FORMER first minister Nicola Sturgeon is to host a Christmas book event alongside award-winning writer Val McDermid, organisers have announced.
The festive event titled "In The Company of Books" will see the pair discuss the "joys of reading" with a glass of mulled wine in the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh.
Special guests, who are yet to be revealed, will also join the event on December 15.
Close friends McDermid and Sturgeon said in a joint statement: “Our love of books is what first drew us together and it remains the mainstay of that friendship.
"Every conversation we have eventually meanders round to the books we are reading, what we've been enjoying, what has been making us laugh or cry, or keeping us on the edge of our seats, now we want to share the love.”
The event is part of Edinburgh’s Christmas - a series of events hosted by Unique Assembly, an organisation made up of Unique Events and Assembly Festivals.
Several events and performances have been announced at the Assembly Hall, including stand-up comedy from Jason Byrne, and are to be held daily except Christmas Day.
McDermid has sold over 19 million books across the globe and has had them translated into more than 40 languages.
She has received six honorary doctorates and is best known for her Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill.
Sturgeon is a keen reader and since stepping down from her role as first minister has started work on her own memoir.
She has long been a fan of McDermid's work, having first met her at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2015, and has regularly recommended her books on her annual best books list.
Christmas in Edinburgh plays a huge part in Scotland’s winter tourism, last year alone the city welcomed more than 3m visitors to a range of festive events over a 7-week period.
Unique Assembly, producers of Edinburgh’s Christmas, said: “This is sure to be a highlight in the Christmas calendar and we invite everyone to grab a glass of mulled wine and settle in for what will be a witty, warm and insightful event.”
Tickets for the event are on sale here.
