Exit Music has been nominated

Exit Music has been nominated for the Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year for the 2008 Galaxy British Book Awards. These ‘Oscars’ of the book world will be presented on 9th April at a star-studded event in London. You can register your vote by clicking here before 2nd April.

In a strong line up in this category, Ian is up against James Lee Burke’s The Tin Roof Blowdown – the very book that Ian himself tipped as his book of the year in his December newsletter on this website!

Crime Scene Edinburgh: 20 Years of Rankin & Rebus

If you are in Edinburgh between now and 13 January, then don’t miss a major new free exhibition now on at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. This interactive exhibition traces the development of Rankin the creator, Rebus the creation and the city of Edinburgh, which Ian Rankin has described as being the central character of his books. It explores the formative influences on Rankin – both literary and otherwise – takes in other tales from Edinburgh’s dark underbelly and looks at the thriving contemporary Scottish crime-writing scene.

With the help of Lothian and Borders Police, there is also a revealing look at contemporary police procedures and the application of forensic science. Indeed, visitors will have the chance to do some sleuthing of their own as clues throughout the exhibition lead to the culprit in the National Library’s very own murder mystery. Can you crack the case? There's also a recreation of the famous Oxford Bar, where you can sit and watch a ‘behind the scenes’ documentary on the creation of the Rebus TV series.

Sponsored by Scottish & Newcastle

24 October – 13 January
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh

• For further info please visit www.nls.uk
• To have a sneak preview download the layout and a couple of the panels click here
• For a review of the Exhibition in The list please click here

Ian's Canadian tour

At the end of October Ian hit Canada to promote Exit Music and celebrate 20 years of the Rebus novels. Events included a dinner with booksellers and the Mayor of Toronto, followed by a Welcome to Toronto event. At the PEN Canada gala benefit REBUS 20 whisky was auctioned at a price of $1400 to raise money for the charity. The auction was followed by an onstage conversation with Margaret Atwood. As well as this, in the 48 hours he was there Ian did 14 interviews and 6 sell-out signings!

Ian edits The List

This month Ian has guest-edited The List magazine

www.list.co.uk

Exit Music

Published on 6th September in the UK, Exit Music has gone straight in at the No 1 slot on the Sunday Times bestseller list, following a similar positioning for the paperback of The Naming of the Dead, published in July. In Exit Music, Rebus fans can finally find out what happens to Edinburgh's most famous detective in this the last DI Rebus novel. As well as touring the UK, Ian has been talking about the book on BBC R5 Gabby Logan, R4 Front Row, R2 The Weekender, One Word, Classic FM, Smooth Radio, and Radio Scotland, as well as other regional radio stations. The Guardian Unlimited Website have interviewed Ian and are running a podcast.

You can read/hear some of these interview by clicking onto the links below:

Ian at the Edinburgh Festival: click here  
Guardian Unlimited podcast: click here  
Guardian Unlimited interview: click here  

Competiton Winner

Congratulations to the winner of the competition to guess the title of Ian Rankin’s new book, out this September. Although nobody guessed the title correctly, Ian has selected his favourite: The Final Cut (originally the title of a Pink Floyd title) which was put forward by Tony Brown.

New Honours for Ian

Ian Rankin has recently received two honours from the City of Edinburgh.

In March Ian became the first ever recipient of the new Edinburgh Award, set up to honour the work of an outstanding Edinburgher. From a large number of public nominations, representing a cross section of people from the fields of arts, business, science and hospitality, the judging panel unanimously voted Ian Rankin as the inaugural winner.

Commenting on the award, Ian Rankin said: "I'm incredibly chuffed to win this award. Anyone who knows me, knows I am passionate about Edinburgh - its past, present and future. And anyone who has read my Inspector Rebus novels knows that Edinburgh itself is the main character in my stories. The city has inspired my writing and reveals itself anew to me every single day. The twenty-first century is already throwing up new challenges for Edinburgh and its citizens, and I hope I'll be able to go on recording and commenting on these in my fiction. It'll be a while yet before I'm finished exploring this city and its people."

Speaking on behalf of the panel, Lord Provost Lesley Hinds said: “Ian Rankin is clearly one of Edinburgh’s global success stories. He is internationally recognised as one of the greatest crime writers of our time and he has taken Edinburgh onto a world stage through his Rebus novels.

“But Ian is more than just a brilliant writer, he’s an asset to his community and devotes a lot of time to working for charities in Edinburgh and Scotland. He has taken Edinburgh onto the world stage but has kept his feet firmly on the ground, getting involved in local issues and interacting with the community in which he lives. Ian Rankin is a very worthy recipient of this first ever Edinburgh Award.”

