Exclusive:Nicola Sturgeon opens up on her memoir: 'I'm not out to settle scores'

The former first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the book would contain ‘absolutely honest’ accounts from her time in politics

Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she is not out to "settle scores" in her memoir, as she opened up about the highly-anticipated book to be published next year.

But the former first minister told The Scotsman she could not promise the book "won’t ruffle anybody’s feathers".

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Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, alongside crime write Val McDermid, as she speaks about her coming memoir. Picture: John DevlinFormer first minister Nicola Sturgeon, alongside crime write Val McDermid, as she speaks about her coming memoir. Picture: John Devlin
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, alongside crime write Val McDermid, as she speaks about her coming memoir. Picture: John Devlin | John Devlin

She said it would contain “absolutely honest” accounts from her time on the political frontline, but added “there are two sides to every story”.

In an exclusive interview in today’s Scotsman magazine, she also revealed the writing advice offered by her friend Val McDermid, the best-selling crime author.

Former first minister Nicola SturgeonFormer first minister Nicola Sturgeon
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon | PA

Ms Sturgeon said: "I was sitting in front of the computer really struggling to get anything down, so I texted Val and said ‘does this happen to you? Do you get writer’s block?’.

"I was hoping for some very sage, writerly advice. What I got back, and this is a direct quote, was ‘stop fannying about on WhatsApp and just get on with it’. That’s been my mantra ever since.”

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The former SNP leader was elected to Holyrood in 1999 and was Alex Salmond’s deputy from 2007 until 2014, when she took over as first minister in the aftermath of the independence referendum.

Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon will be joined by Alan Cumming and Paula Wilkins at In the Company of Books in Edinburgh on December 15. Picture: John DevlinVal McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon will be joined by Alan Cumming and Paula Wilkins at In the Company of Books in Edinburgh on December 15. Picture: John Devlin
Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon will be joined by Alan Cumming and Paula Wilkins at In the Company of Books in Edinburgh on December 15. Picture: John Devlin | John Devlin

However, her spectacular falling out with Mr Salmond later caused lasting splits in the nationalist movement. At the time of his death in October, the pair had not spoken in years.

Ms Sturgeon said she was now “deep into the edit” of her memoir, which is due to be published in August by Pan Macmillan.

“I never thought writing a book would be easy,” she said. “It’s been harder than I thought. I’ve got a greater respect now for what people like Val do.

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“I’ve enjoyed the process, trying to take something big and in my case way over length and unwieldy, and moulding it into the thing you want. I’m starting to get a little bit stressed at how close it is now to publication.”

She added: “It dawned on me that in writing my own story, I’m impinging on other people’s. How much of other people’s stories do you feel you have the freedom to tell?

“I’ve not consciously gone into thinking ‘I’m not going to talk about this or that’, not consciously left things out. But obviously not everything can be in. So I’ve tried to include everything I think is relevant to the story I’m trying to tell.”

Asked if hurting someone’s feelings in her memoir is something she worries about, Ms Sturgeon said: “Em, no. I hope I’ve not gratuitously hurt anybody and actually there are not that many people I’ve got grievances with that I would want to do that, so no.

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"I’ve tried to be honest and sometimes yeah, I guess there will be accounts in my memoir that are absolutely honest from my perspective. But somebody else might think ‘well my perspective on that is different’ because there are two sides to every story. But I certainly haven’t set out to write a memoir that is about settling scores because that’s of no interest to me.

“Hopefully my memoir is as much about the last 30 years of Scottish history, which have been quite eventful politically, as it is about me and my life. So I’m not promising I won’t ruffle anybody’s feathers, but hopefully not too much.”

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