Alan Cumming and Paula Hawkins Join Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon For Festive Book Event

Edinburgh's Christmas has announced multi-award winning actor Alan Cumming and author of bestselling book The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins will join book lovers Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon for a special festive edition of their in-conversation event, In The Company of Books. The event will be held at Assembly Hall, New College (Mound Place EH1 2LU) on Sunday 15th December at 4pm.

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. 

Special guests Alan Cumming and Paula Hawkins will join Val and Nicola to explore the joys of reading alongside a few glasses of mulled wine and a lot of festive cheer.

Alan Cumming is the BAFTA Award, Emmy Award, Tony Award, and Olivier Award winning star of stage and screen known for Cabaret on Broadway (1994), Macbeth (2013), GoldenEye (1995), Nightcrawler in X2 (2003), the CBS series The Good Wife (2010–2016) and as host of the Peacock reality game show The Traitors. Plus, the Scottish star was recently announced as Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre. 

Paula Hawkins is the author of The Girl on the Train which became a global phenomenon, selling over 23 million copies. Published in over fifty languages, it was a No.1 bestseller around the world and a box-office-hit film starring Emily Blunt. Paula's most recent thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant No.1 bestsellers with her new thriller, The Blue Hour,  published to acclaim earlier in the year. 

Alan Cumming said: “Val and Nicola are both huge inspirations to me, and I can't wait to share a stage to talk about our shared passion for books.”

Paula Hawkins said: "There are few things I like more than a trawl through someone's bookshelves, so I'm looking forward to having a good chat with Val and Nicola about the books we've loved and been inspired by over the years."

Val McDermid has sold over 19 million books to date across the globe and has been translated into more than 40 languages. She is perhaps best known for her Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan andis the recipient of six honorary doctorates and an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford.

Nicola Sturgeon is the MSP for Glasgow Southside constituency, and the former First Minister of Scotland – the longest-serving and first woman First Minister.

In The Company of Books joins a stellar line-up of performances taking place at Assembly Hall as part of Edinburgh's Christmas this year. These include the award-winning, critically acclaimed burlesque and drag parody show Swamplesque, brilliantly funny stand-up comedy from Jason Byrne in Jason Byrne: No Show; plus fun for all the family at the enchanting and inspiring children's show The Bubble Show. 

For further information and to buy tickets, please go to edinburgh-christmas.com.

Edinburgh's Christmas attractions are open daily except Christmas Day, with varying opening dates and times available at the official website.