Nicola Sturgeon: 'My God, JK Rowling is obsessed with me'

The former first minister told an event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that she did not spend as much time thinking about Ms Rowling “as she clearly does about me”.

Asked if she had read Ms Cherry’s book, the former first minister said: “I am an avid reader. One of the things that distresses me most the older I get is that realisation of all the books I’ll never get to read.

“Why on earth would I spend time reading one that’s sh*t?”

Ms Rowling has long been a fierce critic of Ms Sturgeon over the latter’s stance on trans rights.

Last year, the Harry Potter author accused the former first minister of creating a “dystopian nightmare” for women, and said she had looked like a “complete f**kwit” when asked directly whether the transgender double rapist Isla Bryson is a man or a woman.

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Over the weekend, Ms Rowling called Ms Sturgeon a “world-class misogynist” and “the blindest wife ever to enjoy the fruits of a fraudster husband’s theft”, referring to Peter Murrell’s imprisonment for embezzlement.

Appearing at Iain Dale’s All Talk show at the Fringe, Ms Sturgeon was asked by an audience member if she should declare an amnesty with Ms Rowling “in the spirit of sisterhood”.

She replied: “I’ll say this as gently and as directly [as I can], I’m not at war with JK Rowling - she seems to be at war with me.

“If there’s going to be an amnesty, I think it’s probably going to have to come from her.

“We disagree on more than one thing. We disagreed on independence, we clearly disagree on trans rights, but my God, that woman is obsessed with me and I don’t spend as much time thinking about her as she clearly does about me, so sorry.”

Another audience member asked what question she would like Mr Dale to put to Ms Cherry when he interviews her on Monday.

Ms Cherry has been highly critical of Ms Sturgeon’s time in charge of the SNP. She previously accused the former first minister of being an anti-intellectual who ran the country and her party in a “Stalinist” way,

Ms Sturgeon said: “Again, somebody else who seems to have an obsession with me that I’m afraid is not reciprocated. It’s an unrequited obsession.

“It’s not a question, it’s a challenge, right: can she get through more than 30 seconds of the answer to any question without talking about me?”

This response sparked laughter and applause from the audience.

Asked about the comments later, Ms Cherry said: “It appears that the criticisms JK Rowling and I have made of Nicola Sturgeon‘s politics and her behaviour, in particular her attack on the rights of women, have so discomforted her that rather than addressing them, she has resorted to a foul mouthed rant. I think people can see through this.”