Former big shot of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon is getting ready to drop her memoir at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The festival, happening at McEwan Hall from August 12 to August 24, will feature Sturgeon launching her memoir titled Frankly on August 14.
Aside from Sturgeon, the event will also host a bunch of other famous faces like Maggie O’Farrell, Ian McEwan, and Ruth Jones, the brain behind Gavin And Stacey. Jones will be chatting about her latest novel, By Your Side. Other writers in the lineup include RF Kuang, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Asako Yuzuki, who bagged the 2024 Waterstones Book of the Year award. Even Ally McCoist will make an appearance to talk about Dear Scotland: On The Road With The Tartan Army.
On a more serious note, political insights will be shared by Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian activist Alexei Navalny, along with some heavyweights like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Anne Applebaum, and Edward Wong from the New York Times.
Over 600 events are set to be announced on June 10, featuring participants from the United States, Japan, Russia, Nigeria, and of course, the UK.
A spokesperson for the festival gushed, “We are over the moon about the release of Frankly, the much-anticipated memoir from Scotland’s first female and longest-serving first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. She’ll be sharing her journey from a shy, working-class kid to a major political figure in our country.”
Jenny Niven, the festival director and chief executive, shared her excitement about the lineup, saying, “Amidst all the chaos in history and politics, we aim to offer a critical look at international affairs, while also providing an escape through the works of some of the world’s top fiction writers, entertainers, and sports figures.”
The Glasgow Times previously reported that Sturgeon won’t be seeking re-election as an MSP next year, ending a parliamentary career that began back in 1999 when she was elected as a Glasgow MSP.
Sturgeon’s journey in politics started when she became deputy first minister to Alex Salmond in 2007. She then went on to serve as first minister and SNP leader between 2014 and 2023, overseeing successful election periods at Holyrood and Westminster for the SNP.
Tickets for The Front List events will be up for grabs starting at 10 am on Tuesday, May 6 at edbookfest.co.uk.
So, mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this star-studded literary event in the heart of Edinburgh!
