Punk loving Westender and award-winning writer Frances Crawford gives us an insight into the inspiration for her new novel A Bad, Bad Place.
Words: Tracey McCallum
You grew up in the north of the city – how was that and how do you think the area has changed over the years?
North of Glasgow, Possilpark in particular, has a bad reputation. There’s a constant stream of statistics on crime, poverty, deprivation and drugs. These things exist, but the people who live there are kind and friendly, neighbours who look out for each other and who are funny and full of life. It’s good to see the amount of restructuring and building going on in Possilpark, and I hope it helps rejuvenate the area, and brings much needed work.
You graduated at the age of 60. How did you get into writing?
Because of a long-term illness, I hadn’t worked for some time. I wanted to study as a kind of kick-back against age – it was either that or a motorbike. After a year of hunting down scholarships, I did the Creative Writing Masters at Glasgow Uni. I chose creative writing because I love reading and had really enjoyed an Open University course on creative writing.
You’ve already won the Bloody Scotland / Glencairn Crime Short Story competition in 2023 and A Bad, Bad Place won Highly Commended in the Moniak Mohr Emerging Writer – how does it feel to have your work recognised this way?
Every writer I’ve met suffers imposter syndrome at some point, so prize recognition is hugely helpful. I’ve been very lucky, and the novel is due to appear on a couple of Crime Prize shortlists. But the biggest thrill is when readers tell me they like the book, that’s the loveliest feeling on earth.
The story of A Bad, Bad Place centres around Janey – a 12-year-old who finds a body on her dog walk. How did you come up with this idea?
The dog walker who finds the corpse appears in books, TV, movies, even Taggart. The detectives take their details then send them home. But what then? I like reading about characters who are traditionally neglected or overlooked, and that was who I decided to write about.
We often hear of dog walkers finding a body but I guess we never think about how that would affect them as the attention is always on the deceased. Did you research this?
I did research a number of articles about people who had actually found a corpse. The biggest surprise was how connected they feel to the dead person. They might go to the funeral, speak to relatives. If the death is due to crime, they might follow the investigation, go to the trial. There is a bond which I found quite moving and try to show the bond through Janey’s reaction to the murdered Samantha.
Poor Sid Vicious – Janey’s dog – takes a lot of the blame for Janey’s emotions in the aftermath of finding the body. I felt quite emotional when she was unkind to him – do you think readers would feel the same sympathy that I did and did you mean for him to be such an integral part of the story?
Sid is a big ugly brute and the best boy. He was always meant to be central to the plot but the amount of love readers have for him has surprised me. I’m always asked if he’s based on a real dog – and he was the family dog when I was about 12. A wee puppy who just kept growing to huge proportions.
Janey’s Grandmother Maggie seems to be a strong, stoic individual, but very vulnerable underneath her hard exterior. Tell us about your inspiration for Maggie.
Maggie Devine is based on all the strong, funny and caring older women who populate Glasgow. Quite a few people have said, ‘she’s just the same as my maw’ or ‘my gran didn’t stand for swearing either’. Everybody loves a Glasgow granny/aunty/mammy. Older women have far richer histories and life experience and deserve to be showcased.
The storyline around the murdered girl’s father is one many will recognise – that ever present criminal underbelly of drugs and violence. That side of the city must be a mine of inspiration too?
Glasgow has a strange fascination with gangsters, maybe it’s the whole anti-hero thing, or just a form of recognition. But I wanted to make sure the criminals here are minor characters. The novel is more concerned with the goodies, than the baddies.
What’s next for you?
I wrote the novel on the recommendation of my wonderful tutor Louise Welsh. I had no expectation it would be read by more than a few people and was absolutely stunned to get a publishing deal for two books. So, I’m writing the second, which is set a few years after the events, but I can’t even say whether Sid Vicious appears.
I believe you’re a fan of libraries. What is it you love about them and do you have a favourite?
Growing up in a poor household meant there wasn’t any money for books. And certainly no room in the house to keep books. So, our mammy made the library into a treat. Possil library, or Milton library after school, were proper treats if we behaved ourselves. I did the same with my own children and they had the added bonus of computers and clubs and all the amazing events which local libraries host now. Even though I now get weekly books posted to me for reviews, it’s still a treat to pop into Partick library. And, yes, I did the very sad thing of borrowing my own book.
Where are your favourite spots to hang out?
Partick has the best cafes in Glasgow and I’d feel like a traitor recommending one over the other. McChuills in town has some amazing bands. And who doesn’t love the Art Gallery. Again, lockdown was a big wake-up call and showed everyone how much they missed it.
Do you have a guilty pleasure and if so, can you share it?
I still listen to punk rock. My hearing is wrecked.
How would you sum up Glasgow for someone who’s never been?
Friendly, funny and f**ked!
