AUTHOR ON HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH LIAM McILVANNEY, WINNING P
Writer Alan Parks reveals why he ncluded fictional detective from another book in his latest thriller
It’s a mystery worthy of its own super-sleuth detective – the hero police officer from one gritty series of awardwinning books popping up unexpectedly in a rival author’s crime thriller.
Now writer Alan Parks has unlocked the secret of why he sneaked a well- known fictional detective from another crime writer’s book into his work. and Parks, 59, who was last week
Oth deeply honoured to win the Bloody cha Scotland McIlvanney Prize, has andTh revealed he is good pals with the son of late author William McIlvanney. nam Like Alan, McIlvanney’s son Liam tar writes crime thrillers set in their for home city of Glasgow – and was even fea in the running against Alan for the A award in his dad’s name. the The good friends are such fans of Cri each other’s work, they have given a mo nod to each other’s rival detectives in his their recent books. Blo Alan said: “I know Liam quite well an a – he’s very funny – and while he lives in New Zealand, I see him when he’s back over in Scotland. Ala “His books are set in the same as a place and at the same time as mine the – Glasgow in the 70s. role “His detective, in our imaginary and worlds, lives just around the corner him from my detective. pho “If they did live around the corner for from each other at that time in real art life, then they would certainly Ord have known each other H through their work, so pub it seemed a bit of fun by t and made a bit of sense and to have them meet. A “Hi s de t e c t i v e , Lou Duncan McCormack, appears thi in my book The April Dead and my “W detective, Harry McCoy, appears in ima his book The Heretic. all t “We think it’s quite funny and it “was just for amusement. but “Some people who have read the off w books notice the nod immediately – Blo
Waiting to hear which one of us had won was horrible – like being back at school and waiting to hear if you were going to get detention
d they’re like, ‘ That’s that guy!’ hers just think I’ve mentioned a aracter called Duncan McCormack d don’t realise it’s Liam’s main man.” The prestigious McIlvanney Prize, med in honour of the “godfather of rtan noir”, was presented to Alan the latest in his series of novels turing Glasgow detective McCoy. Alan, who received his award at e Bloody Scotland International ime Writing Festival in Stirling, odestly believes he owes much of writing success to his debut novel, oody January, being nominated for award at the same festival several ars ago.
At the time of writing the book, ok, an had been working g a creative director in n e music industry. His s e with London Records s d Warner Music saw w m commission videos, s, otography and artworks s r leading bands and d t ists including New w der, All Saints and Enya. a. He wrote his first novel – which was blished in 2017 – while commuting train between his home in Glasgow d work in London.
Alan, who was pitted against Liam, uise Welsh and Ambrose Parry for s year’s McIlvanney Prize, said: When I wrote that first book, I never agined that further down the road this would be happening.
I hoped people would like the book t what really helped kick my career was being nominated for the New ood prize at Bloody Scotland all those years ago, which was for new authors.
“Now I’ve received the McIlvanney Prize, which is totally amazing.
“There were four great books up for the prize and, to some extent, it’s just luck of the draw who wins.
“Waiting to hear which one of us had won was horrible – like being back at school and waiting to hear if you were going to get detention or not.
“Luckily it went my way, which I’m delighted about.”
The novel that won Alan the prize was his fifth thriller, May God Forgive.
He planned that each of the books in his 12-novel series would contain the name of a month in its title.
Alan said it’s a decision
hash lived to regret. He added: “When I named my first book Bloody January, I really had no idea what I was going to call my next novel.
“Then my publisher Canongate said, ‘Obviously your second book is going to have the word February in the title,’ and I thought, ‘Is it?’ I decided, ‘ That’s not that bad an idea’ – but now thinking up titles is a pain in the butt.
“Months like November will be good. That’s a dark month. You maybe think doom and gloom. But I’m currently working on my sixth book – which needs June in the title. June is far too happy a month – filled with sunshine. Trying to think of a title that is ominous involving June is not proving easy.”
Alan, who headed straight from the Bloody Scotland awards to France for a two-week book tour, is combining his travels with writing.
He said: “I’m back to writing on the train. A lot of people like complete silence to write but I’m the opposite. I like to write with a bit of life around me.
“I love writing on a train or in a cafe. I would much rather have noise about me when I write than be sitting at home by myself, where it all gets a bit solemn and miserable.” m
While Alan jokes that writing w his latest novel while travelling tr through France may tempt him to add a French character to his book, b he said his inspiration for fo each story always remains re Glasgow.
He said: “The place my book is set is always what inspires me first.
“I like to wander around Glasgow a lot and I might see something that sparks a bit of interest and then I’ll see something else.
“I might find four or five places in the city that I would find interesting to write about and then I set to work on finding a way to connect them.
“That’s how my stories start. It’s probably the wrong thing to do but it works for me.
“My last book was set in Royston as I wrote it during Covid when I used to go to the park at Royston for outdoor exercise and then have a wee walk about afterwards. My next book is going to be set in Possil, around Saracen Street.
“I try to make the geography as accurate as possible to how things looked in the 70s and, if I get it wrong, then a lot of folk write to tell me what mistakes I’ve made.
“In one of my books I had a motorway in the wrong place. I had people getting in touch to let me know it wouldn’t have been built yet.
“Someone told me just last week that I’d held a Catholic service in a Protestant church.
“But it’s not the end of the world and I find it funny.”