Friday 13 September 2019 4:58pm
In a NOTED feature, published this week, renowned Scottish crime writer Val McDermid discusses why she was attracted to Otago as a Visiting Professor in the Division of Humanities.
Professor McDermid.
The crime novelist, who holds fellowships from the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and whose books have sold over fifteen million copies, recently took up the Visiting Professor of Scottish Studies and Crime Fiction role, which will run from 2019 to 2021.
For each of these three years, Professor McDermid will spend up to eight weeks a year in Dunedin, where she will be attached to the University’s Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies.
Professor McDermid will mentor postgraduate students in the Scottish Studies and the creative writing programmes, and will also contribute to undergraduate courses in Scottish Studies, crime fiction and creative writing, as well as giving a number of public lectures and readings.
Liam McIlvanney, Stuart Chair of Scottish Studies and Co-Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies and Professor McDermid outside the Centre on Albany St, Dunedin.
Professor Liam McIlvanney, Stuart Chair of Scottish Studies and Co-Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies, added the appointment was hugely exciting for Otago.
"To have a writer of Val McDermid’s eminence and experience attached to the centre over a sustained period will be of significant benefit to our students, our programmes and our whole institution.
“Professor McDermid is one of the most accomplished and acclaimed exponents of her chosen literary genre. She is also a charismatic speaker, a formidably clear-eyed observer of the current political scene, and a generous but exacting mentor. She will be a tremendous asset to Otago and I can’t wait to work with her.”
Professor McDermid expressed her excitement at the appointment.
“I have wonderful memories of Dunedin, so I’m delighted to be returning as Visiting Professor at Otago. I’m excited at the prospect of working with Professor McIlvanney and his colleagues in Scottish Studies and in Creative Writing over an extended period. And I anticipate this change of environment will fuel my creativity and drive it in new and challenging directions. It’s a tremendous opportunity – a dream ticket, really.”
About Professor Val McDermid
- One of the most popular and acclaimed crime writers in the English language.
- Her novels have been translated into 40 languages and have sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
- Recipient of the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for outstanding achievement.
- Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Oxford.
- The ITV series Wire in the Blood is based on McDermid’s Tony Hill & Carol Jordan novels.
- Previous winner of the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award, the LA Times Book Prize, the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, the Portico Prize for Fiction, the Lambda Literary Award for Fiction and the Grand Prix des Romans d’Adventure.
- Winner of an Anthony Award in both the fiction and non-fiction categories, two Barry Awards, a Sherlock Award and a Macavity Award.
- Stonewall Writer of the Year in 2007.
- Her novel, A Place of Execution, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2000.
- Has made regular appearances on BBC’s Question Time, has appeared on the satirical BBC TV news quiz Have I Got News For You?, and led the Scottish team to victory in Radio 4’s Round Britain quiz in 2014.
- Led the St Hilda’s College Oxford alumnae team to victory in University Challenge in 2016, the first ever all-women team to win any series.
- Lead vocalist for crime fiction “supergroup”, Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers.
- Holds honorary degrees from the universities of Sunderland, Northampton, Dundee and Bath Spa.
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.