The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Crime pays for author Andrew whose book is in line for prestigious award
Dunblane writer among four on the shortlist for McIlvanney Prize
A sound engineer who was originally inspired to pen novels after working at Scotland’s leading international crime writing festival is in line for a major award himself.
In the running for Scotland’s crime book of the year award tonight, Andrew James Greig has decided to write full time.
The audio expert from Dunblane is one of four authors on the shortlist to win this year’s McIlvanney Prize.
He said the accolade, part of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, has come at “the perfect time” after Covid killed his business.
Mr Greig, on the list for only his second novel, Whirligig, said: “Being named on the shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize couldn’t have come at a better time for me.
“I can’t work because of Covid. I do conferences and events, and ever since March that work is no longer there.
“Like many small businesses in the Covid epidemic, it’s going to be the death of it, which is a great shame but it means I can concentrate on writing full time. It’s a new career.
“Financially I’ve taken a big hit with the business, so being given this recognition for my writing has been good for my confidence.
“Never in my wildest dreams when I started writing Whirligig did I think I’d be shortlisted for crime book of the year.”
Mr Greig, 65, provided and operated the audio, lighting and staging for the first Bloody Scotland festivals, held every September in Stirling since 2012.
In 2014, he prepared a microphone for the late William McIlvanney – the “father of Tartan Noir” after whom the award is named – on his last appearance at the festival.
He said: “I did think I’d like to write a book – I enjoy the intricacies of plotting and the logic involved in trying to work out who’s done what – but it’s a huge gulf between thinking about it and actually committing to doing it.”
He finally sat down to write his first crime novel, One is One, in the lull after Christmas 2017, and produced Whirligig, in around six months last year.
The McIlvanney Prize judges praised the novel for its “ambitious, innovative concept and the most intricate modus operandi for killing the victims of any book this year… a real page turner”.
Mr Greig is joined on the shortlist by Francine Toon, who is also shortlisted for the 2020 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, and former finalists Doug Johnstone and Ambrose Parry, the pen name of husband and wife writing partnership Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman.
The ninth annual McIlvaney Prize, sponsored by Glencairn Glass, includes a Glencairn crystal decanter, £1,000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.
The winner will be announced from Stirling at 7pm tonight.