Val McDermid's Blog, page 13
April 5, 2016
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March 18, 2016
UK writers join the fight for Orkney library…
The Guardian 17.03.2016
Alison Flood
Orkney mobile library returning to Kirkwall. Photograph: Orkney Library & Archive
Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves join JK Rowling to defend award-winning mobile library facing £25,000 cut
Major writers from Val McDermid to Ann Cleeves are lining up to fight for Orkney’s threatened mobile library, which brings books to readers in some of the UK’s most remote locations.
behind the scenes the service is being eroded
Travelling to the islands of Stronsay and Shapinsay, Longhope and Westray, and a host of other locations across Orkney’s mainland and isles, the mobile service is facing a reduction in funding of £25,000, after Orkney Islands council agreed to find £1.4m in savings following its own drop in funding. The council said today that this could mean “reducing visits to each destination served by the mobile library service to once every two months, rather than once a month as at present”.
Author Alison Miller, who grew up in Orkney, has launched a petition protesting against the cuts and calling on Orkney Islands council to maintain the service at its current level. It has already drawn the support of the writers McDermid, Cleeves, Louise Welsh and Lin Anderson, as well as hundreds of readers.
Pointing out that Orkney library has won both library of the year and librarian of the year, as well as landing a recent surprise visit from JK Rowling, who dropped in on its crime book club Saturday Slaughters, Miller writes in her petition that “behind the scenes the service is being eroded”.
February 25, 2016
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon battles alien invasion terrorising UK in new BBC drama debut…
PHIL MILLER / 00:07 Thursday 25 February 2016
Herald Scotland
She has obtained sweeping new powers for Scotland, leads a party poised to dominate Holyrood for years – and is now set to restore order to a UK invaded by aliens.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to make first foray into radio drama – playing herself as a calming voice of authority as Britain is besieged by extra-terrestrials.
Ms Sturgeon appears in the BBC Radio 4 production, The Kraken Wakes, a modern retelling of John Wyndham’s classic 1953 apocalyptic novel, which has been adapted by the Scottish crime writer and dramatist Val McDermid.
The two-part drama stars Tamsin Greig and Paul Higgins as reporters Mike and Phyllis Watson, who are on a honeymoon cruise when they see strange red lights falling out of the sky and into the sea.
The lights are aliens who are invading the earth and destroying its environment by raising sea levels.
“There’s chaos in London, there’s no police force, and the British Government has collapsed, but its the Scottish government that survives and tries to re-establish civic order,” said Mr Higgins.
The lights are aliens who are invading the earth and destroying its environment by raising sea levels
“So mine and Tamsin’s characters are always twiddling with the radio, trying to get a signal, and they hear Nicola Sturgeon saying the Scottish Government is going to take control.”
Val McDermid, who is a fan of Wyndham’s works, retells the story “in the light of contemporary fears of climate change”.
Read the full article on the Herald Scotland website…
February 19, 2016
Scots stars urge Prime Minister to save Calais Jungle camp children…
Scots comedian Frankie Boyle and writers Irvine Welsh and Val McDermid are among 14 stars calling on David Cameron to help save children based at the Jungle Camp in Calais.
The Scotsman
Friday 19 February 2016
Image: Lisa Ferguson
They have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister asking the government to step in and allow unaccompanied children living in the Jungle to be reunited with their families in the UK.
The plea comes as the French authorities are due to demolish the southern part of the Jungle on Monday, something which would destroy the temporary homes of over 3,000 people.
Read the full article on the Scotsman website…
January 26, 2016
Peter James wins CWA Diamond Dagger for ‘sustained excellence’…
Peter James. Photograph: Stephen Lawrence
Author acclaimed as the ‘king of the police procedural’ by judge of crime writing award previously taken by authors including Elmore Leonard and Frederick Forsyth.
“King of the police procedural” Peter James has won the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest honour, the CWA Diamond Dagger.
Given in the past to some of crime writing’s biggest names, from Elmore Leonard to Frederick Forsyth and Val McDermid, the Diamond Dagger is for a career of “sustained excellence”, and for a “significant contribution” to the genre. James is best known for his series about detective superintendent Roy Grace, who investigates a serial killer targeting young women in Brighton in You Are Dead, his 11th and most recent outing.
Read the full article on the Guardian website…
January 20, 2016
Val is nominated for the 2016 Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category…
The Mystery Writers of America have announced the 2016 Edgar Award Nominations, celebrating the 207th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe.
Val is among the nominees in the category of ‘Best Fact Crime’ for the book:
Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime
by Val McDermid (Grove Atlantic – Grove Press)
Read the full list of nominees and get more details on all categories on the PR Newswire website…
January 13, 2016
JK Rowling supports Val McDermid after burglary…
Wednesday 13 January 2016 Edinburgh Evening News
JK ROWLING has revealed she has been burgled twice, in a message of support to friend and crime writer, Val McDermid.
Ms McDermid, 60, took to Twitter on Monday to blast those who broke into her Stockport home over the weekend and stole her car.
Read the full article on Edinburgh Evening News website…
January 12, 2016
Scots writer Val McDermid hits out after burglars target home and steal car…
Photo: by Clara Molden
Scottish crime writer Val McDermid has hit out on social media after thieves targeted her Stockport home and stole her car.
Ms McDermid, best known for her series of crime novels featuring the character Dr. Tony Hill, revealed on Twitter that the burglars had stolen her black Audi A6 estate in addition to her son’s Xbox console.
The 60-year-old, originally from Kircaldly, Fife, is currently involved in a tour of the United States.
Ms McDermid tweeted: “If the gob****** who burgled my house and stole my car are on Twitter– I hope 2016 is as s***** as you deserve.”
First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, offered her support, tweeting: “sorry to hear this. Hope everyone ok x.”
Read the full article on Herald Scotland
January 4, 2016
Michael Portillo, Arthur Smith and Val McDermid headline most varied York Literature Festival yet…
Comedian and Leonard Cohen tribute act Arthur Smith brings comedy to York Lit Fest. Photograph: Andy Warrington
January 3, 2016
Comedian and professional Grumpy Old Man Arthur Smith, former politician and train-spotter Michael Portillo and crime queen Val McDermid are all booked for what is set to be a classic York Literature Festival.
With 40 events packed in to 14 days, the festival is set to be the biggest and best yet.
Other big names heading our way include poets Wendy Cope and Carol Ann Duffy and York-born former business secretary Vince Cable.
Read the full article on yorkmix.com
December 22, 2015
The Kraken Wakes
Join the BBC Philharmonic and BBC Radio 4 for radio drama The Kraken Wakes. This modern retelling of John Wyndham’s 1953 apocalyptic novel is adapted by crime writer and radio dramatist Val McDermid and stars Tamsin Greig, Paul Higgins and Richard Harrington.
This is a rare chance to see a radio drama recorded for Radio 4 with a live orchestral accompaniment from the BBC Philharmonic.
Composer Alan Edward Williams has created a brand new orchestral score that will ‘play the part’ of the great sea monster during the performance.
The Kraken Wakes will be recorded as a live performance in two parts. The drama will then be broadcast later in the year on BBC Radio 4.
Tickets will be allocated via random draw with 30% of the tickets going to Salford postcodes and 70% going to the rest of the UK.
You can register at any time until 11pm on Sunday 27 December.
You can apply for a maximum of two tickets.
CLICK HERE to go to the BBC webpage to apply.
Good luck!
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