Leïla Slimani: Sense of Self Leïla Slimani’s daring and profound thriller Lullaby was an international bestseller, winning her France's most prestigious literary prize: the Prix Goncourt. She joins the Book Festival this August to discuss two vibrant new works: The Scent of Flowers… Stand Up with Nikesh Shukla Stand Up follows Madhu: a 17-year-old whose dream is to be a world-famous stand-up comedian, but her dad is more concerned about her applying to university. Just as she’s about to turn her back on her dream, a YouTube clip of Madhu goes viral, and she’s… Frances Hardinge: Unravelling Stories No one twists a tale like Frances Hardinge. Her latest book, Unraveller, is a deliciously dark fairytale about trauma and recovery, and rage and redemption. In a world where anyone can create a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to… Mat Osman: The Fickle Friend of Fortune A founding member of Suede and the brother of chart-topping crime fiction sensation Richard Osman, Mat Osman visits Edinburgh to discuss his hugely exciting second book The Ghost Theatre. A dazzling punk re-imagining of Elizabethan London, this historical… Sara Pascoe: Why Be Normal When You Can Be Funny? Much loved comedian, actor, TV personality, and writer Sara Pascoe has enlightened readers – and made them howl with laughter – with her reflections on femininity and sexuality in non-fiction books Animal and Sex Power Money. Now, she turns her talents to… Celebrating Difference with George Webster George Webster has presented on CBeebies, starred in Strictly Come Dancing, and become an ambassador for people with Down’s Syndrome. Today he appears alongside his co-author, CBeebies and Something Special producer Claire Taylor, and illustrator, Tim… Adventuremice! with Sarah McIntyre & Philip Reeve Looking for adventure? Join co-author legends Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre as they introduce you to a tiny mouse named Pedro who sets off to see the world and meets the brave and daring Adventuremice! Does he have what it takes to join their team and… Liz Lochhead: New and Collected Poems Motherwell-born writer Liz Lochhead presents works spanning a lifetime from her recently published New and Collected Poems. It’s just over 50 years since the publication of her first collection, Memo for Spring, and since then Lochhead has published… 2023 International Booker Prize Winners: Georgi Gospodinov & Angela Rodel The International Booker is the annual award for the best work of fiction translated into English from another language. With an equal prize to both author and translator, this is the most important prize for translated fiction. The shortlist comprised… YA Book Prize 2023 The perfect way to get a snapshot of a range of authors and their books – last year’s YA Book Prize was a big hit, so we’re very excited that the award is returning for 2023. Come and meet some of the incredible authors shortlisted for this year’s YA Book… Eileen Myles: 'They' Contain Multitudes Prolific poet and activist Eileen Myles is back with a “Working Life”, a new collection which captures the many dualities of human life: loneliness and companionship, travel and stasis, fear and wonder. Join us to hear Myles discuss the immense anxieties… Charms and Curses with Elle McNicoll  In Like a Curse, the fantastic sequel, to Like a Charm, festival favourite Elle McNicoll takes us to her hometown of Edinburgh, but not as we know it. This thrilling and heart-warming conclusion to her enthralling fantasy duology sees our witch heroine… Creating Magical Worlds with Chris Riddell Join Costa Book Award–winning creator of Goth Girl and former Children's Laureate Chris Riddell in this magic–packed event. Today, Chris shares how he created the fabulous Cloud Horse Chronicles series, before live-drawing some of the mystical characters… Richard Sennett: Ruling by Acting How did humans learn to live together as a collective, co-operative entity? Three books published between 2008 and 2018 by acclaimed sociologist Richard Sennett explored the notion that collaboration came through working together. Today Sennett reflects… Laura Cumming: Seeing the Light; Remembering a Life  Thunderclap: A memoir of art and life and sudden death is something of a companion piece to Laura Cumming's previous book, On Chapel Sands and equally luminous. It weaves together art critic Cummings’ love for Dutch art of the Golden Age, and her… Aleksandar Hemon: Man’s Inhumanity to Man He’s already celebrated as a leading international author, with books including The Lazarus Project under his belt, but Aleksandar Hemon’s new novel The World and All That It Holds is surely his most powerful yet. Set in Sarajevo in 1914, it’s an epic… Raynor Winn: A Walk on the Wild Side In The Salt Path, Raynor Winn told the story of a healing walk on the South West Coast Path with her unwell husband, Moth. Winn’s third book, Landlines, recounts Raynor and Moth’s most ambitious walk yet – an epic 1,000-mile journey starting with the Cape… Gavin Francis & Devi Sridhar: The Cost of Health The result of a pandemic and an ageing UK population: record waiting times for treatment. Conversely, medical advances are saving and prolonging lives – albeit ever more expensively. If the NHS is broken, how can we afford the cure? Writer and GP Gavin… James Kelman: Class Act It’s impossible to overstate the importance of James Kelman and his landmark 1994 Booker Prize win for Scottish literature. Nearly 30 years on, we welcome Kelman back to the Festival to speak with writer Graeme Armstrong on God's Teeth and Other Phenomena… Katherine May: A Natural Harbour Many of us find ourselves in the shadow of the events of the last few years, feeling a little unmoored and wondering: does anybody else feel like this? Overwhelmed and burnt out, Katherine May opens her door and journeys into the natural world in search… Learning to Love Yourself with William Hussey and Amara Sage Join two authors who’ve written whip-smart YA novels with big hearts. In William Hussey’s Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts, budding film director and movie buff Jesse’s world falls apart when he learns that he has to have open heart surgery in weeks. Can he… Anne Enright: Flying the Nest  Anne Enright, one of Ireland’s most celebrated authors, returns to discuss her new novel, The Wren, The Wren. The possibility of freedom and the pain of separation affect mother and daughter differently when Carmel watches Nell go out into the world. Join… Two Beano Editors Make Mega Mischief Come and join the mischief in this interactive session with two Beano comic Editors, Craig Graham and Mike Stirling. Together they’re in charge of making sure that everything in Beano is as funny and naughty as it can possibly be! Mike and Craig will… Lisa Croft, Willy Maley, Jennie Renton & Tam Watters: ¡No Pasaran! Our Fathers Fought Franco is the remarkable collective biography of four men - three from Scotland, and one from England - who enlisted in the XV International Brigade and fought in the Spanish Civil War. In 1937, they were in the battle of Jarama, ending… Flora Fraser: On Flora Macdonald Historical biographer Flora Fraser has illuminated the hidden lives of queens and mistresses through revolutions and scandals. Now with Pretty Young Rebel, Fraser turns her sights to Flora Macdonald, who disguised Bonnie Prince Charlie as a maid and… You are a Story with Laura Dockrill You are enough. You are interesting. Tell your story. Join YA Book Prize shortlisted author and Brit School Performing Arts graduate Laura Dockrill as she delivers a superb masterclass on how you can play with your imagination to find your voice and… David Farrier & Karine Polwart: Different Futures are Possible Through literature, art, and science, David Farrier’s Footprints: In Search of Future Fossils asks what generations would find of today’s ecological crisis in the distant future. Musician Karine Polwart is also deeply interested in place as a site for… Claudia Rankine: 'Words Are Out of Order' We are delighted to welcome Claudia Rankine, author of the ground-breaking American Lyric trilogy, to discuss the Penguin Modern Classics reissue of her daring 2001 masterpiece, Plot. A standout work in Rankine’s stellar career, Plot is an engrossing… Christie Watson: Wild At Heart Are we finally getting better at talking about middle age? A shining light leading us along is Christie Watson, writer of Quilt on Fire. Today she talks with broadcaster Sam Baker about the joys (plenty) and agonies (there are a few) of our middle years… The Accessibility of Books What steps are being taken for those who face barriers in accessing books, or whose stories are underrepresented in mainstream publishing? Chaired by author and co-founder of the Good Literary Agency, Nikesh Shukla, this event showcases examples of how… Fergal Keane with Allan Little: The Scars of War Reporting ‘The suffering of others was my daily bread.’ This brutally honest, heartfelt assessment of the job of a war reporter is central to Fergal Keane’s memoir, The Madness: a riveting account of how he survived war, fear, and PTSD, against a backdrop of… James Naughtie: When Knowledge Could Be Deadly James Naughtie has witnessed much political skulduggery as a special correspondent for BBC News, and he’s put this knowledge to use in his gripping spy thriller series. Today, Naughtie introduces The Spy Across the Water: the third outing for the Flemyng… Jennifer Robinson & Keina Yoshida: Beyond Reasonable Doubt How Many More Women? exposes a rising threat to survivors of gender-based violence who want to speak out against abuse: the legal teams of powerful men who suppress allegations and prevent newspapers from running stories. Join renowned human rights… A N Wilson: Coming to Terms A N Wilson was at the first Edinburgh International Book Festival 40 years ago. Since then, he has produced millions of words of journalism, 20 novels and a barrage of biographies. Yet somehow he looks back and sees ‘a life of failed promises’… Claire Askew & Kate Foster: Tales of Two Edinburghs What is it about the Scottish capital that makes it such fertile ground for fictionalised mystery? Claire Askew’s The Dead Don’t Speak sees DI Helen Birch drawn back into action when an anonymous vigilante starts stalking the streets of Edinburgh. Kate… Future Library Announcement: Future Writer, Future Readers Since 2014, authors have contributed to Future Library, a collection of writing that will not be published for 100 years. The venerable group includes Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, Han Kang, and Judith Schalansky. This project was conceived by artist… Monica Heisey: On Modern Love Newlywed PhD student Maggie is in her late 20s with her whole life ahead of her – and then her husband asks for a divorce, moves out, and takes the cat with him. Really Good, Actually is as hilarious and heartfelt as you’d expect from Monica Heisey, a… Don Paterson: A Poet's Life Famous for his poetry, Don Paterson’s new book barely mentions it. Toy Fights is a raw, brutally honest, and painfully funny memoir about his first 20 years, shot through with a passion for music. Paterson explains, this is ‘a book about schizophrenia… Gina Martin: No Offence, But… - How to Have Difficult Conversations for Meaningful Change Tackling 20 of the most enduring conversation stoppers, the new collection by Gina Martin, No Offence, But… equips readers with the knowledge, tools, and context to respond with confidence. Today two of the book's contributors, Aja Barber and Ben Hurst… Kezia Dugdale & Lesley Riddoch: Once Upon a Time in Holyrood When Humza Yousaf became the sixth First Minister of Scotland, he promised, "new leadership, a fresh start for Scotland" – but amid the enquiries and intrigue, what does that really mean? Join our panel including former Leader of Scottish Labour, Kezia… Merryn Glover & Hamish Napier: In a New Light The Cairngorms have inspired authors, poets, and songwriters for centuries. 'The New Light' is a performance by writer Merryn Glover and multi-instrumental musician Hamish Napier, a transporting experience of imagery and music. In The Hidden Fires, Glover… Loud Poets Grand Slam Final The highly anticipated Loud Poets Grand Slam Final promises to be a festival highlight, combining music with fist-thumping, side-tickling poetry. Having qualified through a series of Scotland-wide Slams, 12 poets compete for a £3,000 prize and the coveted… Cariad Lloyd: Lessons from Loss Aged 15, Cariad Lloyd became someone she never wanted to be: a person-whose-dad-had-died. Years later, she began a podcast, Griefcast, to examine her grief and provide comfort and candour to others. Death is something that connects us all, despite our… Dionne Brand & Claudia Rankine: Poetry and Power  A rare opportunity to witness two of the most lauded and celebrated North American poets of recent years in conversation. With careers spanning several decades, Dionne Brand and Claudia Rankine discuss their writing to date, and how they have used the… Kerri ní Dochartaigh & Katherine May: Wildest Dreams From the depths of winter sprout the seeds of new growth and the promise of wonders. In Enchantment, Katherine May unravels the threads of a tightly-wound life and finds a more meaningful and grounded way to be. In Cacophony of Bone, Kerri ní Dochartaigh… Leah Broad: Singing Women’s Praises Classical music has long been a male-dominated affair. Historical musicologist Leah Broad is determined to redress the balance and in Quartet: How Four Women Changed the Musical World she chronicles the lives and work of 20th century composers, Ethel… Tom Holland: Rome in a Time of Peace Tom Holland is the co-host of the phenomenally popular The Rest is History podcast. An accomplished writer and historian, he returns to the time when Christianity began with Pax — the last volume in a trilogy narrating the story of the Roman Empire… Jan Carson, Fergal Keane & Aoife Moore: After Good Friday How fragile is peace, even 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement? Three Irish writers discuss their perspectives. Jan Carson is a community arts worker and writer of The Raptures and east Belfast-set The Fire Starters; Fergal Keane was the BBC’s… Olesya Khromeychuk & Christopher Miller: Ukraine - The People’s View Against the tragedy of war, there is power in bearing witness. Olesya Khromeychuk’s brother Volodymyr was killed in eastern Ukraine and The Death of a Soldier Told By His Sister is her vivid account of sibling love and the grief of loss. Meanwhile… Caroline Moorehead: Mussolini’s Dangerous Daughter Where did power really lie in Fascist Italy? Not just with Benito Mussolini, according to Caroline Moorehead, but also with his favourite daughter. In the engrossing Edda Mussolini Moorehead the rise and fall of a woman whose husband, Galeazzo Ciano, was… Tsitsi Dangarembga & Esi Edugyan: The Past, Present and Future of Blackness Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Black and Female brings together essays on the ‘nervous condition’ of being a Black woman in a supposedly post-colonial world. Esi Edugyan’s Out of the Sun comprises five essays on Afrofuturism, immigration and the concept of ‘passing’… Saving the World One Library at a Time with Polly Ho-Yen Join author Polly Ho-Yen as she explores her beautiful and mesmerising story The Boy Who Grew a Tree, which follows nature-loving Timi on his quest to save the magic tree growing in his soon-to-be-closed local library. Shining a light on the need for… Chris Brookmyre: One Island, Seven Secrets How much can really go wrong at a hen party? Bride-to-be Jen is about to find out. A private island provides a getaway for the celebrations, but it quickly becomes the backdrop to chaos, a disappearance and an anonymous blackmailer demanding that one of… Kehinde Andrews, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff & Marcus Ryder: A Celebration of Black Lives George Floyd’s murder by a white police officer in the US sparked Britain’s largest wave of protests against racism. Black British Lives Matter is a collection of essays gathered by equality advocate Marcus Ryder and his co-editor Lenny Henry. They honour… The Bolds Go Green with Julian Clary & David Roberts Give a hoot and don’t pollute! The Bolds have decided to do their bit for the planet and go green. They’re reducing, reusing and recycling as much as they can. But not all their ideas are welcome – especially when it comes to ‘watering’ the neighbours’… Scottish Spoken Word Showcase Spoken word is an increasingly visible and important part of Scotland’s cultural life. Discover its strength, diversity and creativity in this celebratory showcase, where artists shed light on their inspirations, celebrate the scene’s lineage and… Adam Farrer & Jon Ransom: Washed Up on the East Coast Meet two authors who explore class and community – on both mental and geographical levels. Adam Farrer won the 2021 Northbound Book Award with Cold Fish Soup, a darkly hilarious non-fiction debut, forming a memoir out of essays about life in a downtrodden… David Hendy: 100 Years of the BBC Media historian David Hendy looks back on a century of hustle and bustle at a defining cultural institution. The BBC: A People’s History delves into the archives to share the stories of typists and runners, presenters and foreign correspondents from the… Tobias Kelly & Charlotte McDonald-Gibson: Radical Outsiders How much is your life shaped by your conscience? Journalist Charlotte McDonald- Gibson and academic Tobias Kelly ask us to imagine having views that set us apart. Kelly’s new book, Battles of Conscience, traces the histories of five beleaguered… Pankaj Mishra: The Personal is Always Political A prolific, award-winning writer, Pankaj Mishra has kept us waiting two decades for his second novel; this event, with one of our bravest and most insightful contemporary writers, is not to be missed. Seeking a way out of his small railway town, Arun… Sarah Smith: Hear No Evil One of three major performances this year looking at today’s Scotland through the lens of its past, present and future, Hear No Evil is based on the debut novel by Sarah Smith. This production uses a fusion of sign language, image and performance to tell… Anthony Horowitz: Shaken, Not Stirred Hugely loved author Anthony Horowitz brings us his third James Bond thriller, With a Mind to Kill. This high-octane tale presents 007 as we have never known him: accused of M’s murder, in custody and smeared as a traitor. His rescue depends on a group of… Alan Cumming: Unpacking a Life One of Scotland’s favourite entertainers, Alan Cumming proved his command of the written word was just as strong as his command of the stage in 2014, when he became a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book, Baggage, takes us through his… Jeffrey Boakye, Stewart Lansley & Jack Monroe: Where Do We Go From Here? Star of BBC’s Daily Kitchen Live and activist Jack Monroe teaches us the true meaning of self-care in Good Food for Bad Days. In I Heard What You Said, Jeffrey Boakye examines the structural racism behind prejudiced statements he’s encountered. And in The… Strictly Come Writing with Maisie Chan From drawing to dim sum, Maisie Chan loves writing her favourite things into her books. During lockdown, she loved to watch Strictly Come Dancing as it made her very happy in an uncertain time. The result is Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu, her second hilarious… Mohsin Hamid: What Does it Mean to Be White? Mohsin Hamid joins us on our opening day to discuss The Last White Man. This blistering novel sees Anders, a white man, wake up to find he has turned a ‘deep and undeniable brown’, with clear echoes of Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Hamid’s previous books, The… Noam Chomsky: Dissent Across the Decades Whether it’s discussing linguistics with Foucault in a televised debate, authoring more than 100 books or being a fierce critic of American foreign policy, Noam Chomsky has been a highly influential figure for nearly seven decades. Now in his mid 90s, he… Christopher de Bellaigue: A Life That Changed History In over 600 years of Ottoman rule, the longest-reigning sultan was Suleiman the Magnificent. The Lion House by Christopher de Bellaigue narrates the epic tale of Suleiman’s rise to become the most powerful man of the 16th century. Fans of Hilary Mantel… Izzy Investigates with Pamela Butchart Blue Peter Award-winning author Pamela Butchart needs YOUR help in this unmissable event for children and schools. In her hilarious new book, The Secret School Invasion, Izzy’s school is being merged with St. Bartholomew’s Primary – their greatest rivals!… Take Action and Change the World with Georgina Stevens Meet author and climate campaigner Georgina Stevens and discover how her love for nature and our planet inspires her to take action. Then learn how you can get involved and make positive changes too! Join Georgina as she explores the issues of climate… Vashti Bunyan: A Wayward Life of Music With her 1970 album Just Another Diamond Day struggling to find its audience, Vashti Bunyan rejected the music world, retreating to Ireland, then Scotland. By 2000, unbeknownst to her, it had become one of the most sought-after records of its day, and a… Amy Liptrot: Traffic Islands Are for Lovers Amy Liptrot’s first memoir, The Outrun, offered irresistibly readable reflections on alcoholism, sea swimming and solitary sobriety in Orkney. Her new book, The Instant, follows on from The Outrun as Liptrot moves to achingly cool Berlin, yearning for the… Fernanda Melchor: Think Twice While Fernanda Melchor was completing her International Booker Prize shortlisted Hurricane Season, she came across the story of a town whose residents were removed from their land so that a luxury gated community could be built. The idea that violence… Philippe Sands: Towards a Less Brutal World How does the United Nations use the law to hold governments to account? In The Last Colony Philippe Sands QC highlights the case of the Chagos Archipelago. In the 1960s, Britain forcibly removed the inhabitants of the island. Join Sands today in… Simon Parkin: A Prison of Luminaries In 1940, the British government ordered the internment of all German refugees in a camp on the Isle of Man. Behind the barbed wire were large numbers of talented experts and artists, who soon transformed the camp into a centre of creative endeavour. Join… Patricia Lockwood: Postmodernism for the Internet Generation Priestdaddy memoirist, poet, editor and Twitter sensation: Patricia Lockwood has assumed many mantles in her career yet is not defined by any of them. Her debut novel has achieved this same feat. No One is Talking About This is the story of a perennially… Unleash your Creativity with Sita Brahmachari & Natalie Sirett Step inside the Raven Treasure Box, an immersive multi-media presentation exploring the creation of When Shadows Fall – a poignant coming-of-age novel by award-winning author and Amnesty ambassador Sita Brahmachari and multi-media artist Natalie Sirett… Karl Ove Knausgaard: The Familiar Made Strange My Struggle was the six-volume autofictional project that established Karl Ove Knausgaard among the world’s most respected writers. Now, the Norwegian author embarks on a new literary odyssey. The Morning Star is a novel steeped in the uncanny, haunted by… Dugie the Dinosaur: An Interactive Sensory Event for People with Learning Disabilities Stomp, stamp and growl along in this immersive sensory event created specially for people of all ages with learning disabilities. Authors Anne and Steve Brusatte have been working with inclusive arts specialists The Arts End of Somewhere and the PAMIS Art… Leave the Land of the Living with Melinda Salisbury & V E Schwab In her number one Sunday Times bestseller, Gallant, V E Schwab tells the darkly magical tale of a young woman caught between the world and its shadows. In Her Dark Wings, three-time Carnegie-nominated author Melinda Salisbury takes us to the edge of the… John Kay: The Cost of Change If Scotland is to become an independent country, it has three options for currency: adopt the euro, keep the pound sterling or create a new Scottish currency – and each has its own limitations. Leaving a financial union and creating an entirely new system… Patrick Gale: The Word That Speaks the Man Generations of children have been enchanted by Charles Causley’s bittersweet verses; there was even a campaign to make him Poet Laureate. Mother’s Boy, by bestselling novelist Patrick Gale, illuminates the life behind the poems. Brought up by an… Sabrina Mahfouz: Notes on the British Empire Sabrina Mahfouz has often experienced the sly questioning underneath much of British society’s treatment of her: as someone of Middle Eastern heritage, can she be trusted? Confronting what’s at play here, These Bodies of Water takes us to the Middle… Diana Gabaldon: The Outlander Phenomenon In 1991, Diana Gabaldon published Outlander, the tale of a post-Second World War nurse who accidentally time travels to Jacobite Scotland. Outlander became one of the bestselling book series of all time and spawned the hugely popular TV programme. In 2021… Ottessa Moshfegh: Power, Cruelty and Savage Faith With her striking new novel Lapvona, Ottessa Moshfegh continues to prove herself as one of the most exciting contemporary literary fiction writers. Unbound by genre, unafraid of darkness and unparalleled in her ambition, Moshfegh transports us to a… Yvette Fielding: Who You Gonna Call? Ghosthunters! TV’s Most Haunted presenter Yvette Fielding returns to share her super scary story The Ripper of Whitechapel. In this latest instalment of The Ghost Hunter Chronicles, Eve, Clovis and Tom investigate a haunted school. But why are the ghosts there? And… Raja Shehadeh: To Absent Fathers In 1985, Raja Shehadeh’s father Aziz was murdered in a pre-meditated knife attack. The circumstances of the crime are the subject of his Strangers in the House. Today, through his new memoir, Shehadeh sheds a different light on the father-son relationship… Audrey Magee: Still Waters Run Deep Two men arrive on an island, one to paint it, the other to record its speech. Amid their rivalry, the islanders discover their own relationship with the place they call home. Audrey Magee’s second novel, The Colony, tackles questions of identity, art and… Marlon James: A Fantastical Star What does a writer do once they’ve won the Booker Prize? If you’re the indefatigable Marlon James, you embark on a wildly ambitious series that defies easy characterisation. The second in the Dark Star trilogy Moon Witch, Spider King draws inventively on… Karen Campbell & Charlie Roy: Things We Don’t Remember, Things We Can’t Forget Charlie Roy’s The Broken Pane follows Tam’s flight into her past, after a tragic discovery throws her life off course. Karen Campbell’s Paper Cup journeys with Kelly, who is homeless and decides to leave the streets of Glasgow to return to her childhood… Charlie Higson: Glamour, Gangs and Greek Islands On sun-soaked Corfu, fixer McIntyre thinks he’s got an easy job ahead of him – but he quickly finds that things are a lot shadier than they seem. Described as a ‘perfect read’ by the Guardian, Charlie Higson’s new novel, Whatever Gets You Through the… Scotland's Stories Now Everyone has a story to tell; through stories we can make sense of our world. Earlier this year writers Andrew O’Hagan, Eleanor Thom, Ryan Van Winkle, Mae Diansangu, Roseanne Watt, Bea Webster and Siân Bevan collaborated with community groups across the… Matthieu Aikins, Sally Hayden & Polly Pallister-Wilkins: Bordering on Inhumane Deemed by Sally Rooney as the ‘most important work of contemporary reporting’, My Fourth Time, We Drowned explores Sally Hayden’s staggering investigation into the migrant crisis across North Africa. In The Naked Don’t Fear the Water, journalist Matthieu… Jonathan Freedland: The Man Who Escaped Auschwitz Imagine trying to escape from Auschwitz as a teenager, hiding for three days, while 