procession, football match and Crime at the Coo cabaret again (where our writers show off their musical talents).

From the excitement building online, it feels like people are really looking forward to a fun-filled, long weekend.

Anything you’ll be keeping from your pandemic set up?

The festival is hybrid, so people who don't feel ready to return yet (or who live too far away) can check out more than 40 events via the digital pass.

What event are you most looking forward to?

Oh, that's a tough one. I'll give you a few where I’ve enjoyed the books:

Louise Welsh's The Second Cut is excellent, so her event with Lilja Sigurdardottir and David Fennell will be brilliant.
I loved the book and TV adaptation of Slow Horses by Mick Herron, so his event with Mark Billingham will be one to catch.
I think our Red Hot Night of a Million Games quiz night with Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan will be, er, unpredictable!

Any local authors can we look out for this year?

Yes, quite a few - Andrew James Greig, Angela Edgar, Neil Broadfoot, CS Robertson (although coming from New Zealand!) and FJ Watson.

How can local people get involved?

We've given away 10,000 copies of the Bloody Scotland short story anthology through local libraries and shops and local residents get a 10% discount on all tickets.

The torchlight procession on the 15th will be hard to miss and the Scotland vs England football match in King's Park promises to provide glory and heartache!

If you need some more inspiration? Here’s what two of Scotland’s biggest crime writers have to say:

Bloody Scotland feels so intrinsically wedded to Stirling that it is impossible to imagine it taking place anywhere else, but equally, Stirling never has a greater buzz about it than during that wild weekend every September.
We would love to meet more of the Stirlingshire residents while we’re there.
It’s not often you have a Scotland v England football match on your doorstep, it’s free, there are Bloody Scotland cocktails and most of the crime writers don’t bite. Come and join us!
- Chris Brookmyre.
The Torchlit Parade is an amazing, rousing experience. We all light torches in the castle forecourt at sundown and march off following a pipe band as the sun sets over the valley.
By the time we get to the bottom of the hill it is pitch black and the atmosphere is incredible.
Stirling is so beautiful, it feels like walking back through time. We could be marching off to war or a Wickerman style event. It's thrilling!
- Denise Mina.

Sold, where do we sign up?

You can view the full festival programme and book tickets at bloodyscotland.com