Val McDermid

Award-winning crime writer Val McDermid is a top 10 bestseller, translated into more than 30 languages, with over two million copies sold in the UK and over 10 million worldwide. She has written 24 bestselling novels. The Retribution, due to be published in September 2011, will be her 25th. In 2011, Val was the recipient of the Pioneer Award at the 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger. This followed her induction into the Hall of Fame at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards in 2009, the same year in which she was elected to an Honorary Fellowship at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. In 2007, she won The Stonewall Writer of the Year Award. The popular ITV series Wire in the Blood based on McDermid’s books and starring Robson Green as Tony Hill ran for an impressive six series. A 3-part ITV drama of Val’s A Place of Execution was broadcast in the autumn of 2007 to great critical acclaim and won the 2010 Edgar Award for Best Screenplay. Val was born in Kirkcaldy, a small town in the heart of the Scottish mining community. She graduated in English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford before going on to be an award winning journalist for sixteen years. Her first novel was published in 1987. Val is a lifelong Raith Rovers Football Club supporter and at the start of June 2011 was appointed as a Director on the board. Val’s other loves in life include walking on the beach, cars and music. She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Northumberland. www.valmcdermid.com