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Interview: Val McDermid, crime novelist | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books
Val McDermid is spitting blood. Yesterday, the bestselling crime novelist found herself mired in controversy over remarks made by fellow crime writer Ian Rankin, and it is fair to say she isn’t best pleased.In a newspaper interview late last year, Rankin commented that “the people writing the most graphic novels are women”, before going on to specify that “they are mostly lesbians as well, which I find interesting”. These remarks re-emerged on Wednesday during a talk by McDermid and crime writer Denise Mina, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. McDermid described them as “arrant rubbish”, and went on to say: “I find that statement so offensive, I can’t even begin to start.”

Speaking to McDermid yesterday though, her anger wasn’t directed at Rankin - but at the way the story has been reported. “Ian and I Instant Messaged each other when this story broke and were very amicable,” she tells me. “We are still friends - he danced at my wedding, for Christ’s sake!”

Please do read the rest of it.

I wish Susan Hill was blogging at the moment as I’d love to know her thoughts on this.

During a BBC Radio 4’s PM programme yesterday there was a strange debate about women and violence. I’d need to listen to it again before commenting too much but I’m left with the feeling that women who write about violence shouldn’t and should stick to Miss Marple style mysteries… I think this is a good time to read my first Susan Hill novel and see how she handles it.