3,000 SS and their bloodhounds search for you. This is the story of Rudolf Vrba, whose report on the atrocity of Auschwitz reached Roosevelt, Churchill and the Pope… Armando Iannucci: An Epic Poem for Our Times Emerging from the same BBC Radio production that launched the careers of Chris Morris, Stewart Lee and Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci has been at the forefront of British satire for over two decades. In Pandemonium he turns his eye to the pandemic and… Kerry Brown, Sam Fowles & David Loyn: Does Power Inevitably Corrupt? China, the USA and Britain: three nations at very different stages in their imperial trajectories. Yet each has fought to retain power – often by questionable means. Three experts come together to compare these superpower states: Kerry Brown’s Xi Jinping:… Martha Wainwright: Failure, Fame and Family It’s difficult to imagine acclaimed singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright as anything other than a singular success. Yet as the youngest member of a talented – often quietly cutting – musical family, Wainwright has long considered herself a failure in… Fintan O'Toole: The Unknown Knowns of Ireland One of Ireland’s finest journalists shares an intimate account of how the country has changed during his lifetime. There are many contradictions in Ireland’s history and the title of Fintan O’Toole’s personal history, We Don’t Know Ourselves, is one of… Howard W French: Why Africa is at the Centre of History The world history you thought you knew is wrong. Howard W French’s Born in Blackness presents a new perspective on modern civilisation – from the point of view of Africa and its people. The impetus for the ‘Age of Discovery’ was not Europe’s yearning for… Colm Tóibín: Man Imagines Mann It’s been a year of recognition for Colm Tóibín. First the writer was announced as the new Irish Laureate for Fiction and then he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime of achievement. He’s also published a first book of poetry, Vinegar Hill and… Michael Pedersen: Boy Friends Forever Are friendships the greatest love affairs of our lives? Join us to celebrate the publication of Michael Pedersen’s much-anticipated prose debut and intimate memoir Boy Friends. Along with two pioneering artists, Shirley Manson and Charlotte Church… Richard Coles: The Canon of Crime Canon Daniel Clement enjoys a quiet life with his mother Audrey and his two dachshunds in the peaceful village of Champton. But when he decides to add a lavatory to the church, the parish is thrown into discord – leading to murder. Reverend Richard Coles… Beneath the Covers: Best Marketing Strategies of 2022 It’s one thing to write a great book. It’s a different challenge to get people to buy it. This event gives a glimpse of creative book marketing with some of the industry professionals shortlisted for the British Book Award. Join founders of Edinburgh… Douglas Stuart with Val McDermid: Knives, Doves and Forbidden Love Shuggie Bain won the Booker Prize, sold over a million copies and catapulted Douglas Stuart to instant worldwide fame – his follow-up is doing nothing to dampen the hype. Set in the 1990s amid the brutal landscape of sectarian working-class Glasgow, Young… David George Haskell: The Call of the Wild Open your ears to choruses of frogs and birds, the thwops and whistles of whales and the chirrups of crickets as David George Haskell introduces his non-fiction rallying cry, Sounds Wild and Broken. The music made by the world’s creatures contains… Mystery on the Tracks with M G Leonard & Sam Sedgman All aboard for a rip-roaring quest with M G Leonard and Sam Sedgman as they introduce the latest instalment of their award-winning Adventures on Trains series. Danger at Dead Man's Pass follows our hero Hal and his uncle Nat as they go undercover to… Laura Bates & Winnie M Li: Misogyny Laid Bare In Winnie M Li’s novel Complicit, a former actress’s experiences at the hands of Hollywood mirror the real violence perpetrated in that arena. Fix the System, Not the Women by Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, unveils the ways in which… Benjamin Dean & Simon James Green: Who Wants the Spotlight? Backstabbing, scandal and, most importantly, heart-swooning romance are at the core of the new novels from Benjamin Dean and Simon James Green. In Dean’s The King is Dead, Prince James is suddenly thrust into the spotlight as he takes the throne following… Tsitsi Dangarembga, Dipo Faloyin & Howard W French: Africa's Rich Diversity We welcome three exceptionally perceptive writers radically reshaping our understanding of the African continent. Tsitsi Dangarembga explores the intersections of her identities in Black and Female. Dipo Faloyin paints a vivid picture of modern Africa as… Lucy Caldwell & Louise Kennedy: Belfast in the Blood Meet two authors of novels about life in an extraordinary city. In Lucy Caldwell’s These Days, it’s 1941 and Belfast has escaped the worst of the war, until the Blitz brings devastation. Now, two sisters must find a way to carry on. Louise Kennedy’s… Meg Mason: Femme Fatalistic Meg Mason’s breakout bestselling novel of love, family and mental health, Sorrow and Bliss, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and dubbed ‘the book you have to read this summer’ by the Evening Standard. Comparisons have arisen to BBC’s… Chasing the Edinburgh Sirens with Elle McNicoll Multi award-winning author Elle McNicoll talks about Like a Charm, her third unputdownable novel championing marginalised voices. Ramya Knox has the power to see the real-life mythical creatures that exist in Edinburgh. She meets a vampire in the Library… Aisha Bushby, Elle McNicoll & Ross Montgomery: Faeries, Tales and Friendship ‘A forest doesn’t need to be out in the middle of nowhere. It could be right next door in a well-known city’. Have you ever looked outside and imagined another world might exist alongside ours? Or seen a shard of light and thought it could have been a… Liz Lochhead: 50 Years of a Pioneering Poet Think of the people who’ve shaped Scotland’s cultural confidence and Liz Lochhead’s name will be near the top of the list. For 50 years, she’s given us glistening poetry and theatre to reflect the shifting times. Her seminal debut collection, Memo for… Scottish Rewilding Adventures with Lindsay Littleson Scotland was once a country of enormous forests, peat bogs and wetlands, where wolves, bears and lynx roamed freely. But what would you do if you discovered a real-life Lynx kitten roaming wild today? Kelpies Prize-winner Lindsay Littleson's latest novel… Serhii Plokhy with Allan Little: Ukraine at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia The Russian invasion is one of many devastating episodes for Ukraine over the past century. Serhii Plokhy is Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard and the author of The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine. Today, he explores how precursors such as… Kate Molleson: Rewriting the Musical Canon BBC Radio 3 listeners know Kate Molleson as one of Britain’s best-respected voices on contemporary classical music. Her new book demonstrates that she is equally at ease with the written word. Sound Within Sound is a brave, brilliant and rollicking… Michael Ignatieff: Consolation for Our Times The historian and political theorist Michael Ignatieff began writing a book about consolation before the first lockdown. Now, our lives changed by Covid-19, and with over 80 million refugees fleeing conflicts worldwide, On Consolation feels spectacularly… Adam Rutherford: A Scientific Scandal In 2020, Francis Galton’s name was removed from University College London buildings. The ‘father of eugenics’ had authored theories of selective procreation used to justify racism and genocide. Discussing his book Control: The Dark History and Troubling… The Last Colony: A Performance on Restoring an Island to its Rightful Owners Philippe Sands QC’s The Last Colony chronicles the unlawful mistreatment of the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands by the British Government. In this illustrated performance he presents readings and images together with RSC and Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh… YA Book Prize Award Ceremony We are thrilled to be working with The Bookseller to host this year’s YA Book Prize. Come and meet the shortlisted authors: Adiba Jaigirdar, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Simon James Green, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Krystal Sutherland, Manjeet Man, Natasha… Jamaica Kincaid: Write Out of Defiance According to the New York Times, Antiguan-American novelist, essayist and academic Jamaica Kincaid has a ‘poet’s understanding of how politics and history, private and public events, overlap and blur’. This summer, five of her books will be republished… Janina Ramirez: Goddesses, Spirits, Saints Historian Janina Ramirez hosts an hour packed with power and spirit. Discover the goddesses, witches, demons and spirits that have shaped our belief systems over millennia. From Medusa to Mami Wata, Brigid to Lakshmi, meet the powerful female figures from… Abi Morgan: For Love Nor Pity One of the UK’s most fearsomely talented screenwriters, Abi Morgan has worked on projects including The Iron Lady and Shame, which garnered both headlines and awards. Today, she reveals her own powerful story of survival. In This is Not a Pity Memoir… Mariana Mazzucato: Can Nations Be Entrepreneurs? Inequality, climate crisis and disease: three epic challenges for our times. According to Mariana Mazzucato, innovation by governments is essential to inspire public-private cooperation and bring about change from the bottom up. Meet the Professor of… James Runcie: The Story of Bach's Masterpiece Bach’s St Matthew Passion is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. But what was it like to play and sing it for the first time? James Runcie, bestselling author of The Grantchester Mysteries, talks about the research involved in writing his… Thomas Harding & Kojo Koram: What Was Taken? Inspired by a personal quest to learn more about Britain’s role in the slave trade, Thomas Harding tells the story of the Demerara Uprising, a key trigger in the abolition of slavery, in White Debt. In Uncommon Wealth, Kojo Koram traces the group of… Murray Pittock: Old Scotia's Grandeur Springs Who better to chronicle Scotland’s role in international affairs than Murray Pittock, one of Scotland’s leading historians? He has authored a series of key texts on Scottish history and identity and brought his huge expertise to bear on a roster of… Devi Sridhar: How to Prevent (Another) Pandemic As both chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh and a highly effective social media communicator, Professor Devi Sridhar became an invaluable resource for many in the early days of the pandemic, and a household name across the country… Justin Webb: Radio Saved My Life Respected presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Justin Webb sheds revealing new light on his dysfunctional childhood. His moving, candid and humane memoir, The Gift of a Radio, paints a fascinating picture of the 70s Britain that shaped him. Today… Kit de Waal: Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood Kit de Waal’s influence across contemporary British literature is so broad as to be almost immeasurable. So how is it that one of our titans of the written word grew up with only the Bible to read? De Waal comes to this year’s Festival to chat about a… Georgi Gospodinov: Time is Out to Get Us Thomas Mann argued there’s nothing ‘actual’ about time: humans don’t possess an organ that can sense it. Award-winning Bulgarian novelist Georgi Gospodinov plays with this idea in Time Shelter, beautifully translated into English by Angela Rodel. In the… Simon Jenkins: Who Exactly Are the Celts? Since Scotland’s independence referendum and Brexit, the United Kingdom has felt far from united. Into this context, former editor of the Times Sir Simon Jenkins offers a timely analysis of Celtic identity, from its mysterious origins to its re-emergence… Enter the Forest of Lost Things with David C Flanagan & Will Hughes Calamity! Uncle Pete the kindly explorer and his fearless mouse sidekick have lost their stardust powered plane. Where should they look for it? The Forest of Lost Things? But nobody should EVER go there…! Join author David C Flanagan as he reads from his… Lea Ypi with Allan Little: What Does Freedom Mean in Europe? Albania was one of the world’s most isolated countries under the rule of Enver Hoxha during its communist period. Lea Ypi grew up under Hoxha, then witnessed communism’s collapse and the country’s transformation to a flawed market economy. Today, Ypi… Futureproofing Education Following two years of disruption in schools, we’re bringing together education pioneers to imagine the creative, bespoke settings needed to support young people. Chaired by Gerald Richards, CEO of Superpower Agency, our panellists include founder of The… David Wengrow: Reimagining Prehistory It’s a pervasive belief that early human history involved a pivotal bargain; when cities and agriculture developed, primitive hunter-gatherers exchanged their freedom and equality for the hierarchies of civilisation. This is far from the truth, argue… Nell Stevens & Sarah Winman: Hearing the Voices of Ghosts Two novelists lead us across history and into the European sunshine. Sarah Winman’s Still Life brings us to a crumbling Tuscan villa where two strangers’ lives are entwined. Nell Stevens’s Briefly, A Delicious Life is set in a Mallorcan monastery where… James Birch: Six Degrees of Francis Bacon This is the story of one curator’s audacious project to stage a retrospective of Francis Bacon’s paintings in Soviet-era Moscow. It’s also a picture of Soviet and Western relations just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. And it’s a close encounter with a… Norman Scott: The Establishment (Almost) Always Wins This is the story of a man who took on the establishment – and it seemed he’d lost. But Norman Scott’s own perspective on his secret affair with politician Jeremy Thorpe in the 1970s has gained credence thanks to the TV drama, A Very English Scandal. Now… Tessa Hadley & Charlotte Mendelson: The Process of Revealing In Tessa Hadley’s Free Love, homemaker Phyllis is about to have her neat suburban world blown apart by kissing the son of a friend. In The Exhibitionist, Charlotte Mendelson introduces a family whose patriarch artist prepares for a new exhibition – but… Steve Brusatte & Thomas Halliday: The Paleo-Adventurers Has our obsession with dinosaurs overshadowed other discoveries about our planet’s history? Palaeontologist Steve Brusatte lays out a fascinating alternative history in The Rise and Reign of the Mammals. Thomas Halliday is a Scottish paleontologist and… Itchy Coo’s Big Birthday Hoolie! The Scots language imprint Itchy Coo was launched at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2002. 20 years and many much-loved titles later, it’s time to party! Join co-founding authors Matthew Fitt and James Robertson and special guests in this… Gideon Rachman, Andrew Wilson & Lea Ypi: Follow the Leader Putin, Trump, Erdogan. Why are authoritarian leaders on the rise? Our panel explores their impact on the lives of citizens. Prize-winning journalist Gideon Rachman surveys leadership cults across the globe in The Age of the Strongman; Eastern Europe… Challenging Discrimination with Patrice Lawrence & Jason Reynolds Two megastars of Young Adult literature come together for a special event for teens and schools, exploring class, the justice system and…knitting? New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds introduces his heartfelt urban coming-of-age novel, When I… Frank Dikötter: Rise of a Superpower Since the death of Chairman Mao in 1976, China has radically reformed. But the result has been uneven, creating real economic growth and global political influence, but also reinforcing the one-party state’s grip over its vast population. Launching his… Discover your Power with Nikita Gill These Are the Words is the essential and empowering YA collection from international poetry sensation Nikita Gill. In this event for secondary school pupils, she shares all the hard-won wisdom, advice, and validation you need to heal from your first… Torrey Peters: The Remaking of the Family Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters’s Women’s Prize-longlisted debut novel, remakes a classic comedy of manners for the 21st century. When trans woman Reese is approached by her ex-partner Ames (who has detransitioned) with a tantalising chance at… Raven Smith: On the Magnetism of Masculinity What is it about men that’s so intriguing? This is the question at the centre of Raven Smith’s Men. Often problematic, often privileged and always constant – still Smith can’t help but love them. Part memoir and part commentary, his book explores the… Simon Woolley: Shaking Up the Establishment When Simon Woolley created Operation Black Vote in 1996, he inspired hundreds of thousands of people to participate in the democratic process. Raised on an impoverished estate in Leicester, he has become a political force to be reckoned with, the first… Val McDermid & Jo Sharp: Imagine Another Country Two years ago, inspired by Book Festival discussions about the necessity of imagination for political change, Val McDermid and Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp invited a diverse group of people to share their ideas. This summer a post-pandemic… LGBTQ+ Love, Life and Mental Health with Alexis Caught Queer Up: An Uplifting Guide to LGBTQ+ Love, Life and Mental Health is the debut book from award-winning podcaster and author, Alexis Caught. In this open, helpful and heart-warming event for teenage school pupils, Alexis takes you through an inclusive… Young and in Love with Dean Atta Join the inspirational Dean Atta - named one of the most influential LGBT people in the UK by the Independent on Sunday - and jump headfirst into his must-read queer love story, Only on the Weekends. Written in Dean's signature verse-novel format, the… Become an Accidental Detective with Serena Patel Anisha’s family holiday turns into an investigative mission when the holiday park's mascot-duck is vandalised in this laugh-out-loud new book in the series from Serena Patel. Meet Serena and find out all about how she turned from a child who loved books… Stories and Scran Returning for its third year, Stories and Scran celebrates the dynamic and thought-provoking work created by participants in Citizen, our long-term creative programme offering local people a platform to explore identity and place. Enjoy a snack and a… Elena Pala, John Retallack & Sandro Veronesi: The World of the Hummingbird Sandro Veronesi’s international bestselling novel, The Hummingbird, is transformed into an exclusive, experimental and immersive event for the Book Festival by the team who adapted it for BBC Radio 3. Experience the impressionistic, dreamlike life of ‘the… Celebrating Inclusion Frustrated by literature events not being made accessible, disabled writers Julie Farrell and Ever Dundas conceived the Inklusion Guide, a useful resource for event organisers. This event celebrating the launch of their guide is chaired by Sinéad Burke… Nick Drnaso: Drawing Inspiration If graphic novels have historically been overlooked by the literary establishment, then Nick Drnaso’s work is changing things. Sabrina was the first graphic novel to be longlisted for the Booker Prize. Now Acting Class confirms Drnaso as one of today’s… Chitra Ramaswamy: Homelands One of three major performances this year looking at today’s Scotland. Homelands is the new work of non-fiction by Chitra Ramaswamy and tells the story of the author’s friendship with Henry Wuga, who arrived in 1939 with the Kindertransport fleeing Nazi… Richard Holloway with Alison Watt: This One’s From the Heart Book Festival regulars need no introduction to Richard Holloway: he has spoken at the Festival every August for the past 23 years. He joins us this time to discuss The Heart of Things – a collection of his favourite poems and quotations, knitted together… Denise Mina: Meta-Crime for the Internet Age Denise Mina grows more fascinating with every book she brings out. The first book in the Anna and Fin series was named a joint winner of the McIlvanny Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2019. Now, Confidence brings us another meta-story starring… Patrick Barkham & Ed Yong: The Secret Lives of Animals Discover nature’s marvels with two expert writers. 20 years of writings about the natural world are collected in Patrick Barkham’s Wild Green Wonders. The Guardian writer observes the changing conditions of the wildlife around us, from peregrine falcons… Oliver Bullough with Ian Rankin: How Britain Got Addicted to Dirty Money A ‘ghost company’ based in Edinburgh was recently accused of supporting Russian military services, thus aiding the invasion of Ukraine – a stark example of how Britain pimps itself out to international dirty money. Butler to the World is Oliver Bullough’s… Jeffrey Boakye, Sinéad Gleeson & Bob Stanley: The Many Voices of Music Three authors come together in an event for music lovers, chaired by Arusa Qureshi. Jeffrey Boakye takes us through key moments in Black history through 28 of its most powerful songs in Musical Truth. Sinéad Gleeson discusses This Woman’s Work, a… Bang! Wallop! Ooft! Meet the Editors of the Beano! Calling all mischief-makers! Expect fun and mayhem in this interactive session from the brains behind Beano, the world’s longest running (and greatest!) comic. Get ready for lolz as Craig Graham and Mike Stirling share the secrets behind characters such… Nadifa Mohamed: For Whom is Justice Served? Can the truth save those who have been condemned for something other than a crime? Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021, The Fortune Men takes us to Cardiff ’s multicultural Tiger Bay in 1952, where Mahmood Mattan is accused of murder. He feels secure… One Day Ticket Follow a fantasy transport map through Edinburgh, where stories are told and thoughts unfold. This collaborative work for the stage is written by participants in our long-term creative programme, Citizen, with our Communities Writer in Residence, Eleanor… Lucy Easthope & Gavin Francis: Coming Back to Ourselves After Disaster What does recovery mean, when a person has been through something they never could have prepared for? When the Dust Settles is crisis management expert Lucy Easthope’s memoir of existing in the aftermath of disaster. In Recovery, GP and author Gavin… Omar Robert Hamilton, Sanaa Seif & Ahdaf Soueif: A Decade of Resistance Egyptian writer and political activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah's British citizenship was ratified in December 2021 while he was in an Egyptian prison, where he has been detained, almost continuously, since 2013. Today, his translators and family members Omar… BREAKING NEWS: How to Tell What's Real from What's Rubbish with Nick Sheridan It’s never been easier to access the news: on TV, radio, billboards, newspapers and endlessly buzzing from the screens in our pockets. But with more and more news available, it’s hard to know what to trust. Where do stories come from? How do we know… Alistair Moffat: A Tale of Zero Hour In Alistair Moffat’s ingenious thriller The Night Before Morning, the summer of 1945 finds Hitler victorious and Britain under German control. The author of more than 20 books of non-fiction, Moffat is an incisive historian and hugely popular public… Jack Monroe: On Self-Care and Social Change To call Jack Monroe a cookbook writer would be to undersell her by several degrees of magnitude. From being a struggling single mother on a microbudget, she has built a career helping those who society has left behind. Fresh from pressuring supermarkets… Ada Limón: The Images of Poetry National Book Critics Circle Award winner Ada Limón joins us to present a powerful new poetry collection, The Hurting Kind. Limón charts the interconnectedness between humans and non-humans, the living and their ancestors. Her work constructs joyfully… Amy Bloom: Till Death Us Do Part The last time American author Amy Bloom came to the Book Festival in 2014 to talk about Lucky Us, she travelled with her husband Brian. In 2020 they made a very different kind of journey together – to Switzerland where Brian was helped by Dignitas to end… The Evolution of Young Adult Literature What are the limits and boundaries of writing difficult themes in books for young adults? Join award-winning young adult authors Juno Dawson and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé alongside literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch and social media consultant Jean Menzies… Gulbahar Haitiwaji: To Make Us Slowly Disappear This is one Uyghur woman’s astonishing story of survival. More than a million Uyghur Muslims are incarcerated in Chinese detention units: China describes them as re-education camps while human rights organisations accuse China of genocide. Gulbahar… Janey Godley: Secrets in 70s Glasgow One of Scotland’s most beloved comedians continues to blaze a trail – this time taking a step into crime fiction. With her debut novel Nothing Left Unsaid, Janey Godley takes us to 1970s Glasgow via the diary of a dying mother. In the tenements of… Merve Emre & Daniel Mulhall: Mrs Dalloway Meets Buck Mulligan Virginia Woolf ’s Mrs Dalloway and James Joyce’s Ulysses: two novels that defined modernist literature. Today, Merve Emre, a critic and Oxford University Professor, presents The Annotated Mrs Dalloway, painting a rapturous portrait of Woolf ’s originality… Jessie Burton: Return to the Doll’s House More than a million readers have awaited the sequel to Jessie Burton’s bestselling debut novel. The House of Fortune revisits the address in Amsterdam where the events of The Miniaturist took place to meet Thea Brandt on her 18th birthday. Determined to… Reading Scotland: Jen Hadfield, Landscape and Light Poet Jen Hadfield sometimes writes outside near her home on Shetland, taking a notebook with her and disappearing into the landscape, returning when she gets cold and hungry. The islands – situated between Scotland and Norway – have provided fertile… A L Kennedy: We Are Not Dead Yet A L Kennedy’s insightful and piercing gaze, evident in all her books, is probably at its most unflinching in her short stories. We are thrilled to welcome her back to the Book Festival with her short story collection We Are Attempting to Survive Our Time… Michael Pedersen presents Good Grief! Come bask in the company of your favourite ghosts at the Good Grief! Salon – where the grief comes glittered, gritty and gutsy. We have all lost something over ‘The Big Still’, this last weird epoch of living, be it: time, trips, tips, friends, cash… Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: The Myth of Human Progress One of the greatest living writers, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o joins us by a live link from his home in Kenya. When he visited Edinburgh in 2018, Thiong’o discussed his detainment as a political prisoner in Kenya and his passionate advocacy for the use of local… Kei Miller: Silence is Violence A few years ago, when asked what he sees when he looks at a map, Kei Miller answered ‘I see the things that aren’t there... maps are always interesting to me for what’s left out…’. These gaps and omissions were a key part of the celebrated poet and… Eimear McBride: Disgust ‘Women are really angry. I am… I do feel a really deep, burning sense of injustice at the way women are treated in our world and I want to write about that.’ So said Eimear McBride in a recent interview and she has seen through that impulse with a… Craig Brown: The Slippery Art of Biography In One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time, Craig Brown gathered a kaleidoscopic mix of letters, news reports, diaries and much more besides into a brilliantly quirky not-quite-biography of the most successful pop group ever. It won him the prestigious… Tom Devine with Allan Little: Rewriting Scotland’s History During the 20th century, Scotland commonly depicted its own history through the lens of a kind of colourful, tragicomic victimhood. This amounted to a tartan-clad story set against a Highland backdrop and a sense of national self-doubt that has sometimes… Peter Scott-Morgan: Rewiring Humanity The first sign that something was not right came to scientist Dr Peter Scott-Morgan when he was getting out of the bath – no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage to shake the water from his feet. Not long after, he was diagnosed with MND (Motor… Eva Baltasar & Lina Meruane: Body Politics Rebecca Solnit has argued that ‘every illness is narrative’ and Lina Meruane’s novel Nervous System certainly gives credence to that view. It centres on a woman named Ella who, in struggling to finish her PhD, becomes fixated on the functions and rhythms… Natasha Brown & Olivia Sudjic: Unravelling Lives How do we manage the carefully assembled pieces of our lives, and what happens when events out of our control leave us exposed? These questions seem to haunt both Olivia Sudjic’s Asylum Road, and Natasha Brown’s Assembly. In Sudjic’s intensely atmospheric… Flash Forward with Femi Fadugba, Ben Oliver & Jonathan Stroud Fictionalising the future can be a brilliant way to help us reflect on and process uncomfortable issues in the present day, and in this event you get to meet three authors who help you to do just that. From a world where climate disaster has transformed… Michael Rosen: Migration Stories Michael Rosen is known around the world for his picture books and poetry full of heart and good humour. In On the Move: Poems About Migration Michael weaves his family’s personal story into his poetry, from his childhood as a first-generation Polish… Oana Aristide & Courttia Newland: New World Disorder One interesting product of dystopian fiction is the new perspective it offers on the real world we are living in. That is the case in the novels discussed today. Oana Aristide’s Under the Blue was written before the pandemic hit but with uncanny timing it… Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Play the Cards You're Dealt Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times and IndieBound bestselling author of Ace of Spades. Described as ‘this summer’s hottest YA debut’, the thriller will literally have you on the edge of your seat right up to the final pages. Welcome to… Emma Dabiri: Beyond the Anti-Racism 'How To' Guide The murder of George Floyd, the powerful resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the imperative for white people to interrogate personal privilege led to a number of books about anti-racism being at the top of the bestseller lists in 2020. Emma… Gavin Esler & Samir Puri: Brexit, Britain and the Legacy of Empire What is the future for the United Kingdom as a political entity? And how has the end of the British Empire influenced its trajectory in recent years? A former BBC journalist and a senior political strategist spend today’s event discussing some potential… Reading Scotland: Graeme Armstrong, Welcome tae Airdrie In the former industrial heartlands of North Lanarkshire, Graeme Armstrong’s urgent debut novel The Young Team pulls back the curtain on the lives of young men as they navigate the friendship, turf wars and stereotypes of Scottish masculinity. Based on… Anders Frang & Jonathan Meres: The Little Bat Who Was Afraid of the Light It is morning and Little Bat, Big Bat and Middle Bat are getting ready to go to bed, but Little Bat is feeling nervous. What is that mysterious, dark, bat-like shape which keeps following him around? Could it be... the Bogey Bat?! The World of Norm author… Viet Thanh Nguyen: Through the Eyes of a Vietnamese Refugee In 1975, at the age of four, Viet Thanh Nguyen fled from Vietnam with his family. Like so many others, these refugees from their war-torn country ended up in America. Fortunately, Nguyen is blessed with a stellar command of the written word and has… Meet the Tindims of Rubbish Island with Sally Gardner The tiny Tindims turn our everyday rubbish into treasure in their home on Rubbish Island. Meet their creator Sally Gardner and find out how she uses her imagination and the world around her to inspire the stories. Then discover how you can get creative… Elizabeth Knox: The Political Force of Fantasy In January 2020, an article appeared on Slate with the headline, 'This New Zealand Fantasy Masterpiece Needs to Be Published in America, Like, Now.' The article went viral with readers as they raced to order 'the majestic, brain-bending novel' from New… Alison Watt with Andrew O’Hagan: The Joy of Influence Alison Watt is one of Scotland’s best-known living artists, renowned for her paintings of human figures and more recently for her intimate depictions of the folds in fabrics and draperies. With titles such as Phantom and Aware, these evoke the human body… Ciaran Martin with Tom Devine: Where Next for the United Kingdom? Currently a professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, Ciaran Martin played a key role as a senior civil servant for David Cameron’s government in negotiating the terms of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Seven years on… Amartya Sen: Home and Humanity Amartya Sen is Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. His many books include The Idea of Justice, a critique of existing theories of social justice, with which he last visited the Book Festival in 2010. Now, Professor Sen has written… Jasbinder Bilan & Efua Traoré: Stories of Magic and Mythology Two prize-winning authors immerse you in the mystical worlds of their new novels. From Jasbinder Bilan, author of the Costa Award-winning Asha and the Spirit Bird and Tamarind and the Star of Ishta, comes a thrilling new adventure, Aarti and the Blue Gods… Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor: Across the Indian Ocean ‘In this dazzling novel you will find the entirety of human experience – tearshed, bloodshed, lust, love – in staggering proportions.’ So said Taiye Selasi about Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor’s debut novel Dust in 2015 – a book that heralded the arrival of a… Scholastique Mukasonga: Reclaiming Rwanda’s Stories The genocide of 1994 in Rwanda continues to cast a long shadow over the country – and over its European colonisers. Belgian colonists and missionaries originally favoured Rwanda’s minority Tutsi people (even devising an ‘ethnic identity card’ in 1931) but… Julian Aguon & Nina Mingya Powles: Making Environmental Politics Personal Julian Aguon has witnessed first-hand the impact of globalisation and colonialism on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific. In a bid to support the struggles of peoples across Oceania, the human rights lawyer has founded Blue Ocean Law, working at the… A Kid’s Life in the Aztec Age with Chae Strathie Would you eat slugs, tadpoles, frogs or maggots? No?! Then you should be glad you didn’t live in the Aztec age. Step into the past with Chae Strathie as he shows you exactly what life was like for a kid in the Aztec world in this fascinating, and… Velda the Awesomest Viking with David MacPhail Velda is a tiny warrior with a BIG axe and an even BIGGER attitude. Listen as David MacPhail reads from the first book in his action-packed, hilarious new series, Velda the Awesomest Viking and the Voyage of Deadly Doom, then get your pencils ready to… Pumla Dineo Gqola & Jacqueline Rose: The Female Fear Factory There has recently been a marked increase in violence against women in many parts of the world, and the lockdowns have created a shadow pandemic of domestic violence, according to the UN. Joining us to discuss the problem is Pumla Dineo Gqola, one of… Rachel Kushner: Postcards from America ‘Clarice Lispector had a diamond-hard intelligence, a visionary instinct and a sense of humour that veered from naïf wonder to wicked comedy.’ This snapshot of the great Brazilian writer is from an essay in Rachel Kushner’s new book The Hard Crowd – but… Alice Blackwell & Barbara Henderson: Artifacts and Fiction Be catapulted back in time to the Viking Age with this thrilling new historical adventure story from one of Scotland’s finest children’s authors, Barbara Henderson. In The Chessmen Thief we meet 12 year old Kylan, a Viking slave who helped carve the Lewis… Daisy Lafarge & Evie Wyld: Strong Female Lead Evie Wyld won the Stella Prize – Australia’s version of the Women’s Prize – for her modern gothic novel The Bass Rock earlier this year, a tale of how violence and power has been wielded against women across centuries and in different guises to isolate or… Will McPhail: Drawing Inspiration The drawing style of Will McPhail will be instantly recognisable to readers of the New Yorker or Private Eye, where his cartoons are regularly published. Now the cartoonist has turned his hand to his first full-length graphic novel, IN, and it’s set to… Elif Shafak: If Trees Could Speak In her Booker-shortlisted novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, Elif Shafak entered the mind of a dying sex worker lying murdered in an Istanbul alley. The story moved from brutal realism to the magical world of the afterlife. Now Shafak has… Deborah Levy: A Living Autobiography ‘What is the point of a risk-free life?’ asked Deborah Levy in the second of her recent memoirs – The Cost of Living – which details the creation of her new life after the breakdown of a marriage at the age of 50. Now, the celebrated novelist publishes… John Agard & Piet Grobler: A Poem for Our Planet Join poet John Agard for a trip into the colourful jungle, with a reading from his glorious new picture book, where you get to meet a playful Coyote and leave with a powerful message about saving our planet. This book is packed with beautiful language… Maisie Chan Does Not Do Maths (But She Does Write Awesome Books!) Meet Maisie Chan and find out about her novel, Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths. Danny loves drawing more than anything – certainly more than maths, which is what he is ‘supposed’ to be good at. Then Danny’s life is turned upside down by a surprise visit… Lavinia Greenlaw: Honour the Small Words What is it that gives us the urge to say something, to write or to sing? At the beginning of the year, when we were congratulating her on her successful appearance on Celebrity University Challenge, Lavinia Greenlaw mentioned to us that she had a new book… Helena Merriman: Undermining the Berlin Wall Many of us remember 1989 and the images of people dancing on the Berlin Wall before it fell. Journalist and broadcaster Helena Merriman has focused on the other end of the Berlin Wall story, the early 1960s when it was first built. Based on her… Alastair Chisholm & Elle McNicoll: Can Robots Be Friends? The future is coming, and it DEFINITELY includes Artificial Intelligence. But how do we know whether we will be friends with these robots? Will they think or feel things like we do? In their incredible new novels Alastair Chisholm, with Adam-2, and Elle… Torrey Peters: Modern Families, Baby Detransition, Baby is the fizzing debut novel from American author Torrey Peters, a modern story about motherhood, sex, relationships and chosen family. Reese is a trans woman in her 30s who desperately yearns for motherhood when Ames, her former lover… Houzan Mahmoud: Smoke Coming From My Soul Kurdish Women’s Stories is the brainchild of Houzan Mahmoud, a Kurdish writer, public lecturer and anti-war activist. Unforgettable and deeply moving, it’s a vitally important book which goes beyond the common depiction of women simply as victims of war… Jodie Lancet-Grant: Parrots, Pirates and Nautical Adventures Argh me hearties! Jump aboard for a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas as author Jodie Lancet-Grant introduces her brand-new picture book, The Pirate Mums! In it we meet Billy and his two dazzling mums, who always make a splash. Whether they’re… Salena Godden: Bringing Death to Life What if Death was not a faceless skeleton with a cloak and a scythe, but a working-class Black woman who shapeshifts and who has spent the whole of eternity doing her work unseen? Worn out and exhausted, Death wishes to unburden herself of the stories of… Joan Bakewell with Richard Holloway: Moving On Situated in a leafy square in North London, Joan Bakewell’s generous townhouse was a regular meeting place for the extended family she adores, a happy by-product of a stellar career. Her recent decision to downsize was not just a pragmatic thing: it… Lisa Taddeo: Violently in Love In her bestselling non-fiction book Three Women, Lisa Taddeo gave an account of the defining sexual relationships in three real women’s lives. Now the American author turns her hand to fiction, and her debut novel Animal opens with a bang – literally… Discover a World of Wildlife with Neal Layton All over the world, animals and plants are disappearing, and it’s a big problem. But you can help to make things better! Author, illustrator and environmentalist Neal Layton shows you how every plant and animal on Earth is part of an amazing web of life… Doug Johnstone, Val McDermid, Ambrose Parry & Mary Paulson-Ellis: Summer Crime Wave A few months ago there was a minor storm in the Twitterverse when a group of Scottish authors realised their books would all be published on more or less the same day in August. How could we ignore this explosion of Scottish crime writing? Today we’re… Too Much Information? The downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 was an event shrouded in misinformation. With reporters far from the location, misleading information put out by governments, and scant first-hand accounts, how did journalists determine… Hoda Barakat: Lost Voices of the Arab Spring Ten years on from the uprisings across the Arab-speaking world, writers from countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Libya are offering important reflections on the uncertainty and tragedy that continues to affect people living there. In this event… R-Words: Infectious Poetry for Everyone  As we navigate the pandemic we have all learned more medical terminology and nothing has been more important than the ‘R number’, explaining the rate of infection. Yet for writer and theatre director Ross Mackay, the R number is the inspiration behind his… Jessie Greengrass & Gwendoline Riley: The Agony of Love ‘Jessie Greengrass makes words dance. And she makes me want to stand up and dance with them.’ Elif Shafak’s selection of Greengrass as one of ten exciting women writers in the UK coincides neatly with the publication of her second novel, The High House –… The Force of Law Nine days after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, then-President George W. Bush addressed a joint session of Congress, announcing the beginning of what would be known as the War on Terror. In the two decades since Bush’s address, the war has… Olivia Laing: Your Body is a Battleground Olivia Laing had the idea for her new book Everybody in the summer of 2015 at the height of the refugee crisis in Europe. The chaotic times that followed – including Britain’s vote for Brexit and Trump’s victory in the US elections – only served to… Nick Bryant with Allan Little: The History of Donald Trump Any journalist reporting from the USA over the past 50 years was in for a fascinating experience, but to have been there during the Trump era was something else entirely. As one of the BBC’s senior TV reporters in the States, Nick Bryant witnessed a… Alicia Garza: Building Moments Into Movements If the past eighteen months have taught us anything, it is that activism is alive, kicking and more needed than ever. But how can we create protests that are meaningful and lasting, rather than hollow or performative acts? How can we go beyond hashtags… Katie Kitamura: Familiarity and Contempt Regarded as a master of cool disquiet, a novelist of enchanting imagination and minimalist prose, Katie Kitamura has grown into one of America’s most respected authors. She’s also a favourite with other writers: her new novel Intimacies isn’t published… Pat Nevin with Val McDermid: Scottish Football’s Indie Star At the height of a luminous playing career, Pat Nevin spent evenings at theatre and ballet performances, and wrote a column in the Chelsea club newspaper, championing his favourite indie bands. He even had the joy of helping John Peel with the admin for… The New York Times Book Review: The Power of Words This year is the 125th anniversary of The New York Times Book Review, a key part of the paper’s coverage of culture and news since 1851. Francis Brown, who edited the Book Review for 21 years from 1949, described it as ‘the period of Trollope and Dickens… Nana Oforiatta Ayim & Barnaby Phillips: Returning the Loot 124 years ago, the British government sent 1,200 soldiers and sailors to invade the Kingdom of Benin in West Africa. This was just one of many so-called 'Punitive Expeditions' launched across the continent by the British Empire. Benin’s soldiers, armed… Jeremy Atherton Lin: Coming Out, Going Out For the past generation it has been possible for LGBTQIA+ people in most of Britain and the USA to go out in an open display of solidarity and sexual freedom that was long denied to those who came before them. The culture of the Gay Bar is the subject of… Kevin Barry: Looking Across a Bog to the Bluestack Mountains Sligo, Leitrim and Limerick are some of Ireland’s smaller, less populated counties. So what did they do to deserve the talents of Kevin Barry? The answer lies in the tender and humorous short stories of Barry’s newest collection, That Old Country Music… Jackie Kay: My Libidinous, Raunchy, Fearless Blueswoman ‘Bessie Smith showed me the air and taught me how to fill it.’ And Janis Joplin was certainly not the only person who fell in love with the Tennessee blues singer’s unforgettable voice. As a young Black girl growing up in Glasgow, Jackie Kay found in… Ed Miliband & Ece Temelkuran: The World We Want Around the world, politics has been trending towards infantilisation. Careful discourse is often replaced by lies, media stunts and juvenile sloganeering. What can be done to recalibrate democratic discourse? Well, maybe thoughtful Book Festival… Maggie O'Farrell: Loves, Labours, Loss Edinburgh-based Maggie O’Farrell hit a spectacular new career high last year with the publication of Hamnet – winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a huge bestseller across the world and unquestionably a standout book of 2020. Why did O’Farrell’s novel… Debi Gliori: A Man's Best Furry Friend This is the story of a cat called Waverley and the man who belonged to him. When Donald has to go far, far away to fight in a strange land Waverley looks all over Edinburgh for him, but will he ever find his friend again? The renowned illustrator and… Leah Cowan, Julián Fuks & Abbas Nazari: Surviving Hostile Environments Detained, fingerprinted, treated with hostility. These are some of the words used recently by EU citizens seeking entry into the UK. How do Britain’s borders reflect the government’s Hostile Environment policy, and how does its border regime link with… Naoise Dolan & Naomi Ishiguro: Growing Pains Every year at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, we celebrate the talent, wit and skill of emerging writers. In this event, we are joined by two of the freshest voices in fiction, whose coming-of-age narratives are by turns tender and cynical in… Happy Here with Dean Atta, Patrice Lawrence & Yomi Sode Join us for the launch of Happy Here, a brilliant new anthology of stories from Black British authors and illustrators. On the panel we welcome three of the writers who have contributed their heartfelt stories, for an event exploring the themes of joy… David Keenan: A Mausoleum for the Two of Us ‘Hallucinatory’ and ‘entirely exhilarating,’ David Keenan’s debut novel This Is Memorial Device was as popular with reviewers as it was with readers. Published in 2017, Keenan’s alternative history of life for the lost youth of Airdrie in the late 1970s… Jeff VanderMeer: The End of All Things? When he first came to Edinburgh some years ago to discuss his speculative eco thriller Annihilation, we suspected that Jeff VanderMeer would become one of the best-respected science fiction authors of his age. What we didn’t realise was that Cli-Fi… David Diop & Anna Moschovakis: Winners of the 2021 International Booker Prize French-Senegalese author David Diop, whose At Night All Blood Is Black has won this year’s International Booker Prize, joins us with translator Anna Moschovakis to discuss their unforgettable short novel. In a story set in the French trenches of the First… Carol Ann Duffy: ‘You Danced On the Road, Blowing Kisses’ ‘Your vacant room / is a still-life framed by the unclosed door; / read by sunlight, an open book on the floor.’ This plaintive cry will be familiar to many empty nesters who have seen a child grow up and leave home. Written by Carol Ann Duffy, it opens a… Marilynne Robinson: The Prodigal Son With her Gilead novels, Marilynne Robinson has created one of the most exquisitely and tenderly evoked communities in contemporary literature. Over four novels, Gilead, Home, Lila and now Jack, Robinson has portrayed life in the fictional small Iowa town… Jed Mercurio & Prasanna Puwanarajah: The Bionic Policeman If you were one of the millions of people captivated by hit TV police thriller Line of Duty, the name of its creator and screenwriter Jed Mercurio will be very familiar. Now Mercurio has teamed up with actor, writer and director Prasanna Puwanarajah and… Polly Barton & Eley Williams: Words That Define Us We define words – and then they define us. Meet two authors whose delightful relationship with words and meaning comes to the foreground in their work. Eley Williams won the James Tait Black Prize for her debut short story collection Attrib., a… Raven Leilani & Patricia Lockwood: Sharp, Fragmentary Fiction Fans of cutting-edge fiction will not want to miss this brilliant meeting of minds. Both Patricia Lockwood and Raven Leilani have written sizzling debut novels that are being celebrated by critics, loved by readers and gaining recognition from major… Scottish BAME Writers Network: Afrofuturism - Present Realities, Possible Futures How can Afrofuturism help the African diaspora in Scotland engender a better future for today? Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history and fantasy to reimagine the history of the African diaspora, while invoking hopeful… Graeme Armstrong, Jenni Fagan & Caleb Femi: Take Your Place  Since early 2020 our sense of home and our relationship to place has changed dramatically. Recurring lockdowns and ‘stay at home’ orders have seen people confined to their houses, flats and immediate local area. For some, discoveries of outdoor hidden… Raja Shehadeh: The Quest for Peace For many years, lawyer and writer Raja Shehadeh has shared his wisdom about life under occupation in the Palestinian West Bank. Each year he and his wife Penny travel from their home in Ramallah to spend the summer in Edinburgh, and Book Festival… Matt Haig: Reasons to Feel Okay Since the publication of his 2015 memoir Reasons to Stay Alive, Matt Haig has become one of Britain’s best-loved and bestselling authors, gently guiding his legion of fans on a path towards better mental health. Haig’s most recent novel The Midnight… Francis Spufford: Lives They May Have Led The opening chapter of Francis Spufford’s new novel Light Perpetual will leave an indelible mark on the imagination of anyone who reads it. Over just a few pages, Spufford smashes time to smithereens, parcelling it into a stop-motion sequence of images… Edmund de Waal: Objects of Desire There’s a house on the Rue de Monceau in Paris that’s home to a museum of lavish art and objects, all collected in the name of young Count Nissim de Camondo. This belle epoque treasure is a few doors down from the home of Edmund de Waal’s ancestors, whose… Maggie Nelson: The Many Meanings of Freedom Named by Olivia Laing as ‘among the sharpest and most supple thinkers of her generation,’ Maggie Nelson is a hugely influential critical theorist whose writing defies genre. She has written art criticism, memoir, poetry and scholarship, and gained a cult… Yapping About Poetry with Joshua Seigal From hilarious to heartfelt poems, and everything in between, Joshua Seigal’s new collection offers something for everyone. Discover the eight steps for having a successful tantrum and why you should NEVER attend a Teddy Bear’s Picnic as Joshua reads from… Vivian Gornick: A Map of American Feminism In an age of instant opinions and the daily social media rush from one outrage to another, it’s refreshing to read the words of an 85 year old writer who insists on taking her time. In fact, Taking a Long Look, Vivian Gornick’s latest essay collection, is… Doireann Ní Ghríofa: A Ghost in the Throat The narrator in Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s A Ghost in the Throat is acutely conscious that she’s occupying a female body, and that her body is itself a kind of ‘female text’ that bears witness to her life experiences. But A Ghost in the Throat is also a female… Pragya Agarwal & Shon Faye: Reframing the Personal and Political In what is ostensibly an era of choice, the most personal decisions we make – about our bodies and how we live our lives – continue to be subject to analysis, discussion and frequently unwelcome debate. We are under scrutiny and surrounded by assumptions… Rachel Cusk: Home Truths ‘You know when you’re reading a page of Rachel Cusk’s fiction,’ says a reviewer for The New York Times: ‘Her narrators tug insistently if coolly at the central knots of being.’ Readers of Cusk’s acclaimed Outline trilogy will recognise this smart… Reading Scotland: James Robertson, Ghosts of the Glen We are thrilled to present the new novel by one of Scotland’s most gifted authors, James Robertson. Ever since the acclaimed And the Land Lay Still, readers have been waiting for another novel by Robertson that would articulate the changing spirit and… Reading Scotland: Helen McClory, The New Edinburgh Gothic In a northern European city not unlike Edinburgh, three young people’s lives intersect in the flat they share. But as Helen McClory’s eagerly anticipated Bitterhall unfolds, her characters Daniel, Orla and Tom begin to be haunted by something very strange… Stories & Scran Following a highly successful event last year Stories & Scran returns, providing a platform for the dynamic and thought-provoking work created by our Citizen participants. Over the last 12 months, Citizen Writer in Residence Eleanor Thom and poet Leyla… Steve Antony, Maureen Phillip & Alexandra Strick: Just Be Yourself ‘You can... be brave, be beautiful, be clever, be strong...’ Follow the story of an independent and inspirational group of children as they grow up and discover what they want to be in You Can!, the wonderful new picture book from author Alexandra Strick… Liz Kessler & Alex Wheatle: Whose Side of History Are You On? Historical fiction is a great way to learn about the past from a human perspective, and today’s stories tackle two troubling times in history. Alex’s Cane Warriors recounts the brutal uprising of slave plantation workers in 1760’s Jamaica, while Liz’s… Leone Ross: All the Flavours of Love On the imagined Caribbean archipelago of Popisho, slavery has never existed and the only attempt at colonisation has been successfully resisted by the inhabitants. That’s the fantastical setting for Leone Ross’s immersive and rambunctious novel This One… Grace Blakeley & Ian Goldin: Creating Global Change from Crisis The pandemic has demolished global norms more emphatically than anything we have seen since the Second World War. But rather than simply hoping the world can bounce back, is there a chance for a more fundamental rethink? In The Corona Crash, economics… Gordon Brown: Global Crisis, Global Solutions Since stepping down as an MP in 2015, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has continued to make significant interventions in British public life. He joins us to discuss his latest book, Seven Ways to Change the World, in which he sets out his plan for… David Peace & Chris Power: Cities That Cast Long Shadows Berlin and Tokyo: two peaceful and thriving cities… yet each haunted by the weight of history, where everything is imbued with ‘the stench of the past, the noise of the future.’ Chris Power’s clever debut novel A Lonely Man is set in Berlin under the… Peter Ross: The Stories and Glories of Graveyards How is it possible that a book about graveyards can be so full of life? The colourful characters who populate Peter Ross’s non-fiction book, A Tomb with a View, include a bisexual Italian Bohemian hedonist named Marchesa Luisa Casati, who is buried in… Alex Renton & Lisa Williams: Scotland's Black History Matters It is still a misconception and a deflection tactic used in Scotland that we 'were not as bad as the English’, but as statues were toppled during the Black Lives Matter rallies last year, people were armed with new knowledge and a curiosity to reckon with… Kerry Andrew & Kerri ní Dochartaigh: Blood and Water Where does daily experience in Ireland meet something less tangible, something more speculative? Kerry Andrew’s tender novel Skin is irrigated by the mystery and lure of water. ‘When you got closer – tarn, pool, river, proper swimming lake – the… Minouche Shafik: Recipe for a Better Society We live in a world of discontent: four out of every five people in China, Europe, India, and the United States feel that the system is not working for them. This is a time of polarized politics, culture wars, conflicts over inequality and race, tensions… Pat Barker: The Women of Troy Ever since winning the Booker Prize in 1995 for the third book in her Regeneration Trilogy, Pat Barker has demonstrated an uncanny ability to describe the psychology of individuals during times of conflict. In 2019 Barker published The Silence of the… Forces of Nature: Youth Voices of Climate Change According to research by the London School of Economics, the views of young activists are often dismissed as ‘generalised and generationalised’. But there is a growing coalition of young women around the world who are proving their detractors wrong… Alison Bechdel: Can Exercise Fix Us? Yoga with Adriene, wild-swimming, step-trackers, Strava: just a few of the trends that have dominated the fitness industry – and our lives – in recent years. What does our fitful relationship with exercise tell us about who we are today? American… Cherie Jones: Behind the Barbadian Picture Postcard Barbados: the iconic location of runaway honeymoons, white sandy beaches, turquoise and diamond seawater, palm trees and cocktails. Cherie Jones tells a different tale, revealing the hidden – or rather ignored and invisible – side of this supposedly… Alan Warner: Confessions of a Rock Groupie 1970s England – the days of glam rock, then punk rock; of Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Branston Pickle. This is the period Alan Warner sets his novel Kitchenly 434. The place: a remote country house owned by one of the world’s best-known rock stars, Marko… Reading Scotland: Ross Sayers with Niamh McKeown, Adventures on the Clockwork Orange ‘Life isnae a fulm. It’s barely even a story. Thur’s nae such thing as gid guys and bad guys, thur’s jist... guys’. Welcome to Daisy’s worldview in Ross Sayers’s ingenious Scots-language novel for young adults, Daisy on the Outer Line. It features the… Roisin Kiberd & Lauren Oyler: Online and Disconnected The generation who were ‘raised by the internet’ are fully-fledged adults now, but the web has become a strange parent: a cold, detached being that knows everything about us. Our relationship with the internet is probably one which psychoanalysts will be… Scottish Publisher Showcase Get a taste of the breadth of Scotland’s vibrant publishing landscape from the shores of Leith to the Isle of Lewis. With 100-plus publishers in our small country, we celebrate and amplify the voices of the established and debut publishers who, despite… Out of the Hot Zone The effects of the climate crisis are far-reaching and disastrous: from unliveable conditions and resource scarcity, to economic collapse, political unrest, and war. Over the course of the next 50 years, between one and three billion people will be left… Kayo Chingonyi: The Poetry of Existence If there is a disease that is responsible for the title of Kayo Chingonyi’s new poetry collection A Blood Condition, he never names it. Perhaps that’s because the London-based poet’s work is first and foremost about bloodlines – about the people and… Eilidh Muldoon: Sandy Toes and Inky Fingers From beautiful sandy beaches and flower-laden machair to dramatic cliffs and sea stacks (with just a few puffins thrown in!) The Scottish Coastal Colouring Book is the perfect way to celebrate the beauty of Scotland’s coastline in this year of staycations… Helena Attlee with Lev Atlas & Greg Lawson: Fiddler on the Don Objects passed down the generations can provide a rich source of stories. Travel writer Helen Attlee hit on a particularly interesting example of this when, at a folk concert in Wales, she was struck by the gorgeous tone of a violin being played by… Iman Mersal: The Limits and Pleasures of Egyptian Womanhood Iman Mersal is a major figure in international literature, an Egyptian poet whose work is characterised by her ardently experimental style. Her latest novel, Fee Athar Enayat Al Zayyat (In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat), was published in 2019 and was… Ming Chen, Wah Chen & Carmen Vela: One Day We Had to Run In their book Escape, authors Ming Chen and Wah Chen have drawn out powerful true stories of escape from around the world and throughout history. For this event, the authors bring to life two of these stories. The first is the incredible story of Syrian… Raynor Winn with Sally Magnusson: Nature and Mortality The Salt Path chronicled the experiences of Raynor Winn and her husband Moth when, both in their 50s, they were evicted from their beloved farm in Wales. Shortly afterwards, Moth was diagnosed with an incurable brain disease. Against all medical advice… Extra Teeth: Words with Bite Extra Teeth is a literary magazine based between Leith and Glasgow that celebrates bold words with bite, original illustration and design and the enduring power of print. First launched in 2019 following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the magazine now… Warren Ellis: The Beautiful Connections of a Bad Seed 2021 has been a busy year for the multi-talented Warren Ellis. The award-winning Australian musician and composer, well-known for bands The Dirty Three, Grinderman and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and for a host of film scores, has released two albums –… What's the T? with Juno Dawson & Special Guests Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Stonewall ambassador, bestselling author and former PSHE teacher Juno Dawson as she talks about her new book What’s the T? along with special guests including award-winning writer, model and contributor Jamie… Jon McGregor: Writing Taken to Extremes What happens when three explorers lose each other during a terrifying storm on a glacier in the Antarctic? Jon McGregor’s novel Lean Fall Stand answers that question in a thrilling opening sequence inspired by an Antarctic research trip he himself made… Monique Roffey: Conjuring the Spirit of the Caribbean The Mermaid of Black Conch is an adventurous novel set on a Caribbean island, deploying magic realism to tell very real truths about the region and its history of colonisation and slavery. We are thrilled to welcome its author to the Festival to talk… This Separated Isle: State of the Union Before the pandemic made a seismic impact across the world, things were already shifting here in the UK: the divide exposed by Brexit, the Hostile Environment policy and rising levels of hate crimes revealed bitter divisions in British society and… Wayétu Moore & Nadia Owusu: On Belonging Meet two women who combine breathtaking life stories with an uncommon ability to write about them. Wayétu Moore joined us last year with her fictional reimagining of Liberia’s history, She Would Be King. Now she returns to tell her true life story and… Mara Menzies: A Story of Identity Perhaps because it is such a natural human impulse, storytelling has sometimes been overlooked as an art form. Yet we are content to take it for granted as a building block for films, plays and the written word. Mara Menzies is a performance storyteller… Nadia Shireen: Meet the Animals of Grimwood Laugh your head off with author and illustrator Nadia Shireen as she introduces you to the hilariously silly animal characters in her brand new series Grimwood! You’ll get to meet thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and more as she reads from… Denise Mina: Treason and Plot Things just get better and better for Denise Mina. Her novels have twice been Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novels of the Year, and recently The Less Dead was shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year. Now the Glasgow-based author has looked to a… Max Porter: Pen Portraits His first two short novels, Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, underline Max Porter’s ability to paint vivid mental pictures with words. Now Porter has turned his attention to the last days of a famous British painter. The Death of Francis Bacon –… Kathleen Jamie, Peter Mackay & Don Paterson: Heavenly Scottish Poetry ‘It’s Hell for the poet arriving for the gig’ – so began Liz Lochhead’s 2004 poem ‘Hell for Poets’. But perhaps what her poem really wanted to express is that hell itself (or the biggest challenges thrown at us in life) can often be inspiration for the… Sara Sheridan: On the Scent of Untold Riches There cannot be many novelists in the world who have a sideline in perfume production, but Sara Sheridan is one of them. The Edinburgh-based author runs a company named Reek whose scents celebrate ‘powerful, unapologetic women’ and their often-overlooked… Stuart Kelly: Walter Scott, Writer of the Future? Walter Scott had more impact than any other author on this country. Quite simply, he reimagined Scotland. Previously conceptualised by the likes of Samuel Johnson as ‘primitive’, with a landscape that was ‘horrid’, by the time Scott was done Scotland was ‘… Carmen Maria Machado: The Language of Violence 'The word ‘archive’', Carmen Maria Machado tells us (by way of Derrida), 'comes from the ancient Greek ‘arkheion’: the house of the ruler.' This note is important because Machado’s In the Dreamhouse is a book about memory, about power and about the… Tara June Winch: The Blood in Your Words Tara June Winch’s third novel The Yield begins with an invitation for the reader to take language into their mouths, to savour rolling the letters around and the sound that they produce: ‘I was born on Ngurambang,’ Albert ‘Poppy’ Gondiwindi says. ‘– can… Magical Adventures with Abi Elphinstone From living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia to conjuring up secret kingdoms in her writing shed, Abi Elphinstone talks about the real-life adventures and accidental daydreams behind her books and shows you how easy it is to leap into stories of… Kathryn Briggs: Art and Resistance Kathryn Briggs is an internationally recognised, award-winning graphic novelist, zine creator, arts educator and independent publisher. Her short comics have been featured in anthologies including Treehouse Comic, Dirty Rotten Comics, Meanwhile…, and… Tracey Thorn: Music, Memories, and the Blue Moon Rose Everything But the Girl recorded their last album in 1999 and more than twenty years on, they’ve retained a loyal fanbase around the world. The band’s singer and songwriter Tracey Thorn has also turned her hand to writing in recent years, producing… Hans Ulrich Obrist: Art for Earth’s Sake What is the role of an art exhibition space, if not a forum for ideas and a catalyst for change? That’s the view of Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries in London and one of the world’s most prominent curators. An inveterate… Playing with Books: The Yellow Door by Kathleen Jamie In the fourth year of our celebrated co-productions with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, we present theatrical and musical explorations of scenes from much-loved books, followed by a discussion with the author and creative teams. Kathleen Jamie thinks… Lucy Farfort: Build Your Own Magical Den Amy’s new room is strange and scary, and her new house just does not feel like home! But with some new friends, and a little magic from Dad, can Amy stop being Afraid of the Dark? Find out in this delightful event with illustrator Lucy Farfort, then join… Caleb Femi: Poet of the People 'Caleb Femi is a gift to us all from the storytelling gods,' says fellow writer Max Porter. Femi’s exuberant words and talent saw him named as the first Young People’s Laureate for London in 2016, following his 2015 win at the Roundhouse Poetry Slam. Now… Val McDermid: The Winter of Our Discontent The fan club for Val McDermid’s books just keeps growing – lapping up each new novel featuring either DCI Karen Pirie or Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. But whether you’re an old hand or new to McDermid’s work, there’s something special this August. 1979… Inside Your Head with Brian Conaghan & Patrice Lawrence Join two award-winning writers to hear about their new novels, Rat and Cardboard Cowboys, which both explore the community around us and how we all make judgements about others, sometimes without even realising it. Covering topics of empathy, homelessness… Salman Rushdie with Allan Little: Standing in the Rubble of Truth World famous for his novels, Salman Rushdie is the author of fourteen works of fiction including the Booker Prize-winning Midnight’s Children and his most recent book Quichotte, shortlisted for the Booker in 2019. Alongside his storytelling, Rushdie’s non-… Rachel Clarke, Gavin Francis & Kate Mosse: Care in the Time of COVID To paraphrase Susan Sontag, every person who is born holds dual citizenship: in the kingdom of the well, and the kingdom of the sick. The past year has seen an unimaginable number of people pass between these two places causing an unquantifiable amount of… Hari Kunzru: The Breakdown of Truth Since Hari Kunzru’s last appearance at the Book Festival in 2017, the world has witnessed a dramatic quickening of social division in the United States, fuelled in part by internet conspiracies and communities. Kunzru makes his long-awaited return to… Charles Yu: Smashing Hollywood Stereotypes What does it take for an actor to attain the status that gives them the tag of ‘Special Guest Star’ in a TV series? It takes something extra – and particularly so if you are an actor of Asian heritage, trying to break through in Hollywood. Charles Yu, an… Robin Robertson & Tim Robertson: Spirits of Scotland Haunting, elemental and deeply charged, Robin Robertson’s writing evokes the mythology of landscapes and people, whether in Scotland or elsewhere. Most of his work takes the form of shorter poems and a new book, Grimoire, brings together some of Robertson’… Judith Bryan, S I Martin & Nicola Williams with Bernardine Evaristo: Black Britain, Writing Back  Winning the Booker Prize in 2019 changed everything for Bernardine Evaristo. But as well as enjoying international fame for herself, Evaristo has been able to turn up the volume on something she has been doing for years: championing the work of other… Arifa Akbar: The Complexity of Sisterhood In 2016, Arifa Akbar’s sister Fauzia died suddenly, leaving Arifa and her family suspended between shock and disbelief. Only shortly beforehand did she learn that her sister was suffering from tuberculosis. Akbar is the Guardian’s chief theatre critic and… Caleb Azumah Nelson: Diving into Black Culture Every so often, a novel arrives that perfectly captures the feeling of a time: of summer, of political turmoil, youth, the tentativeness of falling in love. Open Water is one such book, the debut novel from Caleb Azumah Nelson, a writer and photographer… Fighting Food Poverty… and Bank Robbers! With Onjali Q Raúf Join award-winning author Onjali Q Raúf to discover her new book The Great (Food) Bank Heist. Told with humour and heart, the book explores hunger, food poverty and food banks, while celebrating kindness and friendship. Onjali shares the real-life stories… Jenny Erpenbeck: Freedom Came at a Price How does it feel to have been born and raised in East Germany and then, at the end of childhood, thrown into a radically new way of living when the Berlin Wall came down? Jenny Erpenbeck knows the answer. Anyone who has had the pleasure of reading her… Be the Change with Gina Martin Writer and activist Gina Martin, who rose to prominence when she successfully campaigned to make upskirting illegal, wants to empower you with the tools and courage to challenge injustice and fight for change, whether it’s in your school, workplace or… David Grossman with Elif Shafak: Duty or Love? According to writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez, 'Nobody can see the political in the personal like David Grossman. He is an interpreter of hearts and an investigator of social forces. Every book he writes is a revelation.' Inspired by the true story told to him… Can Artists Still Break the Rules? Revisiting Strategy: Get Arts In August 1970, Richard Demarco collaborated with the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf to stage Strategy: Get Arts, an exhibition at the Edinburgh College of Art. It featured works by Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke and other now-canonical artists from… Mariana Enríquez: Argentina's Ghoulish Underbelly There is a new generation of Latin American women whose stylish, gothic writing is finding enthusiastic readers all over the world. Alongside Chile’s Lina Meruane and Mexico’s Valeria Luiselli, Argentina has produced a cornucopia of talents including… Allen Fatimaharan & Hannah Lee: 99 Problems but a Beat Ain’t One Clap, snap and rap to the beat in this awesome event as the team behind My Hair presents their new picture book The Rapping Princess. Princess Shiloh cannot sing like all the other princesses, but does she have another talent? Author Hannah Lee helps you… Tice Cin: Three Women of Cyprus A few years ago, writer and artist Tice Cin won a Spread the Word award for literary fiction and it led to an Arvon Foundation writing course. There, Max Porter mentored her and she produced a manuscript that would become her debut novel, Keeping the… Douglas Stuart with Nicola Sturgeon: Welcome Home, Shuggie Bain Douglas Stuart’s life was turned upside down when his debut novel Shuggie Bain was declared winner of the 2020 Booker Prize. Overnight, the New York-based fashion designer, who grew up in Glasgow, became an international literary bestseller. We are… Samar Yazbek: Escapism for Survival Today, Yazbek speaks to academic and activist Esa Aldegheri about her work.The TV news reports from war-torn countries such as Syria offer a picture of suffering amid the debris and devastation, with women and children often reduced to the role of… Damon Galgut: Ghosts of Apartheid South African novelist Damon Galgut has already had two novels shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Could The Promise go a step further? That’s certainly what the critics are suggesting in their glowing reviews of this latest offering. Like his other novels… Olga Ravn & Martin Aitken with Heather Parry Since she published her debut novel Celestine in 2015, Olga Ravn has come to be regarded as one of the most influential writers in contemporary Danish literature. In her new book, The Employees, she has crafted a small masterpiece; brilliantly translated… Éric Vuillard & Mark Polizzotti with Amelia Gentleman Writer and film-maker Éric Vuillard was catapulted to fame in his native France when he won the Prix Goncourt in 2017 for his novel The Order of the Day, set in Austria in the lead-up to the Second World War. This also began the working relationship… David Diop & Anna Moschovakis with Philippe Sands When we imagine the experiences of those who fought in ‘The Great War’, whose perspective are we taking? Perhaps the majority of histories have taken a Eurocentric view. Not French-Senegalese author David Diop, whose unforgettable short novel At Night All… Maria Stepanova & Sasha Dugdale with Allan Little In an era when everything from photographs to credit cards and notes can all be preserved and stored on our personal devices, what is the impact on our own brain’s ability to store memories? Maria Stepanova’s astounding meta-memoir is a panoramic… Mariana Enriquez & Megan McDowell with Daniel Hahn Translator Megan McDowell has worked with many of the new generation of Latin American authors – including Mariana Enriquez, Lina Meraune and Samanta Schweblin – to bring their stylish, gothic writing to enthusiastic readers all over the world. This… Benjamin Labatut & Adrian Nathan West with Jay G Ying Anyone who studied physics at school might remember the mysterious way in which light is said to hover somewhere between wave and particle. In a similar way, according to Philip Pullman, the thrilling new work by Benjamin Labatut hovers somewhere between… How We Kept The Conversation Going in 2020 This film illustrates the challenges faced by the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2020 and great achievements made during a difficult year for the cultural sector. Narrated by the Chair of the Book Festival's Board, Allan Little and featuring… A Fantastical Escape with Eoin Colfer, Cressida Cowell & Kiran Millwood Hargrave In this spectacular event Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell is joined by the international bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer, plus a special surprise guest, to talk about how magical adventures and the joys of reading and… Val McDermid: Portrait of a Criminal (2020 Event) Inspired in part by the wildly popular Portrait Artist of the Year competition, the ever-inventive Val McDermid teases the mysterious connection between Still Life and the Sky Arts series in a conversation with one of its widely-admired presenters, Dame… Marian Keyes: Family Matters (2020 Event) Marian Keyes didn’t start writing until her twenties, she felt that she was ‘all washed up at 30.’ But readers have had a love affair with Keyes that has lasted over two decades now. It’s hard to imagine a greater, more reliable comfort than a new book by… Shifting Sands, Five Years On: What Future for the Middle East? In 2015, the acclaimed writer and lawyer Raja Shehadeh was a guest selector for Edinburgh International Book Festival, presenting a series of events exploring the past, present and future of the Middle East. With memories of the region’s 2011 uprisings… Joshua Wong: Hong Kong’s Champion for Democracy ‘Hong Kongers will never surrender, because we have nowhere else to turn.’ At age 14, Joshua Wong co-founded the student activist group Scholarism, protesting the enforcement of Chinese National Education in Hong Kong. He went on to become a very public… Andrew O'Hagan: Heydays in the Haçienda ‘Life is just a party, and parties weren’t meant to last.’ The post-punk protagonists of Andrew O’Hagan’s Mayflies would probably describe the lyrics of Prince’s hit pop song 1999 as ‘Yankee pish,’ but O’Hagan’s novel catches exactly the mood of the song… Amelia Gentleman: Windrush – A Very British Betrayal From the gnawing dread of the red-stamped letter to the shocking closed-door deportations of our fellow citizens, it’s hard to imagine a tragedy more of our times than the Windrush Scandal. A perfect storm of hostile policy-making and an ‘institutional… Linn Ullmann: Portrait of a Family ‘I was his child and her child, but not their child,’ Linn Ullmann writes in Unquiet, ‘it was never us three.’ This sense of dispossession and longing haunt the pages of the Norwegian literary star’s elusive, quietly devastating novel; the story of a… Magical Moggies with Philip Ardagh & Rob Biddulph Imagine every time you went for a nap you woke up at the start of an adventure. That’s exactly what happens to the star of Philip Ardagh’s new series, The Nine Lives of Furry Purry Beancat. When Beancat wakes up and discovers she’s a railway cat, can the… Roger Robinson: ‘Ordinary Poems Won’t Change the World’ Earmarked as ‘the voice of our communal consciousness’ by Edinburgh International Book Festival’s 2018 Guest Selector Afua Hirsch, it’s hard to believe that Roger Robinson hasn’t been a staple of British public life since time immemorial. A fixture of the… Rutger Bregman: There is Hope for the Human Race ‘Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.’ So said Abraham Lincoln in one of his rousing speeches… Val McDermid & Jo Sharp: Shaping a Better Future At last year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival, bestselling author Val McDermid and professor of geography Jo Sharp were inspired by the festival theme, We Need New Stories. So inspired, in fact, that they turned to a loveable rogues gallery of… Hilary Mantel: Inside the Head of Thomas Cromwell More than a decade in the making, Hilary Mantel’s masterpiece is now complete with the publication of the final part of her Thomas Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror and The Light. As any student of 16th century England knows, Cromwell’s life ended abruptly… Andrew O'Hagan: Heydays in the Haçienda (2020 Event) The fine grain of working-class teenagers’s lives; the blether, the binge-drinking and nights on the pull: Mayflies sees Andrew O’Hagan in scintillating, heartbreakingly good form. He talks with fellow Scottish writer, columnist and doyen of the literary… Christiana Figueres & Tom Rivett-Carnac: How We Can Survive the Climate Crisis ‘You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words’ — so goes the epochal statement from Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, standing before world leaders at the United Nations last year. With a recent report showing only three EU… Writing Wrongs: Voices from the Queer Arab Vanguard Gender non-conforming and sexually diverse people are oppressed, persecuted and erased all over the world. The cultural concepts used to justify this — religious or secular, traditional or imported — are various, as are the histories that got us here. But… Representation Matters with Hannah Lee & Jessica Love Join acclaimed authors Jessica Love and Hannah Lee for readings and live discussion on the importance of children seeing themselves represented in the picture books they read. Jessica Love is the 2019 Stonewall Book award-winning author and illustrator of… Natalie Diaz & Ellen van Neerven: Voices of Indigenous Resistance Mojave American and Latinx poet Natalie Diaz’s Postcolonial Love Poem has been celebrated as a song in the face of erasure and the damage to which Indigenous people are subjected. It presents desire and pleasure as a response, perhaps the only response… Stuart Cosgrove: The Soul Of Muhammad Ali Following on from his acclaimed trilogy about the American soul music scene in the 1960s, much-loved Scottish broadcaster and writer Stuart Cosgrove returns to the American post-war era with his highly topical new book. In Cassius X: Six Months That… Gabriela Cabezón Cámara: The Female Gaucho A leading figure in Argentine and Latin American literature, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is one of the most prominent feminist intellectuals of the region. Her fourth novel, The Adventures of China Iron is shortlisted for this year’s International Booker… Brit Bennett: How the Other Twin Lives For a novel that begins in 1968, Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half may well be the timeliest fiction book of the year. Back in 2014, following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Bennett wrote an essay for Jezebel called ‘I don’t know what… Elif Shafak: Writing the World’s Wrongs ‘As the world becomes increasingly polarized, beset with anxiety, anger and tribalism, it’s time for us to turn to the art of storytelling for wisdom, connectivity and much-needed empathy.’ These are the words of Elif Shafak about her latest non-fiction… Paul Mendez & Derek Owusu: Thorny Intersections How do you get the upper hand on a world you don’t yet understand? That’s the burning question at the heart of two striking debuts that scrape away the coming-of-age clichés, breathing through the aches and pains of growing up. With echoes of early… Frans Timmermans with Gordon Brown: The Way Forward for Europe (2020 Event) In this special conversation recorded live at the 2020 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Timmermans sits down with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the politics of environmental change. How much action is needed for meaningful change?… Michel Faber: The ‘Evil Is In The ‘Etail (2020 Event) Reminiscent of Charles Dickens and of Lewis Carroll, Michel Faber’s fable D is a delightful sideways look at the evils of our times. He joins us to discuss Dhikilo’s wild odyssey with literary critic Stuart Kelly in this event recorded for the 2020 Book… Jenny Offill: Storm Warning Not all big books are big. Jenny Offill’s acclaimed 2014 novel — the slim piece of autofiction Dept. of Speculation — was efficient and pared back to essentials, not even spelling out fully each word of its title. An autopsy of a marriage, the Guardian… David Mitchell with Sam Amidon: The Music of Utopia Avenue (2020 Event) While the Summer of Love is about to unfold across the Atlantic, life in 1967 isn’t so easy for a young would-be musician in London’s shabby Charing Cross Road. Yet from this modest starting point, David Mitchell builds a joyful fictional biography of a… Maggie O'Farrell: Giving New Life to Shakespeare’s Son (2020 Event) Surely Maggie O’Farrell’s most accomplished novel to date, Hamnet centres around the emotional life of a deeply intuitive woman, charting the terrain of her grief at the loss of a child. Join the Edinburgh-based writer as she discusses her latest… Allie Esiri: A Poem for Every Autumn Day, A Light in Dark Times By the end of this difficult year, we may all wish to be transported to another world. Enter the irrepressible Allie Esiri, whose bestselling poetry anthologies have long provided nourishment and comfort. Packed with an eclectic mix of beloved classics… Suzanne Bonnar & Joy Harjo with Jackie Kay Following the runaway success of her brilliant lockdown project Makar to Makar, beloved poet Jackie Kay joins us for a celebration of the boundless (and borderless) power of poetry… Women in Politics: A Year of Reckoning In November, the United States will embark on arguably its most consequential political election in decades, as President Donald Trump seeks another term in office. In the 2018 midterms, a record 117 women were elected to office, including record numbers… Douglas Stuart with Damian Barr: The Making of Shuggie Bain (2020 Event) In the words of the Kirkus review: ‘You will never forget Shuggie Bain. Scene by scene, this book is a masterpiece.’ This astonishing debut is a powerful and heartbreaking story about the love between a boy and his mother, about poverty and addiction… Writers Network Showcase: Scotland's Heritage, Then and Now 'The report that only the poets can make' wrote James Baldwin in 1962. In 2020’s global climate, what might a report by Scottish writers look like? How can poetry speak back to Scotland’s literary heritage and complex relationships with nature… Maaza Mengiste: When Italy Invaded Ethiopia In Maaza Mengiste’s latest novel, the shadowy nature of figures from the past is played out in complex and interlocking ways. The Shadow King is powerful, stirring historical fiction that centres women within stories of war and battle that have… Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? In 2018, The Panic! Arts report found that working-class people are dramatically under-represented in the arts, and it is – as many have long-known – a culture dominated by the white middle class. So how do you make your own way, and bring people along… Poems Aloud with Joseph Coelho Join children's author and performance poet Joseph Coelho on an adventure into the wonderful world of poetry. Joseph’s book Poems Aloud features rhymes specifically written to be read aloud: tongue twisters, poems for shouting across the room and poems… Amin Maalouf & Jonathan Sacks: Rediscovering Our Moral Compass How can we rediscover human solidarity when the world feels like it has lost its way? The European Union is under extreme strain, the US has lost its moral credibility, and the world is so divided that it seems unable to address global threats to the… Lola Olufemi & Minna Salami: Critical Reflections on Feminism Since 2010, the award-winning blog MsAfropolitan has connected feminism with critical reflections on contemporary culture from an Africa-centred perspective. Its founder is Nigerian-Finnish writer and lecturer Minna Salami, a powerhouse of feminist… Anne Applebaum: Democracy Under Siege ‘Given the right conditions, any society can turn against democracy. Indeed, if history is anything to go by, all of our societies eventually will.’ Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Anne Applebaum’s bleak prognosis for liberal democracy lies at the heart of… Val McDermid: Portrait of a Criminal With Val McDermid’s iconic detective soon set to hit our screens, it couldn’t be a more perfect time to revisit Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit and the savvy, no-nonsense DCI Karen Pirie. A thrilling new head-scratcher from the undisputed ‘Queen of… Anne Enright with Vicky Featherstone: Mothers and Daughters (2020 Event) ‘You were always sitting in character, you were just never sure which one.’ So says Norah to the memory of her mother in Actress, the new novel by Anne Enright. The mother in question is Katherine O’Dell, who died aged 58 – the same age Norah has now… Shokoofeh Azar: After the Iranian Revolution (2020 Event) When Shokoofeh Azar received the news that she was the first ever Iranian writer to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, she was transported back to when she was 15 years old, ‘in the village, surrounded by rainforest and rice fields, and… Iain MacRitchie & Rich Thanki: Healing the Digital Divide 2020 has seen a huge surge in online content. From festivals to healthcare, and from galleries to schools, the internet is providing services, resources and networks to connect us to each other, from the safety of our self-isolation bubbles. But with 41%… Kathleen Jamie, Chitra Ramaswamy & Amanda Thomson: Antlers of Water ‘When we read and write, when we love our fellow creatures, when we walk on the beach, when we just listen and notice, we are not little cogs in the machine, but part of the remedy.’ These luminous words by Kathleen Jamie form part of the introduction to… Maryse Condé & Richard Philcox: Giving Voice to Guadeloupe At 83, Maryse Condé is one of the most significant voices of our time. The Guadeloupean novelist, critic and playwright has had a career festooned with honours and awards for her work, including the New Academy Prize in Literature, the substitute for the 2… Selva Almada: Giving Voice to the Victims of Femicide One of a rising generation of talented Argentine writers, Selva Almada burst onto the English-language book scene last year with the publication of The Wind that Lays Waste, a short but highly-charged novel that won the Book Festival’s 2019 First Book… Time Travelling with Patience Agbabi & Ben Miller Ever wondered what it might be like to be a time traveller? Leap into a black hole or jump through time in this event with authors Patience Agbabi and Ben Miller, as they unleash their out-of-this-world new books. In The Infinite, the first part of… Eliza Anyangwe & Emmanuel Iduma: Outriders Africa – Deconstructing the Travelogue As part of the Book Festival's Outriders programme exploring the shifting landscapes of contemporary Africa, writers born in two neighbouring countries interrogate what means to be the 'other' in pan-African society. Originally from Cameroon and raised in… Yiyun Li: One-way Correspondence Yiyun Li is a writer who is as playful and dexterous as she is shrewdly literary, applying her sheer talent with intimacy and empathy, and playing with notions of truth and fiction. Her 2017 memoir, Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life… Hallie Rubenhold: The Problem with Great Men Of the five women who died in the Autumn of 1888 at the hands of Jack the Ripper, the most salient thing that has remained in the public imagination has been the brutal manner of their murders. While the identity of the murderer has been the subject of… Sophie Hughes & Fernanda Melchor: Another Mexico (2020 Event) Celebrated Mexican author Fernanda Melchor’s first book translated into English, Hurricane Season, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. In a piece for Granta, the book’s translator Sophie Hughes reflected: ‘Melchor goes with her… Pony Pals with Kate McLelland Isla and her mischievous miniature Shetland pony Pickle are the best of friends. But when they are invited to a pony party on the beach will Pickle be able to behave himself or will the party end with a cake-related disaster! Find out all about this… Val McDermid & Jo Sharp: Shaping a Better Future (2020 Event) At last year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival, bestselling author Val McDermid and professor of geography Jo Sharp were inspired by the festival theme, We Need New Stories. So inspired, in fact, that they turned to a loveable rogues gallery of… Wayétu Moore: Setting Liberia’s History Free In 19th century Liberia, extreme powerlessness meets extraordinary powers in Wayétu Moore’s magical and magisterial debut She Would Be King. Melding historical record with magic realism and fantastical elements, Moore weaves an extraordinary retelling of… Stitched Together: Family, Friends and Dreaming Big with Laura Dockrill & Sara Ogilvie Laura Dockrill’s touching new book Sequin and Stitch tells the story of Sequin, who looks after her baby brother, Stitch, while their mum works at her sewing machine late into the night. But this little family’s world changes forever when tragedy strikes… Closing Night: A Case For Hope Hope — Rebecca Solnit memorably wrote — is an embrace of the unknown. While embraces might be a lost pleasure from a pre-COVID age, it’s clear we’re living in an age of plentiful unknowns. But amidst the uncertainty and fear, the grief and the loss… Wanjiru Koinange & Donna Obaseki-Ogunnaike: Outriders Africa – Sub-Saharan Swiping As part of the Book Festival's Outriders programme exploring the shifting landscapes of contemporary Africa, we turn to The Gambia and Senegal, where, like everywhere else, a maelstrom of taps and swipes has seen modern dating change beyond recognition… Kathleen Jamie, Chitra Ramaswamy & Amanda Thomson: Antlers of Water (2020 Event) In a discussion recorded live at the 2020 Book Festival and led by the BBC's Clare English, Jamie is joined by award-winning journalist Chitra Ramaswamy as well as visual artist and writer Amanda Thomson – both contributors to the anthology – to discuss… Edwin Morgan: A Centenary Celebration of Scotland’s Great Poet Almost exactly ten years ago, on 17 August 2010, an eerie hush fell on the Edinburgh International Book Festival as word spread around Charlotte Square Gardens that one of the most significant poets of the 20th century, Edwin Morgan, had died. The… Stories & Scran Join us for an evening of food and entertainment, hosted by our Citizen Writers in Residence Eleanor Thom and Leyla Josephine. With live readings, audio recordings and a film created by Citizen participants, our community meal will showcase the insightful… James Naughtie: The USA, from Reagan to Trump (2020 Event) On the Road is Naughtie’s compelling memoir of his American experiences during this period of change. In this event recorded live at the 2020 Book Festival, he discusses his adventures – and a rollercoaster half-century of USA life - with fellow BBC… Michel Faber: The ‘Evil Is In The ‘Etail One of Scotland’s most gifted and unpredictable writers, Michel Faber has always defied categorisation. His previous novels including The Crimson Petal and the White and The Book of Strange New Things have been described as ‘unbelievably clever,’ ‘wildly… Kirstin Innes: Who is Clio Campbell? Rarely does a novel set the Scottish literary scene abuzz in the way Scabby Queen has. Sexy rock starlet, veteran political activist, symbol of a nation in decline — who really was Clio Campbell? In Kirstin Innis’s effervescent follow-up to her Not the… Olivia Laing: Art is Political (2020 Event) With Fiona Bradley, Director of the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, Laing unpacks our political, emotional and creative selves in this event recorded live at the 2020 Book Festival, drawing us in to her career-spanning conversations with art, with… Douglas Stuart with Damian Barr: The Making of Shuggie Bain In the words of the starred Kirkus review: ‘You will never forget Shuggie Bain. Scene by scene, this book is a masterpiece.’ This astonishing debut is a powerful and heartbreaking story about the love between a boy and his mother, about poverty and… Ian Rankin: A Rebus for the Dark Times (2020 Event) We have all become familiar with living through these strange times but for Ian Rankin 2020 was unusual in more ways than one. For starters, even though the number one bestselling writer thought he was taking a year off, he found himself topping the… Samantha Power with Allan Little: What One Person Can Do As a war correspondent in the Balkans, through to her time as senior policy advisor to Barack Obama, and her appointment in 2013 as US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power has spent her career committed to resolving international conflict and… Anne Enright with Vicky Featherstone: Mothers and Daughters ‘You were always sitting in character, you were just never sure which one.’ So says Norah to the memory of her mother in Actress, the new novel by Anne Enright. The mother in question is Katherine O’Dell, who died aged 58 – the same age Norah has now… Marian Keyes: Family Matters Marian Keyes didn’t start writing until her twenties, she felt that she was ‘all washed up at 30.’ But readers have had a love affair with Keyes that has lasted over two decades now. It’s hard to imagine a greater, more reliable comfort than a new book by… Sophie Hughes & Fernanda Melchor: Another Mexico Celebrated Mexican author Fernanda Melchor’s first book translated into English, Hurricane Season, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. In a piece for Granta, the book’s translator Sophie Hughes reflected: ‘Melchor goes with her… Alain Mabanckou: Rewriting the Congolese Story On 18 March 1977 at 14.30, the third President of the People’s Republic of the Congo, Marien Ngouabi, is assassinated. In the frenzied aftermath, blame flies and ethnic divides widen, and far away, a family member is murdered for their alleged involvement… William Dalrymple with Fergal Keane: Rapacity and Excess in Imperial India In the hands of William Dalrymple, history becomes a rip-roaring, rollicking adventure; the reader embarking on a visceral odyssey into the subject thanks to Dalrymple’s glorious gift for storytelling and his eye for detail. In The Anarchy, the… Rutger Bregman: There is Hope for the Human Race (2020 Event) Superbly readable and full of fascinating evidence, historian Bregman’s book Humankind looks at how his optimistic analysis of human nature could play out in policy terms. Hyper-local participatory democracy? Schools with little or no curriculum? A change… Retelling Tales with Joseph Coelho, Juno Dawson & Kiran Millwood Hargrave Old stories collide with new in the most recent novels from these prize-winning authors. Be prepared to fall down the rabbit hole with Juno Dawson’s Wonderland, which catapults you into a radical retelling of the Alice in Wonderland story. In The Girl Who… Maaza Mengiste: When Italy Invaded Ethiopia (2020 Event) In Maaza Mengiste’s latest novel, the shadowy nature of figures from the past is played out in complex and interlocking ways. The Shadow King is powerful, stirring historical fiction that centres women within stories of war and battle that have… Bernardine Evaristo with Nicola Sturgeon: The Triumph of Girl, Woman, Other Following her Booker Prize win last November, Bernardine Evaristo’s writing has won deserved and long-overdue acclaim across the globe. Girl, Woman, Other charts the intersecting lives of twelve characters, from a teenager working in a supermarket to a… Sarah Moss: Unhappy Campers Soggy wellies and simmering resentments provide the backdrop to the latest novel from the scalpel-sharp Sarah Moss, who over the past decade has cemented a formidable reputation as one of Britain’s finest, wittiest writers. Summerwater takes us inside the… Maggie O'Farrell: Giving New Life to Shakespeare’s Son ‘Hamnet and Hamlet are in fact the same name, entirely interchangeable in Stratford in the late sixteenth century.’ This epigram to Maggie O’Farrell’s new novel, Hamnet, dispels any doubt that Shakespeare’s son and his most celebrated character are… Ian Rankin: A Rebus for the Dark Times We have all become familiar with living through these strange times but for Ian Rankin 2020 has been unusual in more ways than one. For starters, even though the number one bestselling writer thought he was taking a year off, he found himself topping the… Colum McCann: An Infinity of Stories Once every few years, a novel comes along that genuinely opens up new ways of seeing the world. Colum McCann’s new novel Apeirogon might well be such a book. Two protagonists, Rami and Bassam – one a Palestinian, the other an Israeli – are each mourning… Hallie Rubenhold: The Problem with Great Men (2020 Event) Of the five women who died in the Autumn of 1888 at the hands of Jack the Ripper, the most salient thing that has remained in the public imagination has been the brutal manner of their murders. While the identity of the murderer has been the subject of… Sebastian Barry: Tales from an Uncivil War In his beautiful and unforgettable novel Days Without End, Sebastian Barry continued his epic examination of the Irish experience, this time in Midwest America with the story of a recently-emigrated Thomas McNulty and his lover John Cole. Now, with the… Matt Haig: The Library of Second Chances Matt Haig was already a beloved author for his trademark disconnected outsiders — from vampires to aliens — trying to get to the bottom of what it is to be human. But the 2015 publication of his memoir Reasons to Stay Alive, a powerful account of his… Frans Timmermans with Gordon Brown: The Way Forward for Europe 2020 has been, without doubt, a banner year for challenging our understanding of what constitutes a global problem and how equipped we are to address that task collectively. At the start of this year — what feels like an age ago — after generations of… Susan Abulhawa: Grace in the Face of Violence Susan Abulhawa is a human rights activist and political commentator – and she’s now regarded as one of Palestine’s most accomplished writers. Her debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, was an international bestseller, translated into 26 languages. Now she… Working with Words: Inside the New York Times Crossword ‘You can’t think of your troubles while solving a crossword.’ Margaret Farrar, Founding Crossword Editor, the New York Times The world’s first crossword puzzle was published in 1913. By 1924, Simon & Schuster had capitalised on the craze, publishing the… Billy-Ray Belcourt & Mary Jean Chan: Words Will Set You Free Tired of living out their days through the eyes of others, two of international poetry’s best disruptors turn to language for liberation in tender new collections that carve a space for love amongst the creeping violence of the everyday. Parsing through… Isabel Wilkerson: America’s Unspoken Caste System As America seemingly implodes its way toward the 2020 election, pundits and political classes continue to try to understand how the Land of the Free has found itself in such disarray. And — as it has throughout Western democracies — the conversation… The New York Times Book Review Live There is an intimacy to reading: it’s just us and the author; our subjective response and their generous, imaginative understanding of a world that we share but may struggle to articulate. Yet for book lovers, there are moments beyond that connection… Arundhati Roy: Portal to a New World We are thrilled to welcome back one of the world’s best-respected authors to discuss her new book of essays, Azadi. The slogan of the struggle in Kashmir for what Kashmiris regard as the Indian occupation, ‘Azadi!’ is the Urdu for ‘Freedom!’. It also… Sharna Jackson & Robin Stevens: Super Sleuths Dynamic detective duos take the lead in both Robin Stevens’s Murder Most Unladylike and Sharna Jackson’s High-Rise Mystery series, and in this event you get to catch up with both authors and hear more about their latest adventures. Death Sets Sail is the… Dean Atta & George Lester: Shine On You will be hard-pushed to find two novels as gloriously unique, full of heart, and downright fabulous as Dean Atta’s The Black Flamingo and George Lester’s Boy Queen. Atta’s novel in verse follows Michael, a Black teen beginning to unfurl his identity… Liz Hyder: In the Jaws of Bearmouth Liz Hyder’s multi award-winning debut Bearmouth is a novel so utterly original it swallows you up entirely and spits you out feeling bereft. From the first page you are transported underground, down into the world of a functioning mine and the mind of one… James Naughtie: The USA, from Reagan to Trump Over the years that James Naughtie has been reporting on world politics, the USA has undergone seismic changes. Naughtie first visited the States in 1970 as a student, when the Vietnam War was raging and Richard Nixon was in the Oval Office. Since then… Roger Robinson: ‘Ordinary Poems Won’t Change the World (2020 Event) Firmly rooted in the dub poetry tradition of his Trinidadian heritage, Robinson’s plain-speaking, fizzy, often joyous verse journeys through our contemporary preoccupations with a seasoned insight few could replicate. From the ongoing injustices of… Adania Shibli: When the Present is Haunted by the Past A novel in two parts, Adania Shibli’s Minor Detail is superbly translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette. The narrative begins in 1949 from the perspective of an Israeli soldier, operating with his platoon at the desert border with Egypt. In… Money, Money, Money with Rashmi Sirdeshpande Whether you want to become an entrepreneur, be a savvy shopper, or save and splurge on something you really want, having some dosh in your pocket can be really exciting… Picturing Tomorrow with Nadine Kaadan For Yazan, life has changed quickly – his friends are gone, his parents are too busy watching the news to take him to the park, and he does not know when he will get out to play again. But Yazan is being brave and remembering there is always tomorrow… Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi: Uganda’s First Woman of Fiction Ugandan short story writer and novelist Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi burst onto the scene when she won The Kwani? Manuscript Project in 2013 with her first novel Kintu. Since then, she’s garnered legions of readers and accolades including a Commonwealth… Samantha Power with Allan Little: What One Person Can Do (2020 Event) The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, former policy advisor to President Obama and Professor of Human Rights talks with Allan Little in our annual Frederick Hood Memorial Lecture, recorded live at the 2020 Book Festival… International Booker Prize: First Interview with the 2020 Winner Since 2016, the International Booker Prize has been given annually to a single book in English translation, with the £50,000 award shared equally between author and translator to acknowledge their extraordinary contribution to world literature, and the… Sensory Stories and Crafts with Ailie Finlay & Kate Leiper What does the Old Woman do when she finds a bush full of berries but no bowl to put them into? Join storyteller Ailie Finlay and artist-illustrator Kate Leiper as they take you on a fun-packed sensory adventure, all from the comfort of your own home… Get Adventurous with Lily Dyu & Helen Skelton Would you like to race across mountains, fly into space or journey to Antarctica? Well, why don’t you? In this live event you’ll be inspired to get active and get adventurous after hearing the stories of some amazing real-life superheroes. Helen Skelton… Olivia Laing: Art is Political Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency is more than just a collection of Olivia Laing’s essays over decades. Ranging from interviews and profiles to reflections and confessionals, Laing’s characteristic generosity of spirit and optimism of purpose inspires… Stuart Cosgrove: The Soul Of Muhammad Ali (2020 Event) As well as documenting the meteoric rise of one of the all-time sporting greats, Cosgrove shows how soul music formed a soundtrack to an era of social and political turmoil. Join him in this event recorded for the 2020 Book Festival as he talks to… Illustrate your Feelings with Dunja Jogan Dunja Jogan’s Felix After the Rain is a wonderful introduction to discussing – and dealing with – feelings. This beautifully illustrated book follows Felix, who hides his sadness in a black suitcase – until one day the suitcase is accidentally opened… Philippe Sands with Ian Rankin: On the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive Philippe Sands’s celebrated 2016 memoir East West Street, expertly interwove the personal story of his ancestors in the Ukrainian city of Lviv with a professional interest in the establishment of international law in the aftermath of the Holocaust. His… Lola Olufemi & Minna Salami: Critical Reflections on Feminism (2020 Event) Since 2010, the award-winning blog MsAfropolitan has connected feminism with critical reflections on contemporary culture from an Africa-centred perspective. Its founder is Nigerian-Finnish writer and lecturer Minna Salami, a powerhouse of feminist… Llama Drama with Allen Fatimaharan & Annabelle Sami Yasmin longs to be able to stand up for herself, but when she finally makes a wish, it’s not answered by a beautiful guardian angel but a rude, sassy, talking toy Llama called Levi. He might wreak havoc on Yasmin’s life, but might he also help her find… Ross Benjamin & Daniel Kehlmann: When History Prefigures Our Own Times For anyone feeling that the world has turned decidedly apocalyptic on us, Daniel Kehlmann’s picaresque novel Tyll offers an intriguing parallel from 17th century Europe. The Thirty Years War over the Holy Roman Empire left millions of Germans dead: dark… Masha Gessen with Philippe Sands: Facing Down President Putin Promoting their new book Surviving Autocracy, Russian-American author and journalist, and peerless chronicler of totalitarianism and dissent, Masha Gessen made a surprising declaration: that by the middle of 2020 it seems clear that Trump might be worse… Richard Holloway: The Human Need for Stories As one of the most beloved public thinkers of our times, Richard Holloway has often given voice to the deep feelings and concerns that so many of us struggle to articulate clearly. In his new book, Stories We Tell Ourselves, the former Bishop of Edinburgh… Anne Applebaum: Democracy Under Siege (2020 Event) ‘Given the right conditions, any society can turn against democracy. Indeed, if history is anything to go by, all of our societies eventually will.’ Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Anne Applebaum’s bleak prognosis for liberal democracy lies at the heart of… Mieko Kawakami: Three Daughters of Osaka While this year’s release of Breasts and Eggs marks the first time Mieko Kawakami has been translated into English (by Sam Bett and David Boyd), she has been a literary sensation in Japan for more than ten years. Her legions of fans include Haruki… Sarah Crossan with Sally Magnusson: The Other Woman Sarah Crossan, former Irish Children’s Laureate has been delighting and moving younger readers for years with her award-winning books — 2016’s One about the life of conjoined twins won the Carnegie Medal — and her move to adult fiction is a cause for… Ekow Eshun: Africa is a State of Mind Home to more than 1.2 billion people, Africa is the world’s second most populous continent. Gaining a better understanding of this complex and diverse land, according to Ekow Eshun, rests not simply in thinking about its geography but about ‘looking… The Edwin Morgan Poetry Award James McGonigal, Edwin Morgan’s friend and biographer notes that the man ‘was a poet of inventive forms and many voices – a writer of the unexpected. Here are two more surprises. Firstly, he actually made money from poetry. This took much effort and… David Mitchell with Sam Amidon: The Music of Utopia Avenue While the Summer of Love is about to unfold across the Atlantic, life in 1967 isn’t so easy for a young would-be musician in London’s shabby Charing Cross Road. Yet from this modest starting point, David Mitchell builds a joyful fictional biography of a… Voices from the Past with Patrice Lawrence & Bali Rai Join us for an inspirational live event and discover two exciting stories in children's book publisher Scholastic's new ‘Voices’ series, showcasing some of the diverse, unsung historical figures who arrived on Britain’s shores and made it their home… Garth Greenwell: Intimate Truths The annual Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction Awards delights in taking bundles of limbs and badly chosen adjectives, removing them from their context and mocking them for their unsexiness. But there is real power in its opposite: by capturing the truth… Nadine Aisha Jassat & Tsitsi Dangarembga: Outriders Africa Following in their Footsteps As part of the Book Festival's Outriders programme exploring the shifting landscapes of contemporary Africa, rising star of Scottish poetry Nadine Aisha Jassat embarked on a poignant journey across the south-east of the continent with Zimbabwe-based… Shokoofeh Azar: After the Iranian Revolution When Shokoofeh Azar received the news that she was the first ever Iranian writer to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, she was transported back to when she was 15 years old, ‘in the village, surrounded by rainforest and rice fields, and… Should Capitalism Survive Climate Change? As COVID-19 has spread, the varying responses from the world’s governments has demonstrated catastrophic disparity and underpreparedness. In the push for growth and the prioritisation of short-term economic gain, the most vulnerable communities have been… Michele Hutchison & Marieke Lucas Rijneveld: Reap What You Sow Great art doesn’t just reinforce or reassure: the authors we love challenge us; they illuminate new perspectives, make us question our certainties. They discomfort us. From its very title, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s International Booker shortlisted debut… Kirstin Innes: Who is Clio Campbell? (2020 Event) Written from the perspective of those who loved (and hated) Clio Campbell most, and taking in everything from Top of the Pops to IndyRef along the way, Scabby Queen will have you hooked. Kirstin Innes joins Heather Parry in this event recorded live at the… Ann Goldstein: Meet Elena Ferrante’s Translator Ann Goldstein didn’t start learning Italian until the age of 37. She arranged classes with her fellow New Yorker copy department colleagues, spending a year studying grammar before reading Dante’s The Divine Comedy. Since then, as well as an illustrious… A New Kind of Superhero with Samantha Baines Harriet Versus the Galaxy is a brilliantly funny intergalactic adventure that will have you snorting with laughter. When Harriet discovers that her hearing aid can help her understand the alien invaders, she becomes the Earth’s main source of contact with… Formidable Females with Lari Don & Eilidh Muldoon Girls just want to… be Fierce, Fearless and Free. Canongate Prize-winning author and storyteller Lari Don, and Book Festival-favourite illustrator Eilidh Muldoon, have joined forces to produce a brilliant collection of traditional tales, myths and legends… Brain-fizzing Facts with Emily Grossman Why is your elbow called your funny bone? How could you escape the grip of a crocodile’s jaw? Which animal can breathe through its bottom? Marvel as much-loved broadcaster, STEM ambassador and all-round science superstar Emily Grossman uncovers the… Jo Hunter & John Loughton: Power to the People When Jo Hunter established 64 Million Artists, an organisation that aims to encourage everybody in the UK to discover their creativity, little did she know that in 2020 she would have to dramatically change the way they reached people. The ‘COVID-19 pivot’… Kayus Bankole & Kei Miller: Outriders Africa from East to West As part of the Book Festival's Outriders programme exploring the shifting landscapes of contemporary Africa, we hear from award-winning writer Kei Miller, whose barnstorming latest poetry collection, In Nearby Bushes, was tipped as one of the best books… Paul Mendez & Derek Owusu: Thorny Intersections (2020 Event) How do you get the upper hand on a world you don’t yet understand? That’s the burning question at the heart of two striking debuts that scrape away the coming-of-age clichés, breathing through the aches and pains of growing up. With echoes of early… Outriders Africa: Tsitsi Dangarembga & Nadine Aisha Jassat | Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2017 the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel on journeys across the Americas. This was Outriders – an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to… Outriders Africa: Meet Amanda Thomson and Sabrina Mahfouz| Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2017 the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel on journeys across the Americas. This was Outriders – an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to… Outriders Africa: Meet Kei Miller | Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2017 the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel on journeys across the Americas. This was Outriders – an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to… Outriders Africa: Meet Donna Ogunnaike & Wanjiru Koinange | Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2017 the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel on journeys across the Americas. This was Outriders – an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to… Outriders Africa: Meet Emmanuel Iduma and Eliza Anyangwe | Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2017 the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel on journeys across the Americas. This was Outriders – an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to… Ibram X Kendi talks to Deray Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival We all occasionally do things that are racist, yet often fail to recognise them. Ibram X Kendi is a founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center in Washington DC. How To Be an Antiracist is his extraordinary, inspiring guidebook which… David Cannadine at the Edinburgh International Book Festival It’s easy to feel fatigued by continual political crises and the nation’s uncertain future. In a world of chaotic news headlines, how can we find understanding and perspective on what is happening? Hear one of Britain’s most renowned historians and… Mark Walters with Pat Nevin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Footballer Mark Walters is remembered for his wing wizardry, but while he’s revered by the Rangers faithful who cheered him for four trophy-laden years, he also endured racist chants – an issue he campaigns against now. In this event recorded live at the 2… Joanne Harris at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Vianne Rocher is back, but trouble could be brewing in Lansquenet-sous-Tannes. Joanne Harris revisits the world of Chocolat 20 years on. In The Strawberry Thief, life has settled down for Rocher, but the death of a local florist brings fresh upheaval to… Howard Jacobson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival We welcome back a heavyweight of literary fiction to talk about his new book with Jackie McGlone in this event filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival. In Live a Little, Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson takes a sideways look at… Tracy Chevalier speaks to Clare Hunter at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Two decades after Girl with the Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier is back with another finely rendered story of women. Refusing to tend endlessly to her grieving mother after the Great War, Violet Speedwell begins a new life among the embroiderers of… Sue Perkins speaks to Ruth Wishart at the Edinburgh International Book Festival After her sell-out Book Festival appearance in 2016, beloved broadcaster Sue Perkins is back to take us all East of Croydon. Her new book charts her odyssey through South East Asia; a journey which took her along the great Mekong River through Thailand… Nayrouz Qarmout talks to Esa Aldegheri at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Gaza-based writer Nayrouz Qarmout returned to the Edinburgh International Book Festival to launch the English translation of her book The Sea Cloak. In her event, filmed live, the Palestinian author talks to fellow writer Esa Aldegheri about what… Caroline Criado Perez talks to Sally Magnusson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In conversation with Sally Magnusson, award-winning feminist campaigner and writer Caroline Criado Perez exposes the hidden systematic discrimination women face every day… Aidan O'Rourke, James Robertson & Kit Downes at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2013, James Robertson wrote a story every day of the year, each 365 words long. Then, Scottish fiddler Aidan O’Rourke wrote a tune a day as a musical response. 2019 marks the next chapter: O’Rourke launches Volume 2 of the music; the trio created a new… Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmye & Marisa Haetzman) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Crime-writing duo Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman introduced the shadowy streets of 1840s Edinburgh in The Way of All Flesh last year. In this event filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival they launch the sequel, The Art of Dying… Gina Martin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The vile practice of upskirting wasn’t an offence in Britain until activist Gina Martin came along. With no legal or political background, Martin changed the law within 18 months. Now, she wants to help others do the same. Be the Change is a campaigning… Fatima Bhutto at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In this event recorded live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival, we are thrilled to welcome back Fatima Bhutto to discuss her second novel The Runaways. Published against the backdrop of the Shamima Begum controversy, Bhutto’s novel could… Markus Zusak speaks to Janet Ellis at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Thirteen years since his multi-million bestseller The Book Thief, Markus Zusak joins fellow writer Janet Ellis for his first Book Festival appearance with his much-anticipated follow-up, Bridge of Clay. In this ambitious portrait of a family, Zusak… Robin Knox-Johnston speaks with Ruth Wishart at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Throughout his 80 years, Robin Knox-Johnston has never quenched his thirst for adventure. Not content with being the first man to circumnavigate the globe alone on a non-stop voyage in 1969, he repeated the feat 12 years ago aged 68, becoming the oldest… Lesley Riddoch at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Lesley Riddoch’s Blossom was a joyful intervention into Scottish independence discussions before the 2014 referendum. The award-winning journalist shone a light on community action and the everyday heroes who showed Scotland has the potential to grow and… Chris Hoy at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Strap on your helmet for a fun and fast-paced event celebrating the final book in Olympic champion cyclist Chris Hoy’s fantastic Flying Fergus series. Joined by his writing and illustration team, Joanna Nadin and Clare Elsom, Chris shares stories from the… Salman Rushdie at the Edinburgh International Book Festival One of the most significant writers of our age, Salman Rushdie joins the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 for the worldwide launch of epic novel Quichotte… Alan Johnson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival If today’s politicians make you miserable, Alan Johnson may be the antidote. The former Labour Home Secretary has written a series of witty memoirs, and he’s regularly regaled Book Festival audiences with colourful tales of life beyond Westminster. In My… Ian Rankin at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival There’s no stopping Rebus. Ian Rankin’s iconic detective has recently made a stage debut in Long Shadows and will be resurrected on TV in a new series by Black Watch playwright Gregory Burke. The latest Rebus novel, In a House of Lies, is one of the… Arundhati Roy with Nicola Sturgeon at the Edinburgh International Book Festival What did Arundhati Roy do between the publication of her Booker-winning debut The God of Small Things in 1997 and her extraordinary follow-up, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness two decades later? In a stunning new book of essays, we have the definitive… Matt Haig at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The modern world can make us feel like the walls are closing in, but a vanguard of writers are here to help us cope – and none more so than Matt Haig. After the storming success of Reasons to Stay Alive comes Notes on a Nervous Planet, a wise and witty… Colson Whitehead talks to Kirsty Wark at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Following the success of his book The Underground Railroad – named by Barack Obama as one of the most important books of his presidency – Colson Whitehead's new novel The Nickel Boys sees the Pulitzer Prize winning author visit 1960s Florida, a period of… David Nicholls talks to Sally Magnusson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The flush of first love and bittersweet summers on the cusp of adulthood are rich seams beautifully mined by novelist David Nicholls. The author of popular modern classics like Starter for Ten and One Day takes us into the heart of 16 year old Charlie… Ian Robertson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival For over 40 years, Ian Robertson has been an instantly recognisable and eminently authoritative voice for rugby fans everywhere. His commentary has added to classic encounters such as the 2003 World Cup Final, when England triumphed at the death against… Trevor Royle speaks with Magnus Linklater at the Edinburgh International Book Festival While Scotland has been free of major military conflict since the 1940s, it could have been different had the Cold War escalated. In Facing the Bear, broadcaster, author and former associate editor of the Sunday Herald, Trevor Royle discusses how integral… Thomas Keneally at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The Booker Prize-winning Australian author of Schindler’s Ark, Thomas Keneally comes to the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 having woven another masterpiece in The Book of Science and Antiquities. Ancient human remains are found in… Chris Brookmyre talks to Brian Taylor at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Sixteen years on from the death of young Niamh on a holiday in Portugal, the glamorous Temple clan hold a fateful family reunion in Fallen Angel, Chris Brookmyre’s new standalone thriller. For Amanda, a neighbouring nanny, fascination gives way to… Ian Rankin talks to Phill Jupitus at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Since Ian Rankin’s appearance at last year’s Book Festival, his iconic detective Rebus has made his stage debut in Long Shadows and is set to star in a television series by Black Watch playwright Gregory Burke. Rankin’s latest, In a House of Lies, is a… James MacMillan at the Edinburgh International Book Festival As he reaches the landmark age of 60, internationally renowned composer and conductor James MacMillan reflects on a classical life well lived in A Scots Song. Ayrshire-born MacMillan's recent achievements have included the formation of The Cumnock Tryst… Victoria Hislop speaks with James Runcie at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Victoria Hislop’s Those Who Are Loved is another sure-fire bestseller set amid tumultuous Mediterranean history. Themis survives the Nazi occupation of Greece only to become embroiled in the ensuing civil war. Her communist connections land her in a… Markus Zusak at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Thirteen years since his multi-million bestseller The Book Thief, Markus Zusak joins us at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival with his much-anticipated follow-up, Bridge of Clay… Danny Dorling, Geetha Marcus, Joelle Taylor, Val McDermid at Edinburgh International Book Festival This discussion, led by 2019 guest selector Val McDermid and filmed live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, explores the many forms of homelessness: sleeping rough, sofa surfing, living in cars and temporary accommodation. Geographer Danny… Rachel Reeves at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In Women of Westminster, Labour MP Rachel Reeves tells the overlooked stories of leading and lesser known British politicians who have shaped a nation, from the earliest suffrage campaigns to Harriet Harman’s legislation on the gender pay gap. Reeves… Gina Martin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The vile practice of upskirting wasn’t an offence in Britain until activist Gina Martin came along. With no legal or political background, Martin changed the law within 18 months. Now, she wants to help others do the same. Be the Change is a campaigning… Mike Berners-Lee talks to Tanya Steele at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Warnings of looming environmental catastrophe rain down on us with increasing frequency, and only the most ardent climate change sceptics deny we live at a crucial point for the Earth's future. For this event, filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh… Ruth Davidson talks to Katherine Grainger at the Edinburgh International Book Festival They say you should write about what you know – advice Ruth Davidson followed when she embarked on Yes She Can, a treatise on the power of inspirational women. When appointed in 2011, she was the youngest leader of a major UK political party and one of… James Acaster at the Edinburgh International Book Festival He’s been described as ‘a beige corduroy patchwork of eccentric inflections and odd obsessions that manages to be both supremely anorakish and strangely swaggering.’ Thanks to this singular style, James Acaster has become one of Britain’s funniest and… Arundhati Roy talks to Nicola Sturgeon at the Edinburgh International Book Festival What did Arundhati Roy do between the publication of her Booker-winning debut The God of Small Things in 1997 and her extraordinary follow-up, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness two decades later? In a stunning new book of essays, we have the definitive… Tessa McWatt & Zeba Talkhani at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In a pair of moving memoirs, Guyana-born Canadian writer Tessa McWatt and Zeba Talkhani, who was raised in Saudi Arabia, explore themes of race, feminism, heritage and belonging. McWatt’s Shame On Me is a journey through the multiple threads of her… Julia Neuberger talks to Richard Holloway at the Edinburgh International Book Festival It’s clear that antisemitism remains a problem for British society. But recent headlines have brought more confusion than clarity in debates about the definition of what is understood by the word ‘antisemitic’. Westminster peer and West… Matt Haig at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The modern world can make us feel like the walls are closing in, but a vanguard of writers are here to help us cope – and none more so than Matt Haig. After the storming success of Reasons to Stay Alive comes Notes on a Nervous Planet, a wise and… George Alagiah speaks to Allan Little at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Join popular BBC broadcaster George Alagiah as he takes off his reporting hat and plunges into a new career as political thriller writer, drawing on his knowledge and experience of working in Africa. The Burning Land sees South Africa torn apart by… Lemn Sissay at the Edinburgh International Book Festival One of Britain's best loved poets, Lemn Sissay is a performer of rare passion. But growing up with foster families and in care homes, Sissay struggled with his identity. The discovery of his birth name and Ethiopian background is the catalyst for… Giles Yeo at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Whenever the latest dieting fad comes along, those promoting new theories are well fed on the proceeds, while many people trying to shed pounds are left wondering why nothing seems to work. Meet Giles Yeo, geneticist and presenter on BBC’s Trust Me, I’m a… Tracey Thorn at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Returning to our roots can be tough, revealing and, as Tracey Thorn discovers in her book Another Planet, also inspiring. The singer-songwriter behind Everything But The Girl follows up her bestselling Bedsit Disco Queen with a wonderfully witty walk… Doddie Weir at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Scottish rugby star Doddie Weir hung up his boots after more than a decade at the pinnacle of the sport, only to return in 2017 to announce a new challenge: his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis. My Name’5 Doddie is his account of a glittering career and a… Mary Robinson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival While the realities of climate change are not always visible, the realisation that our grandchildren will live in troubled times can catalyse action. After becoming a grandmother, former Irish president and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary… Melvyn Bragg at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Writer and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg returns to the Festival with a fresh take on a classic love story. Novelist Arthur travels to Paris to retell the tale of Heloise and Abelard, 12th century lovers whose affair was doomed. The surprise appearance of his… Jack Monroe at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Good food should be affordable for everyone. Jack Monroe is an active anti-poverty campaigner and her recipe books – including Cooking on a Bootstrap and Tin Can Cook – are about making simple yet delicious recipes on a shoestring, based on her own… Tim Winton talks to John Williams at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Only dreamers or the desperate would cross the vast saltland deserts of Western Australia. So which is Jaxie Clacton, the lonely boy at the heart of Tim Winton’s brutal, tender novel The Shepherd’s Hut? It’s a masterful work by one of the world’s greatest… Ann Cleeves at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Having already made waves with her crime investigators, Shetland's Jimmy Perez and Tyneside's Vera Stanhope, much-loved author Ann Cleeves introduces us to a new detective in the shape of Devon’s Matthew Venn. She again proves herself to be a master of… Salman Rushdie talks to James Naughtie at the Edinburgh International Book Festival One of the most significant writers of our age, Salman Rushdie joined the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival for the worldwide launch of his epic novel Quichotte. The book has since been hailed as the author 'at his best' by countless critics; it… Roddy Doyle talks to Chris Brookmyre at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In Charlie Savage, Roddy Doyle collects a year of rich snapshots of everyday Dublin life in all its strangeness. The first publication of the Booker Prize-winner’s tender, comic series for the Irish Independent is about a middle-aged man in a modern world… Cathy Newman at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Bloody Brilliant Women is Channel 4 News anchor Cathy Newman’s paean to those women who’ve shaped modern Britain, with the likes of Emmeline Pankhurst sharing pages with heroes like Beatrice Shilling, whose engineering prowess helped win the Battle of… Chris Mullin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Former Labour MP and writer Chris Mullin returns to the murky political world of his bestselling classic A Very British Coup, in new novel The Friends of Harry Perkins. Brexit is complete, yet the nation remains divided. Fred Thompson, former aide to the… Mark Haddon talks to Charlotte Higgins at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Mark Haddon is back with his first novel in seven years – and this could be his masterwork. The author behind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time takes us on another wildly imaginative adventure in The Porpoise, a modern-day reworking of… Rory Stewart speaks with Charlotte Higgins at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Despite coming fourth in the Conservative Party’s leadership contest, Rory Stewart has emerged as one of this strange Summer’s surprise political winners. The International Development Secretary’s refreshing honesty and viral Twitter campaigning won him… Francesca Simon at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Much-loved master of mischief Horrid Henry is back! His award-winning creator Francesca Simon brings you an interactive event bursting with Henry’s hilarious stories, including latest adventure Up, Up and Away. Prepare to giggle your socks off with these… Prue Leith at the Edinburgh International Book Festival If The Great British Bake Off is your first encounter with Prue Leith, you’ve missed a great deal. Founder of Leith’s School of Food and Wine, restaurateur, journalist, novelist and now TV judge – she is one of the nation’s most respected foodies. In this… Jackie Kay speaks to Tanika Gupta at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Three years into her stint as Scots Makar, Jackie Kay’s exuberance and insight have helped her bring poetry to the people. In this event filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival, she reads a selection of new poems inspired by her… Allan Little, Sheena McDonald & Gail Robinson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Twenty years ago, broadcaster Sheena McDonald was hit by a police van, narrowly escaping death. Her recovery led one doctor to describe her as ‘a walking miracle’. In her book Rebuilding Life after Brain Injury, she recalls the accident and its aftermath… Roy Hattersley at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The