Val McDermid

Val McDermid is a highly acclaimed Scottish author, born on June 4, 1955, in Fife, Scotland. She is best known for her contributions to the mystery, crime, and thriller genres. McDermid has written more than thirty novels, which have been translated into over forty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her works have gained international recognition, earning her numerous awards such as the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award.

McDermid's unique characterization and suspenseful plots have captivated readers around the globe. Her novels often feature strong and complex protagonists, such as Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, lesbian journalist Lindsay Gordon, and private investigator Kate Brannigan. These characters have become the centerpiece of four distinct mystery novel series written by McDermid, all of which have been widely popular.

In addition to her writing success, McDermid has received numerous accolades for her contributions to literature. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2010. In 2011, she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award. More recently, Val received the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2016 and the DIVA Literary Prize for Crime in 2017. She is also a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

McDermid is a prominent figure in the literary world, serving as a judge for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Man Booker Prize, and was the Chair of the Wellcome Book Prize in 2017. She is the recipient of six honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Oxford. Despite her many achievements, McDermid remains a prolific writer, dividing her time between Edinburgh and East Neuk of Fife, and publishing new works that continue to enthrall readers worldwide.