Ian Rankin plans a festival for his famous character DI Rebus

Bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

SCOTS crime writer Ian Rankin is planning a Rebus Festival to celebrate his most famous creation.

And he’s revealed he’d love to have Ken Stott or John Hannah make an appearance – although he’s never seen them play his copper on screen.

It’s 30 years since Ian, 56, finished the first Rebus crime novel and a year-long celebration is planned for 2017.

“I’m not intending to write a book next year but just mark the 30th anniversary of the first publication in 1987,” Ian told The Sunday Post.

“I’d like to have a Festival in Edinburgh one weekend in June as part of it. I’m still working on it but I could do some talks, we’d have some music and maybe get some of the actors who’ve done it on TV or radio to come along.

John Hannah as DI Rebus (left) and Ken Stott as Rebus in later series (right)

“Irvine Welsh did a talk about Trainspotting along with Robert Carlyle this year and it was a big hit so I think it could be fun.

“Ron Donachie plays him in the BBC radio versions and he’s really got the voice, but I’ve never watched the TV ones.

“I’ve got all the DVDs but I’ve never seen more than a minute or two grazing the TV late at night because I didn’t want to actors’ faces replacing what’s in my head.”

Rather Be The Devil, out this week, is the latest Rebus book and Ian will be in London from tomorrow for a week-long blitz of interviews and promotion.

A host of festival appearances in the UK plus lengthy tours of Australia and America will follow early next year.

He’s not sure if wife Miranda will be able to accompany him but eldest son Jack will be with him on the flight Down Under to provide some company.

His first book was turned down by five publishers and for years, even after he started writing them, Ian almost quit as he couldn’t make a living.

They have since become worldwide bestsellers, leading to some unusual encounters at signing sessions.

“The last time I was in the States I admitted I’d never held or even seen a gun in real life.

“A wee old woman came up at the end, asked if I wanted to see one and her husband, who must have been in his 70s, shuffled over and produced one from his pocket.

“He took the clip out and handed the gun over, but I couldn’t even bring myself to pull the trigger on an empty gun.

“This was in a bookshop in a nice, quiet neighbourhood and it was such a weird experience.”

Despite being one of Scotland’s best-known and richest authors, Ian says he manages to lead a normal, low key life.

He walks everywhere he can in the city, getting ideas and noting down changes – he concedes a Starbucks in the new book has now closed and become a restaurant, too late to include.

And, unlike J.K. Rowling, he insists he has no issues with the attention or fans.

“J.K. does her best to lead a normal life and you see her and her husband out at bars and restaurants,” says Ian.

“But she has a lot of pressure because her fans are legion.

“I don’t seem to have that. I go to the Oxford Bar, from the books, a couple of times a week and there’s always someone there because of Rebus.

“I pick up my mail there and there are parcels and letters from all over the world.

“There must be a bit of Rebus in me or else I couldn’t keep writing about him for so long. It just happens we both like a quiet life and hanging out at the Oxford.”

Rebus is now past retiral age and is back as a former copper helping on investigations. Ian admits he did think about killing him off but says: “I thought it’d be too cruel after all I’d put him through.”

The book reflects the changes brought about by Police Scotland and Ian sighs as he admits Scotland is too law-abiding for his professional liking.

“The murder rate’s so low it’s kind of depressing for a crime writer,” he laughs. “You’ve got to keep the books realistic so you can’t have a huge body count when there aren’t that many murders.

“The new book has Rebus dusting off a murder that happened in a posh hotel back in 1978.

“Although the case is fictitious I’m using a real hotel, the Caledonian. It’s now the Waldorf Astoria Caledonian and I actually asked them if I could set a murder there.

“They asked when it happened and when I said it was 40 years ago they said it was fine as they didn’t own it then!”

Rather Be The Devil by Ian Rankin is released on Thursday.

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