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The Glencairn
Glass Crime Short Story Competition
returns for 2026.
The Glencairn Glass, the official glass
for whisky, is once again raising a dram
to crime fiction with the return of its
much-loved annual Crime Short Story
Competition.
Launching on 14 January in partnership
with the Bloody Scotland International
Crime Writing Festival, the competition
invites both established and aspiring
writers from across the globe to submit
an original crime short story of fewer
than 2,000 words. This year’s key
requirement is that the protagonist must
be from Scotland. Entries close on 31
March 2026.
The overall winner will receive a £1,000
prize, publication of their story on the
Bloody Scotland website, and an
invitation to make a guest appearance at
the Bloody Scotland Festival in
September 2026. The runner-up will be
awarded £500. Both winning stories will
also be published on the Glencairn Glass
website at whiskyglass.com.
The Glencairn Glass has a longstanding
connection with Scottish crime fiction.
Produced by the award-winning,
family-owned Scottish glassware company
Glencairn Crystal, the brand has
supported the Bloody Scotland Crime
Writing Festival since 2020. This
includes sponsorship of the McIlvanney
Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the
Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime
Novel of the Year awards.
Previous winners
Since its launch, the competition has
attracted hundreds of entries from
emerging and established crime writers
worldwide and has proven to be a
valuable career springboard for many.
Allan Gaw, runner-up in 2022/23, went on
to win the 2024 Bloody Scotland Debut
Novel Prize and secured a four-book
publishing deal with Polygon. Frances
Crawford, winner in 2022/23, has signed
a two-book deal with Penguin, with her
debut novel due for publication in 2026.
The competition’s inaugural winner, Brid
Cummings (2021), later signed with a UK
literary agency and saw her first
psychological suspense novel published
by Audible.
The judges
For the first time, this year’s judging
panel will feature six of the UK’s
leading crime book influencers,
alongside Kirsty Nicholson, Design and
Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal.
Kirsty Nicholson commented: “We’re
thrilled to launch the fourth year of
our short story competition with our
official whisky glass, the Glencairn
Glass, as we continue to support and
celebrate the world of crime fiction.
Each year the calibre and creativity of
the entries exceed our expectations, and
we’re excited to discover the new voices
and gripping stories that this year’s
competition will bring”.
How to enter
All entries must be submitted via
www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition
The competition closes at midnight on
Tuesday 31 March 2026, with the winner
and runner-up to be announced during the
summer.
Bloody Scotland Festival Director Bob
McDevitt said the team is eager to read
a new wave of stories and hopes the
competition will help nurture and
develop the careers of talented new
writers.
For full details and entry information,
visit www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition
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