Val McDermid award to celebrate city’s crime writing course success

Best-selling author Val McDermid has lent her name to a prize recognising the top student on a Dundee University course for aspiring crime writers.

The award will be presented annually to the MLitt Crime Writing and Forensic Investigation student who produces the best dissertation as part of their course.

The inaugural prize will be awarded at Dundee’s graduation ceremony in November.

This Masters degree is the first of its kind in the UK and sees academics from the university’s School of Humanities and Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) share their expertise on key aspects of crime, science and the law.

Kirkcaldy-born Val said: “I’m delighted to be associated with the prize for the best MLitt dissertation in this new and exciting joint discipline.

“I’m sure it’s going to be the first step on some very exciting literary journeys for these students.

“Some of us will have to look to our laurels!”

Val is an honorary graduate of the university, while CAHID’s Val McDermid Mortuary was named in her honour following a campaign to raise money for the cutting-edge facility.

She and other crime writers regularly work with staff at CAHID to ensure the scientific veracity of the gory scenes in their books.

The Dundee course provides students with modules in creative writing, the history of forensic science and the use of forensic evidence in court.

Fife author Val McDermid.