Delight as McGilloway book up for major prize

A RECENT offering from Strabane author, Brian McGilloway has been longlisted for a major literary prize.

‘The Last Crossing’ which was published last year during the first lockdown is now in the running for the renowned Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year.

Now in its 17th year, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award is considered the most coveted crime writing prize in the country, and one that receives substantial interest from authors, publishers, book sellers and fans of the genre in equal measures.

“I’m delighted that The Last Crossing has been longlisted,” Brian remarked this week. “It’s an incredibly strong list and I’m thrilled to be among so many friends and peers whose work I so admire.”

Described as a story about memory, love, guilt and the consequences of violence, ‘The Last Crossing’ came in for some high praise from other authors following its release 12 months ago. Best known for his Rebus novels, Ian Rankin is a multi-award winning Scottish writer who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2016. Of ‘The Last Crossing’, he remarked, “Poetic, humane and gripping… reminded me of Bernard MacLaverty’s early work. Yes, it’s that good.”

Last year’s winner of the prize was ‘The Chain’ author, Adrian McKinty from Belfast.

• To vote for Brian McGilloway’s ‘The Last Crossing’ log onto https://harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com/