Labour Party was founded to give a political voice to the working classes and to end inequalities. But the challenge has changed; the gap between rich and poor has widened, and many conceive of Britain as two nations. Can the old remedies – trade… Mike Berners-Lee at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Warnings of looming environmental catastrophe rain down on us with increasing frequency, and only the most ardent climate change sceptics deny we live at a crucial point for the Earth's future. Join sustainability expert Mike Berners-Lee in a live… Into the Wild with Julian Clary & David Roberts at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Get ready to monkey around with the Bolds, the wildest family in Teddington, trying to fit into a neighbourhood in which they don’t quite belong… Comedian and entertainer Julian Clary and illustrator David Roberts introduce the fifth book in their… Jeanne Marie Laskas talks to DeRay Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Every day, President Obama received 10,000 letters from ordinary Americans; every night he read ten, and he wrote back. In To Obama, Jeanne Marie Laskas describes this unique correspondence, interviewing the letter-writers, White House staff and the… Max Hastings speaks with Magnus Linklater at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In 1975, military historian Max Hastings boarded a helicopter out of Saigon during the Final Evacuation. He chronicled the controversial conflict in his bestselling Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, a compelling account foregrounding the personal stories of those… Ma Jian talks to André Naffis-Sahely at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Exile in London hasn’t dulled Chinese author Ma Jian’s anger at the state which permanently banned his work over 30 years ago. His biting satire China Dream takes aim at Xi Jinping’s regime and the mistruths told by the Communist Party today, centring on… Carol Ann Duffy at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry has long been both private and public, her knack for voicing her own imagination and the sighs and roars of the world around her unparalleled. She recently ended a decade as Poet Laureate, and the final collection of her tenure… Iain Sinclair at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Among our finest voices on the significance of place, Welsh writer and filmmaker Iain Sinclair health checks our relationships with buildings across the world in Living with Buildings and Walking with Ghosts. From Marseille to Mexico, inner London to the… Christopher Brookmyre at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Sixteen years on from the death of young Niamh on a holiday in Portugal, the glamorous Temple clan hold a fateful family reunion in Fallen Angel, Chris Brookmyre’s new standalone thriller. For Amanda, a neighbouring nanny, fascination gives way to… Richard Holloway at the Edinburgh International Book Festival We need new stories to make sense of a changing world that sometimes seems to make no sense at all. In this keynote contribution to the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Richard Holloway explains why stories have been a critical tool for humans… Candice Carty-Williams & Annaleese Jochems at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Meet two authors chronicling the off-kilter experiences of upbeat millennials. Candice Carty-Williams’s novel Queenie sees a Jamaican British woman search for identity. Jojo Moyes called it ‘brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking’… Kate Atkinson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Jackson Brodie is back, but this time he’s working as a private investigator in a sleepy seaside Yorkshire village. Life seems straightforward, until a chance encounter reveals the town’s seedy underbelly, bringing Brodie’s past screeching back into view… Thomas Keneally at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The Booker Prize-winning Australian author of Schindler’s Ark, Thomas Keneally comes to Edinburgh having woven another masterpiece in The Book of Science and Antiquities. Ancient human remains are found in Western Australia, causing controversy: was the… Mary Robinson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival While the realities of climate change are not always visible, the realisation that our grandchildren will live in troubled times can catalyse action. After becoming a grandmother, former Irish president and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary… Clare Balding at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Charlie Bass’s best friend Polly has a talent with horses, but after an accident it looks like her skills will go to waste. Can they find a way to make Polly’s equestrian dreams come true? Find out as award-winning broadcaster and equine expert Clare… Neil Oliver at the Edinburgh International Book Festival With Britain considering its future, who better to turn to for historical perspective than Neil Oliver. His latest book is part history lesson, part travel guide and part love letter to the British Isles. From ancient woodlands to blood-soaked… Casey Gerald talks to DeRay Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Called ‘extraordinary’ and ‘electrifying’ by Marlon James and Colm Tóibín, Texan writer Casey Gerald’s powerful memoir traces fault lines in American racial and masculine identity… Venki Ramakrishnan at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Joint winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, Venki Ramakrishnan’s work has gone past the whys and wherefores of DNA and on to the ribosome, the structure which helps decode our genetic make-up. In a live event at the Edinburgh International Book… Allan Little's Big Interview with Elif Shafak at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Turkish-British author Elif Shafak is a respected campaigner for women’s rights and free speech. She wrote in the New Yorker that ‘wave after wave of nationalism and tribalism have hit the shores of countries across Europe, and they have reached the… Mark Urban speaks with Ruth Wishart at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The Salisbury poisoning of Sergei Skripal was one of the strangest stories of 2018. The Kremlin’s presumed involvement turned the case into a circus, but broadcaster Mark Urban has solid evidence, drawn from interviews Skripal gave pre-attack. The Skripal… Philip Long & Joanna Norman at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Philip Long is director of the V&A Dundee and co-editor of The Story of Scottish Design. Together with Joanna Norman, curator of the museum’s Scottish Design Galleries, Long presents a broad survey of 500 years of great Scottish design and pioneering… Serhii Plokhy at the Edinburgh International Book Festival ‘Heartbreaking stories of heroism’ set against a backdrop of ‘political cynicism and scientific ignorance'. That’s how judges described the winner of 2018's Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction – Serhii Plokhy’s Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy. The… Tracey Thorn at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Returning to our roots can be tough, revealing and, as Tracey Thorn discovers in Another Planet, inspiring. The singer-songwriter behind Everything But The Girl follows up her bestselling Bedsit Disco Queen with a wonderfully witty walk through the… A C Grayling at the Edinburgh International Book Festival One of the country’s foremost philosophers, A C Grayling has produced a brilliantly readable and authoritative survey of his discipline – the first in a generation. The History of Philosophy is a landmark tome, bringing western and eastern thought… Tom Devine speaks to Allan Little at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries helped shape the nation we know today, but historians have struggled to define what happened. Scotland’s leading historian, Sir Tom Devine, brings us The Scottish Clearances, his authoritative, readable and… Louise Doughty & Stuart Turton at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Meet two British writers of cleverly conceived and suspenseful stories, Louise Doughty and Stuart Turton, who come together to talk about their new novels at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019. The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle, Turton’s 20… Kristina Stephenson: Bear Necessities at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The bestselling author of Sir Charlie Stinky Socks has a hilarious story to share with her trademark liveliness. The most brilliant minds in the animal kingdom have gathered together to try and answer the impossible question: why are there so many books… Kit de Waal with Damian Barr at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The publishing world is finally waking up to the barriers that have prevented working class voices from being heard in books. Kit de Waal grew up in Birmingham’s Irish community and she has successfully broken into the mainstream with two highly acclaimed… Tim Winton at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Only dreamers or the desperate would cross the vast saltland deserts of Western Australia. So which is Jaxie Clacton, the lonely boy at the heart of Tim Winton’s brutal, tender novel The Shepherd’s Hut? It’s the latest masterful work by one of the world’s… Peter Hitchens speaks to Ruth Wishart at the Edinburgh International Book Festival A former member of the International Socialists, Peter Hitchens now leans firmly to the right. But his latest book, The Phoney Victory, may rankle with those on both sides of the political spectrum as he argues that Britain went into truncated decline… Charly Cox, Theresa Lola & Tayi Tibble at the Edinburgh International Book Festival ‘It’s official. We’ve fallen (back) in love with poetry’ the Metro declared earlier this year, reporting a 12% increase in poetry book sales in 2018. Underpinning the boom are bold new voices exploring issues from politics to mental health on page, stage… Ben Okri at the Edinburgh International Book Festival ‘Storytellers sometimes see things before they have been experienced.’ This, from Ben Okri’s new chillingly dystopic novel The Freedom Artist, is a stark warning to readers. His world of truths eroded, of people shambling blindly towards calamity, is… Paul Mason at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Faith in technological progress has verged on religious, but recently our trust in many things – truth, leadership, the digital world – has been badly dented. Paul Mason senses catastrophe. The popular political commentator thinks we need a humanist… Kevin Barry at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In his early novels City of Bohane and Beatlebone as well as his short stories, Kevin Barry showed clear signs of his prodigious talent as a writer… Prue Leith at the Edinburgh International Book Festival If The Great British Bake Off is your first encounter with Prue Leith, you’ve missed a great deal. Founder of Leith’s School of Food and Wine, restaurateur, journalist, novelist and now TV judge – she is one of the nation’s most respected foodies… DeRay Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2014 DeRay Mckesson quit his job and moved to Ferguson, Missouri to protest against the police shooting of Michael Brown Jr, an unarmed African-American teenager. He spent the next 400 days on the streets as an activist and helped bring the Black Lives… Julia Neuberger talks to Richard Holloway at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The recent history of Corbyn’s Labour Party shows that antisemitism remains a problem for British society. But headlines brought more confusion than clarity in debates about definition. Westminster peer and West London Synagogue’s Senior Rabbi Julia… Caroline Criado Perez talks to Sally Magnusson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In conversation with Sally Magnusson, award-winning feminist campaigner and writer Caroline Criado Perez exposes the hidden systematic discrimination women face every day. Her book Invisible Women is her clarion call for change, bringing together new… Alan Rusbridger talks to David McCraw at the Edinburgh International Book Festival When Alan Rusbridger stepped down as Guardian editor in 2015 he left one of the world’s most trusted news organisations. Rusbridger’s 20-year tenure oversaw international expansion and investigative triumphs, such as the phone hacking scandal. But it also… Stuart MacBride at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Spend an hour with master of suspense Stuart MacBride as he introduces his latest dark, thrilling novel in this event recorded live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival, in conversation with Lee Randall. With the nation at boiling point… Dragons and Wizards with Cressida Cowell at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Set in an ancient past full of mythological creatures, the age-old tale of a boy and girl from opposing tribes who become friends takes on a fantasy adventure twist in the highly anticipated third instalment of master storyteller Cressida Cowell's Wizards… Philippa Perry at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Psychotherapist Philippa Perry cuts through the drone of humdrum parenting guides with The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, a straight-shooting and humorous look at the bigger picture of parenting. Twenty years of working in therapy have taught Perry… Malorie Blackman at the Edinburgh International Book Festival One of the UK’s most influential children’s authors, Malorie Blackman brings you the highly anticipated new book in her groundbreaking Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire. Dealing with racism, politics and terrorism, the series feels as relevant today as… Derek Landy at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant is back for an explosive twelfth escapade in Bedlam, which sees Valkyrie Cain embark on a lawless quest to save her sister’s soul and Omen Darkly attempting to save thousands of innocent lives. Derek Landy… Ibram X Kendi talks to DeRay Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival We all occasionally do things that are racist, yet often fail to recognise it. Ibram X Kendi is a founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center in Washington DC. How To Be an Antiracist is his extraordinary guidebook which helps build a… Jokha Alharthi at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In May 2019, Jokha Alharthi became the first Arabic language writer to win the Man Booker International Prize for her searing novel Celestial Bodies. She also became the first female Omani novelist to be translated into English thanks to Marilyn Booth… Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 17–19 August Another glorious weekend with events from Jack Monroe, Francesca Simon, Simon Armitage and more… Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 10–12 August The fantastic first few days featuring visits from Tim Winton, DeRay Mackesson, Malorie Blackman and more… Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 20–23 August The Book Festival in full swing for the second week, in which we hear from Sue Perkins, Arundhati Roy, James Acaster and more… Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 13–16 August An unforgettable few days with appearances from Val McDermid, Chris Hoy, Konnie Huq and more… Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 24–26 August In the final days of another fantastic Book Festival we saw authors including Mary Robinson, Cressida Cowell, Colson Whitehead and more… How to book on the first day of sales We're expecting a lot of demand for tickets on our opening day of sales (Tuesday 25 June in 2019). To give everyone a fair chance, there will be a queue to book at the counter, over the phone and on our website. If you plan to book online, this short… Join us this August at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Explore the world, in words at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The biggest public celebration of words and stories in the world, the Book Festival takes place every August in the heart of Scotland's capital. With hundreds of events featuring… Your visit to the Edinburgh International Book Festival A video guide of the Book Festival Village showing you what to expect when you arrive at the Edinburgh International Book Festival… Rachel Kushner (2018 Event) Rachel Kushner’s much-anticipated follow-up novel to the dazzlingly successful The Flamethrowers is The Mars Room, a fearless and brutally honest portrayal of Romy, a woman starting a double life sentence in a US correctional facility, leaving her young… David Walliams (2018 Event) Britain's biggest author, David Walliams, brings his unique sense of humour to the Book Festival as he shares with you his latest hilarious bestseller, Bad Dad. Be inspired to get writing your own funny stories as David explains how he became the fastest… Robin Robertson (2018 Event) A renowned poet whose work often hauntingly evokes the lives of Scottish outsiders, and a mesmerising reader of his own work, Robin Robertson strikes out with a breathtaking new project, The Long Take. In this verse novel, Walker is a war veteran from… Gina Miller (2018 Event) Gina Miller came to prominence when she successfully took the British government to the Supreme Court, challenging its authority to trigger Article 50, the formal notification to leave the EU, without parliamentary approval. Guyana-born Miller became the… Neil Griffiths & Richard Powers (2018 Event) Considered by many to be one of America’s great literary voices, National Book Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Richard Powers presents The Overstory, his seductive and beguiling novel of interlocking stories (now also shortlisted for the 201… Ben Okri (2018 Event) Which came first, the image or the word? It’s hard to tell in The Magic Lamp, Ben Okri’s collaboration with painter Rosemary Clunie. Subtitled Dreams of Our Age, it’s a collection of twenty-five enchanting, haunting stories, each… Inua Ellams (2018 Event) A captivating hour with award-winning playwright and poet Inua Ellams as he performs selections from his 2017 Ted Hughes Award shortlisted work #Afterhours in this event recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. His residency at the… Richard Dawkins (2018 Event) Whatever your opinion of Richard Dawkins, and few people choose to sit on the fence when it comes to the world’s best-known evolutionary biologist, his passion for science cannot be denied. In Science in the Soul, he asks whether his discipline can… Juno Dawson (2018 Event) As a School Role Model for the charity Stonewall, Juno Dawson is well versed in communicating the nitty gritty to young adults. She returns to the Festival with her razor sharp novel about one young girl's rise from the lows of heroin addiction. A… Guy Gunaratne & Imran Mahmood (2018 Event) Meet two new writers whose debuts are turning heads… Dag Solstad (2018 Event) One of Norway’s most celebrated contemporary writers joins us with his latest novel, T Singer. Set in the small Norwegian town of Notodden, Dag Solstad's story is a heartbreaking account of love and loneliness, which lays bare the existential… Ruth Jones (2018 Event) Acclaimed comedy actress and writer Ruth Jones has turned her talents to novel writing. Never Greener ponders the age-old question of whether the grass is a different shade on the other side. Kate had a fling in her early 20s with a married man and when… Zindzi Mandela with Allan Little (2018 Event) Zindzi Mandela is the youngest daughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. She has long been involved in South Africa’s freedom struggle and is currently serving as South Africa's ambassador to Denmark. In this frank interview with journalist and former BBC… Yanis Varoufakis with Shami Chakrabarti (2018 Event) Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has written several influential books and has co-founded ‘DiEM25’, a pan-European progressive movement which will be competing in next year’s European parliament elections. Adults in the Room was described as… Chelsea Clinton (2018 Event) From Harriet Tubman to Oprah Winfrey, plenty of tenacious women have fought for freedom in America. Chelsea Clinton saluted them in her children’s book, She Persisted. Now, with She Persisted Around the World, Clinton celebrates women shaping global human… Donal Ryan & Kamila Shamsie (2018 Event) Donal Ryan's novels are a thrilling journey into the psyche of everyday Irish folk, but From a Low and Quiet Sea departs from his previous three books by extending its setting beyond rural Ireland into war-torn Syria. Kamila Shamsie’s highly praised Home… Ruby Wax (2018 Event) Laughter is the best medicine, so thankfully comedian Ruby Wax has penned a witty follow-up to her bestselling book A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled, designed to help us live well. Armed with a degree in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and a knack… Akala (2018 Event) Race and class have shaped the world of MOBO award-winning hip hop artist, poet and political commentator Akala. In Natives, his searing polemic on race in the UK, he considers his own experiences in both childhood and as an adult, and connects them to… Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina with Yanis Varoufakis (2018 Event) 'To back down an inch is to give up a mile,' says Maria Alyokhina in Riot Days, her account of Pussy Riot’s extraordinary rise to infamy in 2012. Following an iconoclastic balaclava-clad performance in a Moscow cathedral, Alyokhina and two of her… David Walliams (2018 Event) Britain's biggest author, David Walliams, brings his unique sense of humour to the Book Festival as he shares with you his latest hilarious bestseller, Bad Dad. Be inspired to get writing your own funny stories as David explains how he became the fastest… Sean Borodale & Ruth Padel (2018 Event) The exceptional emotional breadth of British poetry is on display in this event featuring Sean Borodale and Ruth Padel, recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. Borodale, described by Carol Ann Duffy as ‘the most exciting new… Sophie Mackintosh & Leni Zumas (2018 Event) Fans of Naomi Alderman’s The Power will appreciate these ambitious political novels about women defying restrictions. Sophie Mackintosh’s The Water Cure centres on three women raised in total isolation and the men who come to find them. Leni… Blake Morrison (2018 Event) The Sunday Times called him ‘One of our most sensitive and stylish writers’ and with his latest book, The Executor, it’s easy to see why. The bestselling novelist and poet Blake Morrison has created a biting portrait of male friendship… Adam Kay (2018 Event) Working a 97 hour week doesn’t sound much fun for anyone, but when we’re talking about an NHS doctor, such a schedule could become a matter of life and death. In This is Going to Hurt, comedian and ex-junior doctor Adam Kay reflects on the… Shahad Al Rawi & Michael Donkor (2018 Event) Two coming-of-age tales come under the microscope in this event recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. Shahad Al Rawi’s poignant debut The Baghdad Clock (winner of the Book Festival's 2018 First Book Award) takes us back to 1991… Janice Galloway on Muriel Spark (2018 Event) As part of Muriel Spark's 2018 centenary celebrations, a series of tributes to the great Scottish writer have taken place. In this event, recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Janice Galloway, the internationally-acclaimed… Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina with Yanis Varoufakis (2018 Event) 'To back down an inch is to give up a mile,' says Maria Alyokhina in Riot Days, her account of Pussy Riot’s extraordinary rise to infamy in 2012. Following an iconoclastic balaclava-clad performance in a Moscow cathedral, Alyokhina and two of her… Antony Beevor (2018 Event) The nation’s premier military historian has analysed conflicts in places that proved pivotal during the Second World War such as Berlin and Stalingrad. Now he turns to Arnhem, where Britain, America and the Netherlands tried in vain to thwart the… Gavin Francis (2018 Event) Following the resounding success of the bestselling Adventures in Human Being, Edinburgh-based GP and writer Gavin Francis turns his attention to Shapeshifters or more specifically, the ways in which human bodies are transformed throughout a lifetime… Alan Lee (2018 Event) In this global publishing event, return to Middle Earth in the company of Alan Lee. The illustrator of The Fall of Gondolin, the final book in the trilogy of Tolkien’s Middle Earth tales, Lee not only illustrates the beautiful editions of Tolkien's books… Tony Juniper (2018 Event) It seems as if people have been trying to save the rainforests for a very long time. And while approximately half of their area has been effectively destroyed, it’s not too late to do the right thing by the other 50%. After all, it’s only the… Stuart MacBride with Stephanie Merritt (2018 Event) Just what does it take to write a page-turning bestselling crime novel? Dumbarton-born, Aberdeen-raised Stuart MacBride can offer plenty of advice on that front, given his Logan McRae series keeps on hitting the heights of popularity. Fellow writer… Jasper Fforde (2018 Event) Jasper Fforde has spent years on the bestseller lists with his Thursday Next books. Now he’s written a standalone novel, Early Riser, creating a world where all humans hibernate except for the Winter Consuls. Fforde’s ability to write… Patrick Gale (2018 Event) Fans of Patrick Gale, and of Rough Music in particular, will be thrilled to learn that he launches his 16th novel, Take Nothing With You, in this conversation with Eleanor Updale recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. The story… Yanis Varoufakis with Shami Chakrabarti (2018 Event) Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has written several influential books and has co-founded ‘DiEM25’, a pan-European progressive movement which will be competing in next year’s European parliament elections. Adults in… Jo Swinson (2018 Event) As deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and a former Government minister, Jo Swinson has seen all too clearly how power can be concentrated in the hands of men right across the business, cultural and political spectrum. Equal Power is the East… Miranda Kaufmann with Afua Hirsch (2018 Event) It’s a common misconception that black migration to Britain began with the Windrush in 1948. But as Miranda Kaufmann demonstrates in Black Tudors, many black Africans were warmly accepted into 16th century English society. What’s perhaps most… David France (2018 Event) How to Survive a Plague is David France’s history of the fight against AIDS, the disease caused by HIV that has killed over 35 million people worldwide. Described as ‘subtle and searing', it won the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2017. In 2018… Graeme Macrae Burnet (2018 Event) The Scot who came to international attention when His Bloody Project was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Graeme Macrae Burnet has followed up that astonishing success with an elegant and evocative thriller The Accident on the A35. Set in a sleepy… Richard Holloway (2018 Event) ‘Remember you will die’, said the slave to the Roman general. Richard Holloway’s new book, Waiting for the Last Bus, is a reflection on the final curtain we must all face. Thoughtful, engaging and often quietly moving, it’s a… Rose McGowan (2018 Event) In 2018 the film industry, for so long a haven of misogyny and sexism, has found itself at the heart of a worldwide ‘cataclysmic global reckoning’, in which women everywhere are standing up defiantly against predatory male behaviour. In