Wednesday, February 06, 2013

William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin to appear at 2013 Festival



In a rare public appearance, William McIlvanney will appear in conversation with Ian Rankin at the Festival this July, to talk about his life, work and influence on crime fiction. William McIlvanney truly is the father of Tartan Noir. His 1977 novel Laidlaw introduced the world to DI Jack Laidlaw, a Glaswegian detective with unconventional methods who immerses himself in the dark side of Glasgow to catch a brutal attacker. It is widely regarded as the first Tartan Noir novel.

Even if you have never had the pleasure of reading McIlvanney's books, you'll certainly have read something inspired by them. Ian Rankin lists McIlvanney as a major influence on his Rebus novels and other fans include Val McDermid, Denise Mina and Irvine Welsh to name but a few. Laidlaw and its sequels, The Papers of Tony Veitch (1983) and Strange Loyalties (1991), will be republished this year, so if you are new to McIlvanney you can catch up on the novels that have inspired a genre.

Don't miss the opportunity to hear from one of the most important and respected voices of crime fiction, in conversation with Ian Rankin, the UK's number one best-selling crime writer, famous Edinburgh resident and creator of the award-winning Detective Inspector Rebus novels. Ian's books have been translated into 36 languages and he is the recipient of no fewer than four CWA Dagger Awards.

William and Ian join our star-studded 2013 line-up, which already includes Kate Atkinson, Lee Child, Charlaine Harris, Susan Hill, Val McDermid, Ruth Rendell and Jeanette Winterson. Over the coming weeks we will be announcing more authors and panels for the 2013 Festival, so keep an eye on your inbox! Make sure you're there to celebrate a decade of the best crime writing festival around!

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