The official glass for whisky, the Glencairn Glass, is once again raising a toast to crime fiction with the return of its popular annual Crime Short Story Competition, run in partnership with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.
Launching on 14 January 2026, the competition invites both experienced and emerging writers from around the world to submit an original crime short story of under 2,000 words. This year’s key criterion is that the protagonist must be from Scotland. Entries close at midnight on 31 March 2026.
The overall winner will receive £1,000, publication on the Bloody Scotland website, and a guest appearance at the Bloody Scotland Festival in September 2026. The runner-up will be awarded £500, with both winning stories also published on the Glencairn Glass website (whiskyglass.com).
Produced by award-winning Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal, the Glencairn Glass has long been associated with Scotland’s crime writing scene. Since 2020, the company has proudly supported Bloody Scotland through sponsorship of both the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year Award.
A proven launchpad for crime writers
Since its inception, the competition has attracted hundreds of entries from writers across the globe and has proven to be a genuine career springboard.
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 of the 2022/23 competition, signed a two-book deal with Penguin, with her debut novel set for release in 2026.
The inaugural winner, Brid Cummings (2021), later signed with a UK literary agency and saw her first psychological suspense novel published by Audible.
Judging panel for 2026
For the first time, this year’s judging panel includes six of the UK’s leading crime book influencers, alongside Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal.
Commenting on the launch, Kirsty Nicholson said:
“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 online at
www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition
The competition closes at midnight on Tuesday 31 March 2026, with the winner and runner-up announced in the summer.
Bloody Scotland Festival Director Bob McDevitt added:
“We are excited to read a new crop of stories and hope the competition provides a stepping stone in developing the careers of some talented new voices.”
For full details and entry guidelines, visit:
www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition
