Jo Sharp laughs as she recalls the moment her relationship with best selling crime author Val McDermid began.
“I probably shouldn’t admit this to a journalist, but I didn’t read a lot of crime fiction in those days,” she chuckles.
“I was in Oxford doing some interviews for a project, and I contacted a friend of mine who’s a professor there, and said I was going to be in town – could we meet up for a drink or a coffee?
“And she said, ‘Oh, I’d love to see you, but you’ll need to come and come and hear a talk with me, because I’m going to hear my favourite author, Val McDermid’.
“Because my friend was such a fan of Val’s, we got introduced at the end of the evening, and Val, sort of started texting on and off over Twitter.
“Later I got tickets for her back in Glasgow then Bloody Scotland at Stirling. At that point we got properly chatting. And one thing led to another…”
Little did she know that chance introduction would spark a romance that has taken her from book festivals to kayaking along the Fife coast, all while balancing her own impressive career as Geographer Royal for Scotland.
From chance meeting to civil partnership
Jo and Val’s relationship is the kind of love story that seems to echo the pages of a great novel – complete with a twist of serendipity.
They met in 2014 and quickly discovered a shared sense of humour, curiosity, and a love of storytelling, even if their genres differ.
By 2016, they were in a civil partnership. They now split their lives between Edinburgh and the picturesque fishing village of St Monans in Fife.
They both love being by the sea. It’s inspiring for Val’s writing, and for Jo, who’s been a geography professor at St Andrews University since 2019, it’s an escape.
Their home backs onto the Fife Coastal Path, offering breathtaking views.
But it’s also the perfect launch point for Jo’s kayak.
“I’m very much a fair-weather kayaker,” she laughs.
“I mean, I don’t ever want to be in the position that Val has called the Coastguard!
“But Val sends me out, because she says I come back a better person.”
What does Jo enjoy most about kayaking?
Jo says there’s something “incredibly moving” about the moments she’s had in the Forth when dolphins come alongside her kayak.
“It’s kind of like I’ve been accepted – I can’t quite explain it,” she says.
While Jo finds peace on the water, Val’s passion for storytelling often spills over into their daily lives.
“I do joke about the fact I’ve heard her speak so often that if she were to be hit by a bus, I could go on stage and stand in for her,” Jo laughs.
But she’s quick to add that their relationship is a partnership of equals.
“Val is amazing,” she smiles. “It’s fabulous spending time with someone who’s so smart and so creative.
“It’s definitely pushed me to be a bit more ambitious and creative with some of the things that I’ve done.
“But at home, she’s just Val. She’s the person that cooks for me sometimes, and I cook for sometimes, and who makes a mess in the kitchen and I get cross with sometimes.”
Who was the teacher who inspired Jo Sharp most growing up in Perth?
Jo’s path to becoming Geographer Royal for Scotland started far from the literary world.
Born and raised in Perth, her love of geography was kindled by a “fabulous and “inspirational” teacher, Kenneth Maclean, of Perth Academy, who died last year aged 79, as reported in The Courier.
“He made geography come alive,” Jo recalls.
“He took us on field trips where we didn’t just learn about the landscape – we felt it.”
Fieldwork became a cornerstone of Jo’s understanding of geography, and she’s a passionate advocate for its continued presence in education.
Although Jo’s career as a human geographer has taken her far from Scotland, including years of research in Africa, she credits those early experiences in Perthshire’s hills and glacial landscapes for shaping her perspective.
What does it mean to be Geographer Royal?
Appointed as Geographer Royal in 2022, Jo is only the second person to hold the revived title since its reinstatement in 2015.
Originally established in 1682, the role was created to recognise the importance of cartography and geography in shaping Scotland’s identity.
Today, Jo sees her mission as promoting geographical education and understanding in a rapidly changing world.
“Geography is more relevant now than ever,” Jo explains.
“Whether it’s climate change, migration, or transitioning to a sustainable economy, geography is at the heart of understanding these complex issues. It’s about connecting the dots between science, society, and culture.”
At the Pitlochry Winter Words Festival, Jo will delve into the history of the Geographer Royal role while sharing insights from her own research.
She’ll also talk about the work of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, which has its headquarters in Perth.
Pitlochry and fond memories
The Winter Words Festival holds a special place in Jo’s heart, as it brings her back to the arts scene she visited as a child.
“My parents were huge fans of the arts, and we’d go to everything at Perth Theatre,” she remembers.
“Once Pitlochry Festival Theatre opened, it became a summer tradition to see plays there. It’s lovely to be part of that legacy now.”
Jo’s appearance at the festival will be a chance to highlight the creative and critical thinking geography fosters.
It’s an approach she believes is essential for tackling the challenges of the 21st century – and our leaders could learn a lot from thinking geographically.
“I think geography offers politicians an antidote to simplistic populist thinking,”she says.
“It asks them to think expansively and to move away from narrowly-defined explanations.
“And it recognises that while places are distinct, they are connected to larger scales, whether global climatic change or global production – so inward or exclusionary thinking will not get us far!”
Does geography influence Val McDermid?
Jo doesn’t get starstruck being Val’s partner. But it can be funny when people approach the author in public.
Their mutual respect extends to their work. Val often shares ideas with Jo during walks or over dinner, though she never shows anyone a draft until it’s finished.
“We’ve even collaborated once,” Jo notes, referring to a special edition of The Geographer magazine they co-edited on the geography of Scottish crime fiction.
When asked if she ever influences Val’s writing, Jo laughs.
“Not directly, though I like to think my enthusiasm for geography rubs off. She even included a geography professor in one of her Karen Pirie novels, The Skeleton Road!”
As Jo prepares for her talk at the Pitlochry Winter Words Festival, which takes place a few hours before Val’s event, she’s excited to share her passion for geography with a wider audience.
“It’s not just about maps and capitals,” she adds. “It’s about understanding the world in all its complexity.”
Geographer Royal Jo Sharp features at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre Winter Words Festival on February 23.
Conversation