With a debut Palestinian author topping the bestselling books list, and eight of the top ten bestselling books having been written by women, the Book Festival’s most diverse public programme comes to a close today after 17 days of extraordinary debate, discussion and public engagement with authors and audiences from around the world and across the political and cultural spectrum…
In a sold out event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Salman Rushdie talked about his latest novel Quichotte, a modern retelling of Don Quixote set in the USA…
“We’re going to have a no deal Brexit, we’re going to launch into a new world because there is still this sort of craving, for a sort of heroic vision that has so little to do with the business of government” said the Conservative politician at the Book Festival today…
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke about nationalism, Brexit, and Scottish independence with writer Alastair Moffat at the Book Festival today…
The author of Lowborn spoke alongside fellow writer Sarah Smarsh at the Book Festival yesterday…
“Family is a set of disputed memories between one group of people over a lifetime. I sort of realised that at eighteen I had nobody to dispute the memory of me", the poet said at the Book Festival on Saturday night…
Psychology lecturer and video games researcher Pete Etchells spoke about his exciting first book, Lost in a Good Game, at the Book Festival in a conversation that covered the realities of gaming addiction. “It’s not necessarily the case that gaming addiction – if it exists – looks the same as something like drug addiction or gambling addiction,” he said. “We don’t know enough about what gaming addiction looks like to actually make a formal diagnosis.”…
“It turns into a situation where the cover up is worse than the crime," the Scottish journalist said in reference to her recent battle with the BBC for equal pay…
Best-selling author Matt Haig proposed that new language is needed to better define the difference between ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’…
“Now we know that no countries are immune to toxic populism or toxic nationalism, in fact we’re all in the same boat together,” said the author and human rights activist in an emotional discussion about the rise of populism, nationalism and identity politics…
A debate entitled 'Who Owns Scotland's Land?' at the Book Festival today involved fascinating discussions around land reform and power imbalances…
“I cannot think of a thing that I hold in more contempt than the tabloid presses of this country,” said Max Porter at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He spoke with Festival Director Nick Barley about his 2019 Booker Prize-longlisted novel Lanny…
The Scottish international was speaking with his co-writer Stewart Weir and broadcaster Ian Robertson about new book My Name’5 Doddie last night…
Disabled Access Charity Euan’s Guide announces the winners of the 2019 Accessible Edinburgh Festivals Awards, where venues and festival organisers are rewarded for their commitment to taking steps toward inclusivity. This year’s winners include the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Bedlam Theatre and Festival Theatre…
The God of Small Things author spoke with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the Book Festival last night…
“When I say they’ve got more sophisticated now – racists – it’s that they’re wearing suits and ties. They’re in positions of power. When I see Nigel Farage... I look at the people behind him. Look at his security, those are the National Front guys I was fighting in the seventies and eighties.” The versatile poet, playwright and author Benjamin Zephaniah discussed his new autobiography The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah at an event chaired by presenter Gemma Cairney at the Edinburgh International Book…
A biography of a distinguished war correspondent and a novel about personal relationships amid political turmoil have won the centenary awards of Britain’s oldest literary prizes…
The stand-up comedian discussed her new book Happy Fat at the Book Festival last night…
The feminist activist was talking about her new book Be The Change, an activism handbook inspired by her successful campaign to criminalise “upskirting”. “This book is what I would have wanted at the beginning of the campaign,” she said…
Supermodel and fashion sustainability spokeswoman Eunice Olumide appeared at the Book Festival to discuss her new book, the issues she’s faced with racism in the fashion industry and how we should all try to slow down ‘fast fashion’…
Dorling spoke as part of a panel discussion on homelessness led by Val McDermid and with fellow writers Geetha Marcus and Joelle Taylor at the Book Festival on Thursday…
Acclaimed historian Diarmuid Ferriter and long standing Northern Irish journalist Malachi O’Doherty discussed the backstop and the state of Anglo-Irish relations as the UK moves closer to Brexit at the Book Festival on Thursday…
The economist was discussing his latest book, Capitalism, Alone, with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown…
The Baillie Gifford Prize-winning author of Chernobyl spoke about the nuclear disaster and the way information was controlled around it at the Book Festival last night…
The Scottish Conservatives leader spoke about her new book Yes She Can with former Olympic athlete Katherine Grainger yesterday at the Edinburgh International Book Festival…
“I’m not sure I do accept God, or how God has been traditionally defined or understood. That’s one prong of my dilemma.”…
"What’s really important is that fifty five men were executed for sodomy offenses in Britain before 1835. That is uncontestedly true", said the writer while appearing at the Book Festival yesterday…
“If you cannot live in freedom, love is impossible,” said exiled writer Ma Jian at the Edinburgh International Book Festival yesterday, while discussing his book China Dream with poet André Naffis-Sahely, assisted by his longtime translator Flora Drew…
“If I rebel, then we exist,” said Nayrouz Qarmout today at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in conversation with singer-songwriter Karine Polwart, Ali Smith and Guest Selector Val McDermid. Speaking through a translator, the Palestinian writer discussed important notions of identity and displacement at an event exploring the meaning of home for migrants and refugees event…
Discussing the environmental and existential challenges facing the world today, the acclaimed Australian author stressed that "we have an obligation to identify hope rather than assume it’s not available."…
Casey Gerald sat down to discuss his new book with his close friend and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson at the Book Festival yesterday…
“The underpinnings of radicalisation are not what we’ve been told over the past 20 years”, said Fatima Bhutto on the opening day of Edinburgh International Book Festival. She argued that religious beliefs are not, in fact, the driving force behind violent terrorism, but instead these are based in feelings of “raging inequality, anger, impotence and humiliation”…
Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024 
