Monday September 15th 2025
Edinburgh Lawyer, Tariq Ashkani, with his McIlvanney Prize
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival returned this weekend in Stirling for its 13th year, kicking off the annual celebration with prize announcements on the Friday (12th of September) where the winner of the top prize and debut prize was revealed to be an Edinburgh solicitor and an East Lothian local.
The winner of the top prize, the McIlvannay Prize, was revealed to be Edinburgh solicitor Tariq Ashkanani for his crime novel, The Midnight King.
The prize was was presented to him on stage on the opening night of the festival by the last years winner, Chris Brookmyre. Tariq, a solicitor from Edinburgh, appeared as a support act for Ian Rankin in Crime in the Spotlight at the 2021 festival and went on to win the Bloody Debut Prize in 2022. The McIlvanney Prize win brings the process of nurturing authors at Bloody Scotland full circle.
Tariq is an Edinburgh based solicitor and cohost of the writing podcast Page One, his debut crime novel, Welcome to Cooper, won the Bloody Scotland debut award back in 2022.
Hi newest award winning novel, ‘The Midnight King’ published by Viper is a thriller about the son of a serial killer returning home after his father’s funeral.
The judges who included broadcaster, Nicola Meighan, journalist and writer Arusa Qureshi and crime reviewer Gordon McGhie commented on Tariq’s novel, saying:
“Tariq Ashkanani manages to create an atmosphere of dread while uniquely exploring the theme of nature vs nurture…When we speak about thrillers being page turners (this) should be used an example of how it should be done”.
The 2025 winner of Tariq’s 2022 debut prize was revealed to be East Lothian local David Goodman for his novel ‘A Reluctant Spy’.
This year he took centre stage, picking cup the award that celebrates his debut novel as a crime author. He also won the inaugural Theakston Old Peculier McDermid Debut Award in July.
David Goodman grew up in Longniddry and after returning four years ago, continues to live in the village with his family. The 44 year old has had a versatile career until recently receiving attention for his crime writing talent, winning various awards since his debut novel.
East Lothian local, David Goodman, with his Debut Prize
His debut and Bloody Scotland award-winning novel, A Reluctant Spy, is a contemporary spy novel about a young man who agrees to lend his identity to SIS (aka MI6) in return for a helping hand through life.
The 2025 prize was judged by crime writer and Bloody Scotland founder, Alex Gray; broadcaster Bryan Burnett and Kenny Tweeddale from The Glencairn Glass. They said:
“Everything about this feels authentic. In fact, the only thing that’s not believable is that this could be a debut novel.”
Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at the awards sponsor Glencairn Crystal, said:
“A huge congratulations to Tariq Ashkanani on winning the McIlvanney Prize with his page-turning thriller The Midnight King, and to David Goodman on receiving the Debut Prize for his gripping first novel A Reluctant Spy.
“It is an honour to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on such exceptional authors in the wonderful world of crime fiction.”
The prize giving was followed by the inaugural Bloody Scotland Day of the Deid procession with actors and local pipeband in full make up led by the two winners and an effigy of Sir Ian Rankin.
It concluded at Stirling’s Albert Halls where the ‘mystery authors’ behind Evelyn Clarke’s, ‘The Ending Writes Itself’, were finally revealed to be #1 Sunday Times bestselling author, V.E. Schwab and longtime friend and screenwriter Cat Clarke. Schwab is best known for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones.
Highlights on Saturday included Mick Herron (author behind TV series Slow Horses), broadcasters Steph McGovern, Jeremy Vine and The Reverend Richard Coles, bestselling writer Kate Atkinson, actor Richard Armitage and superstar of American crime fiction Kathy Reichs. The day concluded with a Bloody Scotland take on Crime Family Fortunes and the sold-out Karaoke at the Coo where famous authors took to the mic.
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