It might be a political thriller about a bumptious Scottish political leader who ends up working as an agent of the KGB, or perhaps a heart-warming historical novel about a young girl who grows up to lead her people to freedom. Whatever plot she chooses, Nicola Sturgeon has revealed that she would like to write a novel, though she modestly conceded that she may not have the necessary skills to turn the page of her career.
“I don’t think I ever will, but one of my great ambitions in life would be to think I could write a book,” Ms Sturgeon said. “I can imagine, although it is a wonderfully special thing to do, it is a really tough trade to be in.”
Discussing her love of fiction, the first minister said that the people she held “in awe” were good novelists. “It is a skill and a talent I would love to have,” she said. “In terms of people I look up to and think ‘wow I wish I could do that’, writers are up there.”
Ms Sturgeon’s scepticism about her chances of literary success seems well-founded. Few politicians have made the transition to respected novelist.
Benjamin Disraeli, the Tory prime minister, stands tall with a series of autobiographical novels, some still in print almost 140 years after his death. Winston Churchill won a Nobel prize for his histories.
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Former ministers such as Ann Widdecombe and Iain Duncan Smith have written books and Jeffrey Archer survived political disgrace to scale the bestseller lists.
A 1982 novel by Labour’s Chris Mullin is currently enjoying a resurgence. The title envisaged the reaction of British establishment to a left-wing Labour cabinet and A Very British Coup is held to have foretold the rise of Jeremy Corbyn.
Ms Sturgeon’s literary dreams emerged during an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, prompted by her social media posts about her favourite books.
She said that reading had become a welcome distraction from the daily grind of politics, and all politicians would benefit from entering fictional worlds.
Those who follow the first minister on Twitter know that Saturdays in the Sturgeon household used to be devoted to Borgen, a Danish television drama about how one woman ran a small country. Now they are set aside for books, while Peter Murrell, her husband, does chores.
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“I do discipline myself a bit more about finding the time to read,” Ms Sturgeon said. “I try to read even if it is just a few pages before I go to sleep at night, even if it is very late, or in the early hours of morning. It is always better to go to sleep thinking about the novel you’ve just read than it is to go to sleep worrying about the problems of politics.”
She added: “Saturday night is a favourite. When I get to late afternoon or early evening and can’t bring myself to read another government paper I tend to pick up the book and read. That’s when I tend to get a couple of hours uninterrupted and send my husband to make dinner in the kitchen.
“It’s lovely. It sounds very middle-aged and boring, but it is how I increasingly enjoy spending Saturday nights.”
•An anthology of macabre Scottish tales will be launched next month at a literary festival in Calcutta. Bloody Scotland features stories by authors including Denise Mina, Graeme Macrae Burnet and Val McDermid. It will be circulated by Bee Books, an Indian publisher which aims to make Scottish titles available at a budget price in one of the world’s largest literary markets. The book is a collaboration with the Stirling-based crime writing festival of the same name.