Winter: A Memoir of Warmth and Wonder from One of Scotland's Best-Loved Writers by Val McDermid

Winter: A Memoir of Warmth and Wonder from One of Scotland's Best-Loved Writers by Val McDermid

Winter is the season of permission—to snuggle indoors without guilt, to curl up on the sofa with a good book or a box set, a hot drink warming your hands and time stretching lazily ahead. Val McDermid has always harboured a soft spot for winter: the bitter clarity of a crisp, cold day, the vivid skies streaking across the Firth of Forth, the satisfying crunch of frost beneath your feet on fallen leaves, and the simple pleasure of being wrapped in oversized jumpers and thick socks. In this charming and intimate memoir, McDermid takes us on an adventure through the Scottish winter—from the frosty streets of Edinburgh to the windblown Scottish coast, from the sparkle and spectacle of Bonfire Night and Christmas to the convivial traditions of Burns Night and Up Helly Aa.

She recalls winters from childhood with vivid clarity: the exhilaration of whizzing across a frozen lake on skates, the tactile memory of carving a 'neep' (swede) for Halloween, and the wonder of being taken to see her first real Christmas tree in the town square, its lights twinkling bravely against the dark Scottish winter night. Above all, McDermid reveals winter as a season of profound rest, retreat and creativity—a time for scribbling in notebooks, for settling beside a fire with nowhere else to be, for reflection and renewal. "A warm hug of a book... like sitting by a roaring winter fire." — Jackie Kay. "McDermid's most personal book to date." — The Scotsman. A tender, evocative celebration of the season from one of Scotland's finest writers, Winter invites readers to slow down, embrace the darkness and find magic in the quiet months.

Publisher: Hodder

Date Published: 20/11/2025

ISBN: 9781399743136

Number of pages: 160

Binding:

• Paperback

Book genres:

• Biography

Target audience:

• Adults