Alan Parks shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger at the CWA Daggers 2023

May 15, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Congratulations to Alan Parks, whose novel MAY GOD FORGIVE has been shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger at the Crime Writers’ Association annual Daggers Awards! The Steel Dagger recognises the best espionage, psychological, or adventure thriller of the year, and sees Alan nominated alongside Linwood Barclay, John Brownlow, M. W. Craven, Robert Galbraith and Ava Glass. The winner will be picked by a jury chaired by Corinne Turner, the managing director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, and announced at the CWA’s gala dinner on 6 July.

The Crime Writers’ Association is this year celebrating its 70th anniversary, and the Daggers are the oldest awards of the genre and among the most prestigious.

MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth title in Alan Parks’ highly acclaimed Harry McCoy series. It won the McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year award and was recently longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (for which voting is still open to the public until this Thursday, 18 May).

After a fatal arson attack leaves tempers frayed in Glasgow, McCoy finds himself in a race against time to find the suspects before they turn up dead one by one. In 2022 MAY GOD FORGIVE was published in the UK by Canongate and in the US by Europa. The series is sold in more than ten countries around the world and the paperback was published in the UK last month. The next book in the series, TO DIE IN JUNE, will be released in the UK on 25 May.

Praise for MAY GOD FORGIVE

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth instalment in a remarkable series that began with BLOODY JANUARY. The novels, as someone once said, can be read in any order; the important thing is to read them all.’ – Mark Sanderson, The Times

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is a bleak and violent book, full of grisly details not for the squeamish, but also tenderness, poignance and hard-earned wisdom.’ – Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

‘Noir has long been the dominant colour in the palette of such Scottish writers as Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, but Parks manages to find a deeper shade of black, only slightly attenuated by Harry's willingness to go far off the grid to extract a wee bit of justice. A must for those who take their noir straight, no chaser; others should keep the Pepto handy.’ – Bill Ott, Booklist

‘Enjoyably readable… Parks is a gifted story-teller’ – Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘Harry McCoy is the brightest dark star on the Tartan Noir scene for some time and in future critics of Scottish crime fiction will surely be referring to the triumvirate of Laidlaw, Rebus and McCoy … MAY GOD FORGIVE is crime fiction which pulls no punches, powerfully told and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant. One of the crime novels of 2022.’ – Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder

About Alan Parks

Alan Parks worked in the music industry for over twenty years before turning to crime writing.

His debut BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER won the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, the Prix Mystère de la critique in the foreign fiction category, and was shortlisted for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel and THE APRIL DEAD was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The latest Harry McCoy book, MAY GOD FORGIVE, was published in April 2022 and won the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2022. It has also been shortlisted for the 2023 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and longlisted for the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award . The Harry McCoy series is optioned for television.

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He still lives and works in the city as well as spending time in London.

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THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE by Sheila O’Flanagan Is Number One on the Irish bestseller charts

May 10, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Sheila O’Flanagan’s first foray into historical fiction, THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE, has stormed into the Irish bestseller chart, landing at Number 5 after its first three days on sale, and in its second week conquering the top spot!

Inspired by her grandmother’s story and set in 1920s Dublin, The Woman on the Bridge marks the start of an exciting new branch of Sheila’s work. THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE is published by Headline in the United Kingdom and Ireland and was launched at an event at Dubray Books in Dublin last week. Mobius publish the novel in the United States and Canada and the audio edition is narrated by Grainne Gillis.

The novel has already been highly praised, with Electric Literature including it in ‘The Most Anticipated Irish Novels of 2023’, saying: ‘Braiding love, loss, and the sheer drama of war, O’Flanagan’s novel is redemptive in the way it peers into women’s lives, turns them right side up, and refuses to be forgotten.’ Peter Cunningham wrote in the Irish Independent that Sheila O’Flanagan ‘quickly establishes strong, credible characters and a clear sense of the city they live in… O’Flanagan’s legions of readers can look forward to yet another treat’ and Roddy Doyle praised THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE as ‘a great read… Winnie’s a great character, a terrific guide … She’s always real – she’s always human.’

Dublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy – and the hardest of choices. In a country fighting for freedom, it’s hard to live a normal life. Winnie O’Leary supports the cause, but she doesn’t go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She’s not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.

Joseph’s family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come? Ireland’s tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people.

Sheila is currently writing her next novel which will return to the present day, and will be published by Headline in 2024.

About Sheila O’Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan is an international bestselling novelist, with more than 9 million copies sold. Most of her novels have been immediate and long-lasting No 1s in Ireland, UK Top 10 Sunday Times Bestsellers and Kindle Bestsellers, and she is published in more than twenty languages around the world. She is the recipient of the prestigious Irish Tatler Literary Woman of the Year Award. Headline have acquired two new books from Sheila: THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE, a historical novel to be published in 2023 and a contemporary novel out in 2024.

