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Val McDermid will join Polygon’s Darkland Tales with her reimagining of the story of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.
Editor-at-large James Crawford acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Lizzy Kremer at David Higham Associates. Lady Macbeth, the novel’s working title, is scheduled for publication in spring 2024.
McDermid’s "propulsive and dynamic retelling" will look at the historical figure Gruoch ingen Boite, "a strong woman shaped by hard times, holding her own amidst the power struggles of ruthless, ambitious men", who inspired Shakespeare’s infamous character.
McDermid joins Denise Mina, Jenni Fagan and Alan Warner on the Darkland Tales list, a series of "dramatic fictional retellings" of key moments from Scottish history, myth and legend. McDermid commented: "IExcavating the real Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare’s lies is a real challenge."
Crawford commented: "I had always conceived the Darkland Tales series with writers like Val McDermid in mind. We want to bring together the best of Scottish writing with some of the most famous stories and characters from the country’s history and myth – which makes the combination of Val and Lady Macbeth an absolute blockbuster. Her reinterpretation promises to be something special, offering a new perspective on an old tale."