History
Writing and development
Sturgeon announced her resignation as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party in February 2023, citing occupational burnout. Shortly after stepping down, she confirmed her intention to write a memoir. In August 2023, it was announced that Pan Macmillan had secured the rights to the book after a competitive nine-way auction. Sturgeon said the book would be "deeply personal and revealing," covering her life from her childhood in Ayrshire through to her tenure as the first female and longest-serving First Minister of Scotland. [1]
On 19 March 2025, the book's title and cover were officially revealed, along with a release date of 14 August 2025. [2]
Ahead of publication, Sturgeon announced that she would embark on a promotional tour across the UK and Ireland, beginning with stops in Manchester, Stewarton and Dunoon before the memoir's official launch at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 14 August [3] before going to London's Southbank Centre, Edinburgh's Usher Hall, and other cultural and literary locations in cities such as Glasgow, Inverness and Dublin. Events will include talks and discussions about the memoir. [4] [5] [6]
On 29 July 2025, it was announced that Sturgeon would appear in a special ITVNews interview with Julie Etchingham, set to air on 11 August 2025. The interview will explore the revelations within the book and mark her first major media appearance since leaving office. [7] [8] An extract of the book was published in The Times on 8 August, ahead of its publication. The extract focused on Sturgeon's arrest and exoneration during Operation Branchform, her sexuality and her miscarriage. [9]
Notable aspects
On 9 August, an additional extract from the memoir was published in The Sunday Times . In it, Sturgeon rejected suggestions that a sexual harassment scandal had been a conspiracy against her predecessor, Alex Salmond. She wrote that Salmond had shown no remorse for what she described as inappropriate behaviour towards women and recounted first being informed of the allegations in April 2018. [10]
Sturgeon stated that Salmond had sought her intervention to halt or divert the investigation, and that her refusal contributed to the end of their political partnership to which she claimed that Salmond wanted "to destroy" her. [11] The extract also addressed her view that Salmond's claims of a conspiracy were unfounded and that his interpretation of private messages was inaccurate. [12] Sturgeon also suggested that an unlawful leak of the allegations against Salmond to the Daily Record in 2018 had in fact originated with Salmond himself. [13]
In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times Magazine , Sturgeon discussed the period following her June 2023 arrest on suspicion of embezzling SNP funds, describing it as "the worst week of my life" and recounting her decision to begin writing Frankly during that time. She reflected on her resignation, her separation from Peter Murrell, and her response to long-running rumours about her personal life, including a statement that she has "never considered sexuality… to be binary." Sturgeon spoke about her mental health struggles, including coming "perilously close" to a breakdown during the UK Covid Inquiry, and said professional counselling had helped her regain perspective. [14]
Ahead of the ITV News exclusive interview, a clip was released which showed Sturgeon claiming that Alex Salmond had not read the Scottish Government's 670-page 2013 white paper on independence, Scotland's Future , prior to the 2014 referendum, despite being First Minister at the time. She recounted experiencing a panic attack during the drafting process and feeling "cold fury" when Salmond, she said, declined to engage with the document before departing on a trade mission to China. [15]
Release
The book was unintentionally released early on 11 August at Waterstones' Sauchiehall Street branch in Glasgow, three days before its official publication date. Copies were displayed for sale near the entrance, and The National reported that customers were able to purchase them. While a staff member suggested the early sale was due to an "exclusive" arrangement, Waterstones later stated there was no sales embargo on Frankly, meaning the book could be sold as soon as stock arrived in shops. [16]
Following an appearance on BBC Breakfast on 11 August, Sturgeon stated that J.K. Rowling's photograph of her wearing a t-shirt that described Sturgeon as a "destroyer of women's rights" resulted in more abuse, of a much more vile nature, than she "had ever encountered before". Sturgeon stated that she would be open to debate Rowling on transgender rights but claimed that Rowling would be "unwilling". [17] [18]
In the wake of the memoir’s publication, Sturgeon publicly addressed criticism and online abuse stemming from her candid disclosures. At the Edinburgh International Book Festival launch, she revealed receiving deeply distressing and misogynistic messages, including rape threats and attacks on her miscarriage, which she attributed to backlash against her trans-inclusive policies.
Sturgeon condemned the vitriol, drawing parallels between some critics and supporters of authoritarian figures, and reaffirmed her commitment to defending a marginalized group despite the personal cost.