Praise for THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE

An Irish Independent 2023 pick

‘The people were entirely of their time and their struggles, but they could also be you or me, or anyone suddenly caught up in the sharpness of political disputes and the machinations of people and governments struggling for control. It's the intimate stories painted on the wider canvas, and it brings history to life and into the home and the heart… filled with courage, heartbreak, optimism, and the strength of family bonds, both for good and ill.’ – Elizabeth Chadwick

‘A great read… Winnie’s a great character, a terrific guide. She brings us through big history but she has to feed the kids. She’s always real – she’s always human’ – Roddy Doyle

‘With a minimum of fuss, O’Flanagan quickly establishes strong, credible characters and a clear sense of the city they live in… O’Flanagan puts into play all the contemporary differences of class and political opinion, some of which are as fundamental today as they were a century ago… Whether Winifred and Joseph’s romance will survive in these circumstances is as fundamental to this warm-hearted story as are the survival prospects of the fledgling Free State. The emotional world of ordinary Dubs struggling to survive in a conflict whose consequences will take a century to resolve underpins this forthright tale of Ireland’s extremely complicated past. O’Flanagan’s legions of readers can look forward to yet another treat.’ – Peter Cunningham, Irish Independent

‘This is historical fiction at its best. So often I find this genre focussing on a single woman, when in reality women's lives were more rooted in the home and their families. This beautiful story shows the true power and influence of so called “ordinary” woman. Women like Sheila’s grandmother might not have instigated history, but they were forced to react to it, so their stories take the true temperature of the times. It was unputdownable, full of poignancy, warmth and real and relatable women.’ – Kate Thompson

‘Utterly captivating, a novel that resonates as a piece of history and yet also as a modern story of love, war and how women will fight for the people they love.’ – Cathy Kelly

‘Sheila has always been one of my go-to authors and THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE does not disappoint, beautifully rich in historical detail and drama. An irresistible story of a country torn apart, the bonds of family, and the enduring power of love.’ – Carmel Harrington

‘Winnie’s development, both emotionally and politically, is interesting… [A] gripping novel… nuanced in its telling of Ireland’s seismic historical period.’ – Colette Sheridan, Irish Examiner

‘Inspired by the true story of O’Flanagan’s grandmother, THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE is about a young woman’s commitment to the fight for Ireland’s freedom. Braiding love, loss, and the sheer drama of war, O’Flanagan’s novel is redemptive in the way it peers into women’s lives, turns them right side up, and refuses to be forgotten.’ – Electric Literature, ‘The Most Anticipated Irish Novels of 2023’

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Shani Akilah shortlisted for the Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition 2023

April 28, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Shani Akilah’s story ‘A Short Trip to Tesco’ has been shortlisted for the Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition 2023 after previously making the longlist.

Shani’s story was one of eight selected from a longlist of sixteen titles and over 850 entries to this year’s competition, themed around ‘Writing Love’. The shortlist was chosen by writer Naomi Booth.

Speaking about judging the competition, Naomi Booth said ‘It was a delight to read these short stories about love—in part because of their commitment to the surprising, the various, the ephemeral, and the difficult to articulate. There were brilliant stories in this longlist that focussed on the sharp and tender pain of lost loves; on the wordless dislocation of maternal love; on new friendships and the rush of fresh beginnings.’

‘A Short Trip to Tesco’ will appear in Shani’s upcoming debut short story collection.

About Shani Akilah

Shani Akilah is a 28 year-old Black-British writer from South London of Caribbean heritage (Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica). She is an avid reader and book blogger and was spotlighted as a ‘Key Black Influencer’ by DoubleDay Books.

Shani is passionate about community and bringing people together and is the co-founder of Nyah Network, a book club for black women and is also the founder of contributor based platform, Bankra, that explored the navigated identities of black millennials.

Shani loves travelling, and has spent significant time in Ghana as part of her studies. Shani has a Masters degree in African Studies from Oxford University with research exploring counter-diasporic return and issues of home and belonging amongst second-generation British-Ghanaians.

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MAY GOD FORGIVE longlisted for the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

April 27, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are delighted that MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks has been longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year is one of the most prestigious prizes in crime fiction in the UK. It is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and recognises the best crime novels published in the UK and Ireland in paperback.

The public are now invited to vote for the six titles to make up the shortlist: https://harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com/vote/

Voting closes on 18 May.

