Tartan Noir
Scottish crime fiction genre
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Tartan Noir is a form of crime fiction particular to Scotland and Scottish writers. William McIlvanney, who wrote three crime novels, the first being Laidlaw in 1977,[1] is considered the father of the genre.[2]
Criticism
William McIlvanney (whose own work has been considered a precursor to Tartan Noir)[3] has said that the whole genre is "ersatz".[4] Charles Taylor has stated that the term has an "inescapably condescending tinge", noting "it's a touristy phrase, suggesting that there's something quaint about hard-boiled crime fiction that comes from the land of kilts and haggis".[5]