Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon announce Christmas event for book lovers

The book lovers will be in conversation in a Christmas edition of In The Company of Books at the Assembly Hall, New College in Edinburgh on Sunday, December 15, and book lovers can join them for chat about the joys of reading, and a glass of mulled wine.

Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday (November 8) at Edinburgh’s Christmas website edinburgh-christmas.com

This special edition of In The Company of Books reunites friends and book lovers Val and Nicola to discuss all things literary, following a number of sold-out, acclaimed in-conversation events across the UK in recent years. They will be joined by special guests yet to be announced.

Kirkcaldy-born Val has sold over 19 million books to date across the globe and has been translated into more than 40 languages. She is best known for her Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan,

The co-hosts said: “Books are magic. Portable magic, according to Stephen King. And like magic, books build bridges. In our case, an improbable friendship between a passionate politician and Scotland's queen of crime. 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 - and now we want to share the love. We’ll be interrogating our guests about the books that shaped them and why they love reading.”

In The Company of Books joins a newly announced line-up of performances taking place at the Hall as part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. These include the enchanting and inspiring children’s show The Bubble Show; stand-up comedy from Jason Byrne, and the award-winning, critically acclaimed burlesque and drag parody show Swamplesque.