The shortlist will be announced on 15 June, when the public vote for the winner will open. The winner of the £3,000 prize will be revealed at Harrogate on 20 July, on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which will be celebrating its 20th year.

You can watch an interview with all the longlisted authors, including Alan, here: https://harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com/author-interviews/

After a fatal arson attack leaves tempers frayed in Glasgow, McCoy finds himself in a race against time to find the suspects before they turn up dead one by one. In 2022 MAY GOD FORGIVE was published in the UK by Canongate and in the US by Europa. The series is sold in more than ten countries around the world and the paperback is out in the UK today, on 27 April. The next book in the series, TO DIE IN JUNE, will be released in the UK next month.

Praise for MAY GOD FORGIVE

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is a bleak and violent book, full of grisly details not for the squeamish, but also tenderness, poignance and hard-earned wisdom.’ – Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

‘Enjoyably readable… Parks is a gifted story-teller’ – Allan Massie, The Scotsman

About Alan Parks

Alan Parks was Creative Director at London Records in the mid 1990’s, then at Warner Music, where he created ground-breaking campaigns for artists including All Saints, New Order, The Streets, Gnarls Barclay and Cee Lo Green. He was also Managing Director of 679 Recordings, a joint venture with Warner Music. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY propelled him onto the international literary crime fiction scene immediately and his work has been hailed by contemporary writers and critics alike.

BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER was picked as a Times Best Book of the Year, won an Edgar Award and has been shortlisted for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery novel, and THE APRIL DEAD was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He still lives and works in the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.

Visit Alan’s website

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Tom Benn, Alan Parks and Deon Meyer longlisted for CWA Daggers 2023

April 25, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are delighted that three Blake Friedmann authors have had their recent crime novels longlisted in this year’s Crime Writers’ Association Daggers. OXBLOOD by Tom Benn is longlisted for the Gold Dagger, the award for the overall best crime novel of the year. Deon Meyer’s THE DARK FLOOD, translated by K.L. Seegers, is on the longlist for the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks has been longlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, for the best espionage, psychological, or adventure thriller novel.

The Crime Writers’ Association Daggers are the oldest awards of the genre and among the most prestigious. The Daggers shortlists will be announced on 12 May at Crimefest and the winners at a gala dinner on 6 July.

OXBLOOD follows three generations of women as they try to come to terms with the bloody legacy of their family in 1980s Manchester. Told in vivid, visceral prose, OXBLOOD was published by Bloomsbury in April 2022, and recently earned Tom the 2022 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Translation rights have been sold in Spain and the paperback is just out in the UK.

‘One of the most powerful and urgent writers of our times.’ – David Peace

‘A compelling and deeply unsettling experience… a novel that glitters with the dark energy and lifeblood of its characters.’ – Naomi Booth

Tom Benn is an author, screenwriter and lecturer from Stockport, England. His first novel, THE DOLL PRINCESS, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Portico Prize, and his creative nonfiction has appeared in The Paris Review Daily. His first film Real Gods Require Blood premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Film at the BFI London Film Festival.

THE DARK FLOOD sees detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido demoted and sent to the leafy university town of Stellenbosch, but an apparently humdrum missing person case soon takes a disturbing turn. THE DARK FLOOD was first published by Human & Rousseau in 2020 in Afrikaans, where it became an instant #1 bestseller. The English edition, translated by K.L. Seegers, was published by Hodder in the UK and Grove Atlantic in the US in 2022, and was nominated for a Barry Award 2023. The paperback editions have just been published.

‘The best work yet from this gifted author.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Deon Meyer’s Benny Griessel novels, featuring a detective in an elite crime squad in Cape Town, are a joy to read.’ – Joan Smith, The Sunday Times

Deon Meyer is an internationally bestselling and prizewinning author, who was awarded France’s highest arts honour, Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2021. Rights in his titles are sold in 30 territories and 28 languages and many of his books have been optioned for film. He has been shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger three times and his books have won many prizes around the world, including the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France.

MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth title in Alan Parks’ highly acclaimed Harry McCoy series, and winner of the McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year. After a fatal arson attack leaves tempers frayed in Glasgow, McCoy finds himself in a race against to find the suspects, before they turn up dead one by one. In 2022 MAY GOD FORGIVE was published in the UK by Canongate and in the US by Europa. The series is sold in more than ten countries around the world and the paperback will be out in the UK this week, on 27 April 2023.

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is crime fiction which pulls no punches, powerfully told and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant. One of the crime novels of 2022.’ – Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder

Alan Parks was born in Scotland and worked in the music business before becoming a full-time writer. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY propelled him onto the international literary crime fiction scene and his work has been hailed by contemporary writers and critics alike. He still lives and works in Glasgow, the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.