Nicola Sturgeon’s “deeply personal and revealing” memoir will be published in 2025 by Pan Macmillan, after nine publishers bid for it at auction.
After her resignation as Scotland’s first minister in February, Sturgeon told BBC Radio 4 that she would “almost certainly” write an autobiography, “even if it’s just for therapy, for myself”.
The as-yet-untitled memoir will tell the story of Sturgeon’s childhood in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland, as well as covering her career in politics. The former Scottish National party (SNP) leader was the country’s longest-serving first minister and as the first woman to hold the post. During her time in office, she worked with five UK prime ministers and navigated the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pan Macmillan said the book will include “all the important events and debates” of Sturgeon’s career, “including the establishment of the Scottish parliament, the SNP’s election to government, the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit, Covid and much more.”
“The result will be a deeply personal and revealing memoir from one of Britain’s most significant political leaders of recent times,” the publisher added.
Sturgeon said she is “thrilled” to be working with Pan Macmillan, noting the publisher’s Scottish roots (The major international publisher was founded in 1843 by Scottish brothers Daniel and Alexander MacMillan).
The former politician, who is known to be a passionate reader, said that while she has “loved” her life in politics, ever since she was a child, she has “harboured an ambition to write”.
“Embarking on this book is therefore exciting, if also daunting. I aim to chronicle key events of the past three decades of Scottish and British politics and take the reader behind the scenes to describe how it felt to be ‘in the room’, who else was there, the relationships involved and how decisions were arrived at.
Mike Harpley, Pan’s nonfiction publishing director, noted that Sturgeon has always been public about her love of literature and support for the book trade. “As a result, it is no surprise that the extracts she has already written are notable for their wit, honesty and excellent writing. We are very much looking forward to working with her on this book.”
“I will talk about what I am proud of and be frank about my regrets,” Sturgeon added. “I will reflect on the challenges of being a woman in politics and reveal more about the person behind the politician.”
It is not yet clear whether the book will address the fact that Sturgeon and her husband were arrested earlier this year as part of the police inquiry into SNP finances. They were both released without charge pending further investigation, and the former first minister has denied any wrongdoing.
