A Scots mother has won the McIlvanney Prize for Scotland’s crime book of the year with her first ever novel at the age of 64.
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mother → win → 64
Frances Crawford, from Glasgow, also became the first person ever to win both the McIlvanney Prize and the prestigious Bloody Scotland Debut Prize in the same year.
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Crawford → become → year
Her murder mystery ‘A Bad, Bad Place’ swept the boards on the opening night of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival in Stirling.
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mystery → sweep → Stirling
Ms Crawford, who wrote the whodunnit after completing a creative writing course at the University of Glasgow aged 60, has described herself as an ‘accidental author’.
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who → write → author
A keen reader, she had no plan to write a book of her own until her tutor encouraged her to develop a short story she had written as part of the course into a novel.
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she → have → novel
She said she was ‘shocked’ at its success as she was convinced only a few people would ever read it and added: ‘I didn’t have much hope for the novel.
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I → say → novel
I’m shocked at the success I’ve had.
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I → shock → success
‘I used to go to book festivals and listen to the authors and now I’m one of them.’
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Ms Crawford started writing late in life.
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Crawford → start → life
She graduated aged 60 with an MLitt (Distinction) and the original short story won the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story competition in 2023.
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story → graduate → 2023
Frances Crawford (right) receives the Bloody Scotland debut prize and the McIlvanney Prize from guest programmer Denise Mina
The story, set in 1979, is told partly from the perspective of 12-year-old Janey, who discovers a murdered woman on a disused railway line in Possilpark, where the author grew up.
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author → receive → Possilpark
Following a ten-way auction, Transworld acquired the rights to the book, which was published to great acclaim in February this year.
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which → follow → February
It has already collected a string of awards including the McDermid debut prize at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate this summer.
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Ms Crawford now joins an illustrious list of McIlvanney Prize winners including names such as Peter May, Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina and Tariq Ashkanani.
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Crawford → join → May
Bloody Scotland’s guest programmer, leading crime writer Denise Mina, said of Ms Crawford’s double success: ‘This is a spectacular debut from a wonderful new voice.
‘She is the very first double winner and it could not be more deserved.’
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it → lead → voice
The festival’s co-founder, author and chair of the Debut Prize judges, Alex Gray, said: ‘A Bad, Bad Place captured my heart from the first mention of Janey’s dog, Sid Vicious.
‘From then on the Glasgow patter and the different characters wound around me like a familiar - though not so comfy - blanket.
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patter → say → blanket
Ms Crawford joins an illustrious list of McIlvanney Prize winners including Chris Brookmyre
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Crawford → join → Brookmyre
‘Beautifully written, thoughtfully perceived from a child’s perspective, this is one novel that will remain with me for a long time to come.
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that → write → time
It is the first year Bloody Scotland has had an all-woman shortlist for the Debut Prize, with four of those women making it onto the longlist for the McIlvanney Prize, and the first time the same author has won both the Debut and McIlvanney prizes.
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author → have → Debut
The latter comes with a Glencairn Crystal Decanter, £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.
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latter → come → Waterstones
Ms Crawford said of her success: ‘It’s very hard to put into words just how honoured I am.
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It wasn’t something I expected, to be in my sixties and have this whole new life.
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‘It’s like a dream and I keep expecting to wake up any minute.’
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I → ’ → dream
Crawford was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, which causes muscle weakness, nearly 40 years ago.
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which → diagnose → weakness
In a remarkable twist, her two-book deal coincided with being accepted to trial a new immunosuppressant drug, which she says has been ‘life changing’.
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she → coincide → drug
Alongside a life changing advance, it has allowed her not only to come off benefits but to travel and discuss her story at festivals, which she would not have been able to do previously.
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she → change → which
The acclaimed prize was named after Laidlaw author William McIlvanney
She said: ‘It’s like the stars have aligned and I’m so grateful.’
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I → name → McIlvanney
After collecting her gongs, Ms Crawford said it had never crossed her mind she would win one, let alone two awards.
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she → collect → awards
She added: ‘It’s beyond my wildest dreams.
‘When I was growing up, we never had books in the house – there wasn’t space to keep them – it was only library books.
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‘My mum and dad liked different authors but the one they both loved was Laidlaw (by William McIlvanney).
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they → like → McIlvanney
‘For me to win the prize in McIlvanney’s name would have made them both very proud indeed.’
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them → win → name
The Aporia