In April, Ian was appointed to the rank of Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh by the Lord Provost Lesley Hinds. The tradition of appointing Lord and Deputy Lieutenants goes back to Tudor times; Henry VIII awarded the honour of Lord Lieutenant to his most senior military men on the field of battle, who would then represent the king in the monarch’s absence. The first Deputy Lieutenants of Edinburgh were appointed in 1569 and there are currently around 20 of them, who hold their office for ten years, or until the lieutenant is 75 – whichever comes first.

As Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh, it is part of the Lord Provost's remit to meet any member of the Royal Family who visits the city. If she is unable to carry out this task, she will appoint a deputy to act on her behalf. Speaking to the BBC, Ian commented ‘When I opened the letter with the offer from the Lord Provost I didn't even know we had Deputy Lieutenants! It is a great honour to have been offered the role. However, I was a bit worried when I received a text message from a friend the other day saying I would have to wear a cockade...’

Cllr Hinds said she had chosen to recognise people who have made a significant contribution to life in the city. "This is a fantastic opportunity to recognise hard working contributors to Edinburgh's community, business and cultural assets.Reinvigorating an ancient tradition in this way makes the point that Edinburgh is a city that can build on its past while looking to the future. This is the face of the 21st century."

The Naming of the Dead wins Worldbooks Crime Thriller of the Year Award 2007

Ian Rankin has won a British Book Award (‘Nibbie’) with The Naming of the Dead, which was the Worldbooks Crime Thriller of the Year. This is Ian’s second consecutive win, as Fleshmarket Close carried off the Award two years ago.

Ian said: " How fantastic, in this the 20th anniversary of Inspector Rebus's first appearance in print, to win a Nibbie for his seventeenth outing, The Naming of the Dead. It makes me wonder if I may be getting the hang of this writing business at long last. And to think that I nearly killed him off at the end of that first book... "

Celebrating 20 years of Rebus

Celebrating 20 years of Rebus – click here

The new Rebus

The Naming of the Dead out now - read or hear a pre-publication extract

Rebus on TV

Find out more about dramatizations starring Ken Stott.

Ian Rankin visits the famous Desert Island

Ian recently appeared on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4. Here are the tracks Ian selected:

1. Double Barrell
Performer Dave and Ansil Collins
Composer W Riley
CD Title 25 years of Rock and Roll:1971
Track 17
Label Connoisseur Collection
Rec No: YRNR CD71

2. Rage:Man
Performer Mogwai
Composer Mogwai
CD Title Mogwai:EP
Track 4
Label Chemikal Underground
Rec No: Chem 036CD

3. Solid Air
Performer John Martyn
Composer John Martyn
CD Title Solid Air
Track 1
Label Island
Rec No IMCD 274548147-2

4. Atmosphere
Performer Joy Division
Composer Joy Division
CD Title Permanent
Track 15
Label London
Rec No: 8286242

5. Snow in Anselmo
Performer Van Morrison
Composer Van Morrison
CD Title Hard Nose The Highway
Track 1
Label Polydor
Rec No: 537452-2

6. You Can't Always Get What You Want
Performer The Rolling Stones
Composer Jagger/Richards
CD Title Let It Bleed
Track 9
Label London
Rec No: 820-052-2

7. The Boy with the Arab Strap
Performer Belle and Sebastian
Composer The Autumns
CD Title The Boy with the Arab Strap
Track 9
Label Jeepster
Rec No: JPR CD003

8. Linseed Oil
Performer Jackie Leven
Composer Jackie Leven
CD Title Jackie Leven Said
Track Cd2 trk 4
Label CookingVinyl
Rec No: Cook CD 322 PROMO

Record:Solid Air
Book: A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell
Luxury: Pinball machine (traditional American one)

John Skinner

A quick note to let people know some sad news. John Skinner, who came up with the idea for RebusTours - and then carried it through with great success - has died suddenly at the age of fifty-two. I didn't meet John until late on in his life. I told him he was crazy to think that people would want to walk around John Rebus's Edinburgh... and I was wrong. We became friends and he told me some great stories - he devised a board game based on Scottish history; played in a rock band at school as a teenager; had an ancestor who had set up a hospital in Damascus (and was planning to write a novel based on that fact); taught creative writing... and was, at the time of his death, working on a book about the pubs of Scotland. His friend and colleague Colin Brown is very much hoping to keep RebusTours active, with the blessing of John's family and in memory of one of nature's gentlemen.

Music to Die For

Ian Rankin recently presented Music to Die for - a 3-part radio series on BBC Radio 4 - about the role of music in crime fiction.