Glencairn launches second short story competition

THE Glencairn Glass has launched the second instalment of its crime short story competition, in partnership with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and Scottish Field magazine, with a theme of “A crime story set in Scotland”. Last year’s maiden competition attracted entries from talented crime writers across the globe.

Over the past three years, The Glencairn Glass – produced by family-run glassware company Glencairn Crystal – has supported and celebrated Scottish crime writing talent, working closely with the Bloody Scotland team to sponsor its prestigious McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing prizes. Its inaugural short story competition was launched last year to build on this creative collaboration.

This year’s competition opens for entries today and runs until 31 December.  Both experienced and novice crime writers are invited to submit their stories, in no more than 2,000 words.

The first prize winner will receive £1,000, the runner up will be awarded £500. Both will also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses. The winning entry will be published in Scottish Field magazine in spring 2023 and both stories will be published online on Scottish Field’s website, as well as the Glencairn Glass website.

The competition judging panel will comprise Tariq Ashkanani, whose debut novel, Welcome to Cooper, won this year’s Bloody Scotland Debut Award 2022, and Sharon Bairden, an established book reviewer and author of psychological thrillers Sins of the Father and You Need Me.  The third judge is Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director Gordon Brown, who has written ten crime novels with his latest – Any Day Now – out now. Gordon is also one of the founding directors of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.

Brown said: “The response to last year’s inaugural short-story competition was fantastic. I’m looking forward to celebrating all of this year’s entries with a wee dram in a Glencairn Glass.”

Last year’s inaugural competition was won by Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and occupational therapist based in South Australia. Her winning story – Halmeoni’s Wisdom – was a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade, and a desire for freedom.

Cummings said: “Winning the inaugural Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition was a fantastic experience – not only did it provide an opportunity to build my profile and connect with other crime writers, it also gave me the confidence to finish my psychological suspense novel, which has recently gained third prize in the Yeovil Literary Prize. I would highly recommend this competition to anyone wishing to start a career in crime writing.”

Festival director Bob McDevitt added: “At Bloody Scotland, we are passionate about supporting new writing and encourage aspiring writers to seize this fabulous opportunity. A short story is a great stepping stone to writing a novel. Whatever your background or experience we encourage you to give the Glencairn Glass short story competition a go.”

All short story entries must be submitted at www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition, with the competition closing at midnight on Saturday 31 December 2022. The winners will be announced in March 2023.