In response to JK Rowling’s review and Joanna Cherry’s comments about Sturgeon, she expressed willingness to engage in a public debate but also noted that time and attention spent on those who focus excessively on her is wasted energy. [19]
Synopsis
Frankly recounts Sturgeon's personal and political journey, from her working-class upbringing in Ayrshire to becoming Scotland's first female and longest-serving First Minister. It reflects on her involvement in landmark events including the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The memoir details her leadership of the SNP, her role in shaping modern Scottish politics, and her interactions with key political figures.
Sturgeon offers insight into the tension between her private and public selves, and addresses both the pressures of leadership and the personal cost of public service. The book discusses her political achievements and regrets, her decision to step down as First Minister, and her continuing commitment to Scotland's future. Pan Macmillan describes Frankly as "a candid, unflinching and deeply personal account" that provides a rare look at the life and legacy of one of the UK's most prominent political figures.
Sturgeon also includes personal anecdotes and previously unrevealed incidents from her career. These include her first-hand account of experiencing sectarian abuse while campaigning in Glasgow in 1997, her impression of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as exuding "aloofness and sneering superiority", and her admission to trying the Carol Vorderman detox diet in 2003. She criticises The Telegraph for what she describes as "atrociously bad journalism" over a 2015 story claiming she preferred a Conservative government to a Labour one, and reflects on the 2023 Isla Bryson case, saying she had "no advance warning" from officials before being questioned on the issue. [20]
The memoir also recounts Sturgeon's two interactions with US President Donald Trump, including a ten-minute phone call between his 2016 election victory and inauguration, which she describes as "one of the most absurd" moments of her premiership. Sturgeon recalls using the call to stress the importance of the US-Scotland relationship and to express concern about some of his campaign rhetoric, but says Trump largely delivered a monologue praising his own achievements, family, and Scottish heritage. She also reflects on her admiration for Hillary Clinton, calling her a "trailblazer" and expressing regret that she was not elected as the first female US president. [21]
Other passages reveal her "soft spot" for the Daily Record due to family ties, her reaction to the 2016 revelations involving then-SNP MPs Stewart Hosie and Angus MacNeil, and her frustration at Salmond's alleged lack of engagement with the 2013 white paper Scotland's Future . [22]
Publication
Frankly was initially scheduled for publication in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2025 by Pan Macmillan, although Waterstones made the book available three days prior, on 11 August 2025, at some of their bookshops in Scotland. The book will be released in hardback, e-book, and audiobook formats, with the audiobook narrated by Sturgeon herself. [22] Sturgeon is set to promote the book through a UK tour, including an appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, where Frankly will launch. [23] [24]
In the lead-up to and after publication, she gave exclusive interviews about the memoir with The Sunday Times Magazine , ITV News, BBC Breakfast , BBC Radio 4 , Newscast, Ireland AM and LBC with Iain Dale . [25] [26]
Shortly after its release, Frankly’s listing on Amazon was subject to review bombing, with a large number of negative reviews posted in a short period. Amazon subsequently restricted feedback on the title to verified purchases only as a result.
Reactions
Before the memoir was published, supporters of former SNP leader Alex Salmond criticised the pre-published contents of Sturgeon's memoir, including Sturgeon's account of the sexual misconduct allegations against him in the extract published in The Sunday Times Magazine, particularly her suggestion that he could have leaked the story to the press.
Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill called her "hypocritical", while former Alba general secretary Chris McEleny claimed the investigation had been a "stitch up" by public bodies. Journalist David Clegg, who broke the story, dismissed her claim as "a conspiracy theory too far".
Former SNP minister Alex Neil demanded a retraction and apology, and Joanna Cherry said the idea Salmond leaked the allegations was "ludicrous". [13] [38] McEleny also rejected Sturgeon's account about Salmond not reading the independence white paper, asserting that Salmond had spent years guiding the policies contained in the white paper. [15]
Author J.K. Rowling, a vocal critic of Sturgeon's role in the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, initially offered to review the memoir "for free." Rowling made the offer publicly, and Scottish Daily Express, which has also been critical of Sturgeon and the SNP, indicated interest in publishing such a review to which they claimed Rowling was interested in. [39] [40] [41]
Despite this, Rowling stated that she would instead publish her review on her website. After receiving a copy of the book, Rowling stated that she would put her copy, which she wrote over with vulgar language, to auction, with proceeds going to For Women Scotland.
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