Brave, the… Sue Black with Val McDermid (2018 Event) Few people are as familiar with death as Professor Sue Black. As a forensic anthropologist she sees it in the form of human remains; at scenes of murder, at burial sites and in her lab. Black’s astonishing book, All That Remains, offers fascinating… Susan Calman (2018 Event) The popular broadcaster, talented comedian and, as she recently demonstrated on Strictly, very nifty ballroom dancer is on a mission. With a culture of hatred and vitriol brewing in public and on social media, how can we stimulate more kindness in… Gerda Stevenson (2018 Event) In histories written by men, good women have rarely been given much credit. In Scotland, there’s a growing urge to redress the balance and, with her new collection Quines, Gerda Stevenson has produced a very necessary corrective. These unforgettable… Jeremy Corbyn with Yanis Varoufakis (2018 Event) The remarkable transformation of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn caught commentators by surprise. Against a backdrop of mainstream media scepticism, Corbyn galvanised his grassroots support and denied Theresa May an overall majority at the last… Jo Nesbo (2018 Event) A former footballer, financial analyst and the lead singer of a chart-topping band in his homeland, Norway’s Jo Nesbo struck gold with the crime-writing career which has made his name. His latest bestseller, Macbeth, is a fresh take on… Akala (2018 Event) Race and class have shaped the world of MOBO award-winning hip hop artist, poet and political commentator Akala. In Natives, his searing polemic on race in the UK, he considers his own experiences in both childhood and as an adult, and connects them to… Limmy (2017 Event) The short, sharp and funny shock has been Brian Limond aka Limmy’s forte ever since breaking through with his World of Glasgow web series in 2006. After a Scottish BAFTA-winning TV show, Limmy has turned his attention to books of tiny tales (some… Matt Haig (2017 Event) Acclaimed writer of novels and screenplays for adults and children, Matt Haig’s new book, How to Stop Time, was so heavily anticipated that Benedict Cumberbatch signed up to play the key role in the movie adaptation well before its actual publication date… Raja Shehadeh (2017 Event) Brave, intelligent and deeply personal, Where the Line is Drawn shows how the Israeli occupation affects every aspect of Palestinian daily life. Raja Shehadeh, Palestine's premier writer and essayist, winner of the 2008 Orwell Prize and founder of the… Daniel Gray (2017 Event) Inspired by J B Priestley’s 1949 book Delight, Daniel Gray celebrates 50 reasons to love books in Scribbles in the Margins. His previous book, Saturday, 3pm, did something similar for football. Join the Edinburgh-based author and STV's People'… Juliana Buhring (2017 event) Feats of human endurance never cease to amaze and enthral. In 2012, against all odds, Juliana Buhring became the first woman to circumnavigate the world on a bike, after very little training and with barely any financial backing. In this event filmed live… Jemima Foxtrot, Iona Lee, Sabrina Mahfouz & Sophia Walker (2017 Event) While comedy still struggles with gender equality, the spoken word scene is well used to its biggest, most exciting exports being female. Following in the footsteps of Kate Tempest and Hollie McNish, we bring you some of the most exciting new talents in… Robert Webb (2017 Event) What is it to be male? Peep Show actor Robert Webb reckons it involves a heap of unnecessary pressure applied from a very early age. With his call-to-arms memoir How Not To Be A Boy, Webb considers his own inculcation into the cult of man and how bending… Outriders: Harry Giles & Katherena Vermette (2017 Event) As part of our Outriders project to explore the Americas, poet Harry Giles travelled across Canada with Métis writer Katherena Vermette. Starting in Montreal amid the buzzy Quebecois writing scene, the two writers travelled to Winnipeg, where Lord Selkirk’… Ian Rankin (2017 Event) It's been 30 years since the publication of the first Rebus novel and what better way to celebrate that fact than with one of Scotland's most successful writers, Ian Rankin, who comes with his latest tale featuring the troubled Edinburgh cop… Charley Boorman (2017 Event) Motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman experienced every rider’s worst fear when he was involved in a major road accident in 2016. Doubts were raised whether he would ever walk again, never mind get back on his bike, but in this event, recorded live… Sebastian Barry (2017 Event) Anyone who has heard Sebastian Barry read from his work knows he’s one of the best in the business. Anyone who has read Days Without End, his impossibly tender novel set in mid-19th century America, knows that it's another great work from the Costa Book… Siri Hustvedt with Elif Shafak (2017 Event) From Dickens to Vermeer and psychoanalysis to neuroscience, Siri Hustvedt is a writer of remarkable range and insight. In this event, recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, she talks to acclaimed Turkish novelist and writer Elif… Jess Phillips (2017 Event) Journalist Julie Burchill calls her 'a breath of fresh air, with a dirty laugh'. In Everywoman, Labour politician Jess Phillips shouts long and loudly about the things she cares most about: poverty, equality, the rights of refugees and serving her… Outriders: Jennifer Haigh & Malachy Tallack (2017 Event) As part of our Outriders project to explore the Americas, Boston novelist Jennifer Haigh travelled with Scottish writer Malachy Tallack on a journey that took in the Midwestern heartlands of Donald Trump’s USA. Starting in Fargo, they visited the… Jim Al-Khalili (2017 Event) For decades we’ve been told there's something out there. Jim Al-Khalili, host of Radio 4’s The Life Scientific and an inaugural winner of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, has been gathering the latest word from within the science… Stephen Baxter with Ken MacLeod (2017 Event) In the 1990s, Stephen Baxter won almost every award going for The Time Ships – the sequel to H G Wells’s The Time Machine. In this event, recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he brings us his new book, The Massacre of Mankind… Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with Nicola Sturgeon (2017 Event) Dividing her time between Nigeria and the USA, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has become one of the world’s most internationally-respected authors. After three acclaimed novels including Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, her most recent title, Dear Ijeawale… Andy Hamilton (2017 Event) Comic Andy Hamilton has most likely had you bent double with laughter. As well as appearances on panel shows like Have I Got News For You, he co-created Outnumbered and Drop the Dead Donkey, and has written for everything from Not the Nine O’Clock… Harriet Harman (2017 Event) When Harriet Harman was elected in 1982, she notes in her memoir A Woman’s Work, the House of Commons was 97% male. Since then, she has led the way on all-women shortlists, introduced laws on equality and domestic violence and has twice become… Laird Hunt & Colson Whitehead (2017 Event) Two of the finest writers working in America today take a tour around the dark history of their country. Paul Auster called Laird Hunt's last novel Neverhome 'magnificent'; The Evening Road is his latest, which he discusses in this event, and… Andrew O'Hagan (2017 Event) In this keynote lecture recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, the country’s foremost essayist and one of our most astute commentators, Andrew O’Hagan, speaks for the first time on the future of Scotland and seeks to define this… Christine Otten & The Last Poets (2017 Event) The Last Poets were formed in the US in the late 1960s, a period full of hope and a time when the Black Panthers were at the height of their power. Their performance poetry has influenced generations of musicians, securing them the title of ‘the… Meena Kandasamy & Helen McClory (2017 Event) Indian poet, novelist, activist and author of The Gypsy Goddess Meena Kandasamy has won many plaudits for her writing. In this event, recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, she discusses When I Hit You, a provocative examination… Harry Baker (2017 Event) Meet the man who is a World Poetry Slam Champion turned full-time poet via a maths degree. Following on from his debut collection, The Sunshine Kid, Harry Baker brings a selection of old favourites and brand new poems to this event recorded live at the 201… John Burnside (2017 Event) One of the most acclaimed writers of his generation, poet, memoirist and novelist John Burnside treats us to two new works. The hugely praised Ashland & Vine is the beautifully woven tale of an unlikely friendship between a grieving, semi-alcoholic widow… Richard Ford with Kirsty Wark (2017 Event) Richard Ford is one of America’s greatest writers, capturing the changing face of the USA since the late 70s. He writes of the human condition with wit, passion and an uncanny observational eye. His beloved country has gone through seismic shifts in the… Juliana Buhring (2017 Event) Feats of human endurance never cease to amaze and enthral. In 2012, against all odds, Juliana Buhring became the first woman to circumnavigate the world on a bike, after very little training and with barely any financial backing. In this event, recorded… Jess Phillips (2017 Event) Journalist Julie Burchill calls her 'a breath of fresh air, with a dirty laugh'. In Everywoman, Labour politician Jess Phillips shouts long and loudly about the things she cares most about: poverty, equality, the rights of refugees and serving her… Paul Auster (2017 Event) The great American novelist makes his first ever appearance at the Book Festival. In 4 3 2 1, Paul Auster gives Archibald Isaac Ferguson, an only child, four different stories. Four Fergusons made of the same genetic material, four boys who are the same… Richard Ford with Kirsty Wark (2017 Event) Richard Ford is one of America’s greatest writers, capturing the changing face of the USA since the late 70s. He writes of the human condition with wit, passion and an uncanny observational eye. His beloved country has gone through seismic shifts in the… Heather McDaid & Nicola Sturgeon with Elif Shafak (2017 Event) Elif Shafak understands the challenges of public intellectual life: she was wrongly accused of ‘public denigration of Turkishness’ for her novel The Bastard of Istanbul. In this event recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, she… Outriders: Mariana Enriquez & Kevin MacNeil (2017 Event) As part of our Outriders project to explore the Americas, Scottish novelist Kevin MacNeil travelled around Argentina with journalist, novelist and short story writer Mariana Enriquez. Starting in Buenos Aires, the writers set off in search of lost voices… James Kelman (2017 Event) James Kelman, according to Alan Warner, ‘brings alive a human consciousness like no other writer can’. That’s true of his short stories as well as his novels, and is certainly true of his latest collection (his 13th) That Was a Shiver, and Other Stories… Outriders: Ximena Escalante & Stef Smith (2017 Event) As part of our Outriders project to explore the Americas, leading Mexican playwright Ximena Escalante travelled across Mexico with Scottish theatre writer Stef Smith. Starting in the US city of San Diego, they journeyed south across the Mexican border… Alan Cumming (2016 Event) Dividing his time between New York and Hollywood, one of our best-kent Scottish actors has found himself at the centre of an impressive collection of scenes, scrapes and scraps in the world of showbiz. Alan Cumming has now gathered some of his best… Simon Callow (2017 Event) As an actor, he’s played Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral. As an author, he’s written compellingly about Oscar Wilde, Peggy Ramsay and about Being an Actor. But that’s not the half of what Simon Callow has… Outriders: Harry Giles & Katherena Vermette (2017 Event) As part of our Outriders project to explore the Americas, poet Harry Giles travelled across Canada with Metis writer Katherena Vermette. Starting in Montreal amid the buzzy Quebecois writing scene, the two writers travelled to Winnipeg, where Lord Selkirk&… Aravind Adiga (2017 event) The last debut novelist to win the Man Booker Prize (in 2008 with White Tiger), Aravind Adiga now brings us Selection Day, widely held to be even better. In this event filmed live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he tells us about his… Outriders: Jennifer Haigh & Malachy Tallack (2017 Event) As part of our Outriders project to explore the Americas, Dakota-based novelist and environmental campaigner Jennifer Haigh travelled with Scottish writer Malachy Tallack on a journey that took in the Midwestern heartlands of Donald Trump's USA… Jim Al-Khalili (2017 Event) For decades we've been told there's something out there. Jim Al-Khalili, host of Radio 4's The Life Scientific and an inaugural winner of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, has been gathering the latest word from within the… Conor Gearty & Douglas Murray (2017 Event) In The Strange Death of Europe, Douglas Murray travels from places where migrants land to places where they end up, talking to people who welcome them and others who don't, and finds a continent in a serious muddle. In On Fantasy Island, Conor Gearty… Irvine Welsh (2016 Event) With The Blade Artist, Irvine Welsh returns to the vicious Trainspotting character who's emerged as the best reflection of our angry times. Robert Carlyle, who memorably played Begbie in the iconic movie, claims that 'small psychos are the best', and his… Juno Dawson & C N Lester (2017 Event) What makes a woman a woman? Is it her biology? Is it a rite of passage? Is it society? As she transitions from male to female, Juno Dawson's The Gender Games explores feminism and femininity in culture, science and society. Co-founder of the first… Jackie Kay with Nicola Sturgeon (2016 Event) Scotland's Makar, Jackie Kay, has a proud history of writing poetry about believable characters; ordinary people like herself. Her poems are genuine, open and often deeply personal. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has long been an admirer of… Outriders: Ximena Escalante & Stef Smith (2017 Event) As part of our project to explore the Americas, leading Mexican playwright Ximena Escalante travelled across Mexico with Scottish theatre writer Stef Smith. Starting in the US city of San Diego, they journeyed south across the Mexican border, making their… Outriders: Mariana Enriquez & Kevin MacNeil (2017 event) As part of our project to explore the Americas, Scottish novelist Kevin MacNeil travelled around Argentina with journalist, novelist and short story writer Mariana Enriquez. Starting in Buenos Aires, the writers set off in search of lost voices, both… Siri Hustvedt with Elif Shakaf (2017 event) From Dickens to Vermeer and psychoanalysis to neuroscience, Siri Hustvedt is a writer of remarkable range and insight. In this event recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival she speaks to acclaimed Turkish novelist and writer Elif… Marina Warner (2016 Event) Marina Warner's defining, shapeshifting presence in British literature finds new form in a book of short stories, Fly Away Home. Currently Professor of English at Birkbeck College, Warner was also chair of the Man Booker International Prize jury in 2015… Tim Burgess with Ian Rankin (2016 Event) In his memoir Telling Stories, Tim Burgess lifted the lid on life with The Charlatans and their experiences at the heart of the 1990s 'Madchester' scene. In this event, filmed live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Burgess is joined by… Nina Stibbe (2016 Event) Already a wildly popular author thanks to her memoir Love, Nina and bestselling debut novel, Man at the Helm, Nina Stibbe returns with Paradise Lodge. Set in a 1970s ramshackle old people's home, this lovingly created story of chaos, love and elderly… Laura Bates (2016 Event) The founder of the influential online project Everyday Sexism, Laura Bates was in the 2014 Woman's Hour Power List Game Changers Top 10 and is becoming well known for her refusal to accept the female stereotypes peddled by a normative mainstream media… Packie Bonner (2016 Event) The idea that footballers stay with one club throughout their career is almost laughable in these cash and ego-driven times. But Patrick ‘Packie’ Bonner was one such man, keeping goal for Celtic across three decades while making a global name for himself… A.C. Grayling 'The Legacy of a Complex Man' (2016 Event) Best known for sci-fi novels such as The Time Machine and The Invisible Man, H G Wells also wrote numerous non-fiction works. His wide-ranging ideas pre-dated many modern concerns, including the internet and the black civil rights movement. Yet Wells was… John Boyne & Simon Mayo (2016 Event) We were delighted to welcome John Boyne with his latest novel The Boy at the Top of the Mountain and Simon Mayo with Blame back to Charlotte Square Gardens. In this event, filmed live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, they examine ideas… Val McDermid with Nicola Sturgeon (2015 Event) The Diamond Dagger-winning Fifer has built a vast fanbase over the years thanks to her number one bestselling novels that have sold over 11 million copies. One of Val McDermid’s better known readers is Scotland’s First Minister and here watch… Charles Fernyhough (2016 Event) Two years ago, authors at the Book Festival took part in a major study into the multiple inner voices that make up human consciousness. Now the leader of that project, psychologist Charles Fernyhough, has completed a major book on the subject, which he… Malcolm Rifkind (2016 Event) As the longest serving minister of the 20th century, Defence Minister and Foreign Secretary in Thatcher’s government and more recently Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Malcolm Rifkind has witnessed the monumental political moments of recent times… Howard Jacobson (2015 Event) A welcome return to Charlotte Square Gardens for the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2010 who was also shortlisted last year for his acclaimed Huxley-esque dystopian drama, J. Recently, Howard Jacobson has been reflecting in the media on one of his early… Jonathan Safran Foer (2016 Event) The bestselling US author of Everything is Illuminated launches. Jonathan Safran Foer’s Here I Am is the story of a fracturing New York family, set against the backdrop of a much wider catastrophe as an earthquake engulfs the Middle East, sparking a… Reverend Jesse Jackson (2015 Event) One of the best-respected and most formidable civil rights activists of the 20th century, the Reverend Jesse Jackson worked for Martin Luther King in the 1960s. During his later political career, he specialised in high-profile international diplomacy… Kevin Barry (2016 Event) Kevin Barry’s Beatlebone won the £10,000 Goldsmiths Prize for ‘fiction at its most novel’. The phrase seems apt: even though this is a story built from familiar elements – an imagined John Lennon, post-Beatles in 1978, trying to pay a visit to an isle off… Highlights of the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival In August 2016, the Edinburgh International Book Festival welcomed over 800 writers, illustrators, poets, politicians and philosophers from 55 countries to Charlotte Square Gardens in a packed programme of passionate ideas, engaged debates and pure… Michael Frayn (2015 Event) With Matchbox Theatre, Michael Frayn has produced perhaps his most daringly unusual book to date. Blurring the boundary between the page and stage, the brilliant author and playwright has produced a book of thirty short entertainments that function both… Frederick Forsyth with Ian Rankin (2016 Event) It's hardly surprising that Frederick Forsyth has wild stories to tell, given his past as an RAF pilot and investigative journalist, but the thriller writer spins such ripping yarns in his dashing autobiography, The Outsider, that a Sunday Times critic… Tom Lanoye & James Yorkston (2016 Event) Two doppelgänger Belgian exiles are on the run in Tom Lanoye’s latest novel, Fortunate Slaves. When they finally meet they realise that each could hold the solution to the other's problems. James Yorkston is familiar as one of Scotland’s finest… Billy Bragg (2016 Event) From ‘A New England’ to ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears’, Billy Bragg’s songs have captured the mood of modern Britain. Since politics and pop became entwined in the anti-Thatcher Red Wedge movement of the 80s, Bragg’s voice… Liz Lochhead (2015 Event) A hugely accomplished playwright, as well as Scotland’s current Makar (National Poet), watch as Liz Lochhead discusses her new play, Thon Man Molière, her fascination with the great French comic dramatist and his oeuvre, Greek tragedy… Hadley Freeman (2016 Event) For many, the 80s was a decade that taste didn’t just forget, but totally bypassed. Guardian and Vogue columnist Hadley Freeman does not subscribe to that one bit and is so passionate about 80s American movies that she’s written a book about them. Life… Chris Packham (2016 Event) As the presenter of BBC's Springwatch, Chris Packham has become one of the nation’s favourite naturalists. But Packham was far from popular as a child: in his brave and lyrical memoir, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, he recalls life as a solitary child… Mary Costello & Han Kang (2015 Event) 'Heartbreaking' and 'packed with emotional intensity' say the reviewers about Mary Costello's stunning debut novel Acedemy Street, while Han Kang's The Vegetarian is lauded by critics as 'haunting', 'seductive' and &… Chris Brookmyre (2016 Event) For years he’s been regarded as one of Scotland’s best-loved and funniest crimewriters, but Chris Brookmyre’s critical reputation has also steadily grown over that same period and now he counts among the best-respected writers in his field. With Black… Richard Coles (2015 Event) He was once part of 1980s pop duo The Communards but later resurrected his career as the Reverend Richard Coles, and is currently tending to his flock in a parish in Northamptonshire. In Fathomless Riches, he explains how he reconciled his old life… Nina Stibbe (2016 Event) Already a wildly popular author thanks to her memoir Love, Nina and bestselling debut novel, Man at the Helm, Nina Stibbe returns with Paradise Lodge. Set in a 1970s ramshackle old people's home, this lovingly created story of chaos, love and elderly… George The Poet (2015 Event) George Mpanga is the 24 year old Cambridge-educated wordsmith who has attracted attention and accolades with his socio-political verse and urban beats, including a nomination for the BBC Music Sound of 2015. Born to Ugandan parents and brought up in… James Kelman (2016 Event) With the publication of Dirt Road, Scotland’s only Booker Prize winner joins a Scottish publisher for the first time in decades. This brilliantly accessible road movie of a novel arrives with Canongate’s typical panache, alongside a film adaptation of the… Jonathan Safran Foer (2016 Event) The bestselling US author of Everything is Illuminated launches his first novel in 11 years. Jonathan Safran Foer’s Here I Am is the story of a fracturing New York family, set against the backdrop of a much wider catastrophe as an earthquake engulfs the… Sophie Kinsella (2016 Event) Global bestselling author of the Shopaholic series, Sophie Kinsella, brings her first novel for teens. Audrey can't leave the house. That is until her brother's friend Linus comes along and starts to teach her that even when you think you have lost… Sarah Howe & William Letford (2016 Event) We were thrilled to open the 2016 Festival with two of the most powerful young voices in British poetry. Sarah Howe's debut collection Loop of Jade won the 2016 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry and was described as ‘original, exquisite, erudite and adventurous.’… Gregor Fisher & Melanie Reid (2016 Event) Gregor Fisher may be best known as Rab C Nesbitt, the funniest string-vested street philosopher in all of Govan, but his own life story is far from amusing. His upbringing was a tale of secrets, deception, tragedy, rejection and death, and only now has he… Edna O'Brien (2016 Event) Philip Roth called it Edna O’Brien’s masterpiece; for John Banville it’s savage, tender and true; Claire Messud described it as arduous and beautiful. The Little Red Chairs is the work of a truly great Irish writer at the height of her powers. A decade… William McIlvanney (2013 Event) Two years ago, fans flocking to see William McIlvanney at the Book Festival shared his exasperation that his seminal crime novels were out of print. Attending that event was Francis Bickmore, editorial director of Canongate, who immediately took action… Alan Johnson (2015 Event) Amid a slew of politicians’ memoirs in recent years, Alan Johnson’s This Boy was comfortably among the finest: one critic called it ‘the best political testament I’ve ever read’. Now the former Home Secretary returns with a… Shirin Ebadi (2016 Event) The first Muslim woman and first Iranian to win a Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi is a leading lawyer and activist who has campaigned fearlessly for freedom of speech and equality before the law in her country, despite being betrayed politically and… Chris Riddell (2016 Event) Award-winning author Siobhan Dowd died in 2007, bequeathing her royalties to a trust which aims to bring the joy of reading to those who need it most. In 2016, the Book Festival's Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture was delivered by Children's Laureate… Alexander Masters (2016 Event) In 2001, almost 150 tattered notebooks were discovered in a skip in Cambridge. They were a small part of an intimate diary that began in 1952 and ended half a century later. It took Alexander Masters five years to uncover the identity and real history of… Mark Billingham with Val McDermid (2016 Event) With over three million copies of his books sold to date, Mark Billingham’s career as a novelist has been a slam-dunk success. And he’s back for more with Die of Shame, his smartest, most unusual thriller to date. When six people meet each week to discuss… Mark Beaumont (2016 Event) What next for endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont after smashing the record for riding solo round the world and then riding the length of the Americas? For his biggest challenge yet, the indefatigable Scot set out to ride from Cairo to Cape Town – the entire… Cecilia Ekbäck & Graeme Macrae Burnet (2016 Event) In the mid-19th century, what unites the Sami people of Lapland and a band of crofters in north-west Scotland? In the fictional worlds of Cecilia Ekbäck and Graeme Macrae Burnet, each community has witnessed a brutal triple murder. Ekbäck’s In The Month… Mark Haddon (2016 Event) First he found literary acclaim with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, then he struck gold with a National Theatre play based on the bestselling book. Now, Mark Haddon turns his hand to short fiction, and in this event recorded live at… Michel Faber (2016 Event) The acclaimed author of Under the Skin and The Book of Strange New Things reads from a collection of deeply moving poems entitled Undying. In tender, bittersweet verse, Michel Faber grieves for his wife Eva who died in 2014 after a six year battle with… Eimear McBride (2016 Event) A Girl is a Half-formed Thing was one of the most exciting breakthrough debut novels of recent years. Irish novelist Eimear McBride’s second book emphatically lives up to expectations and confirms her as a writer of international significance. The Lesser… Kenny MacAskill (2016 Event) In 2009, then Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill controversially granted the release on compassionate grounds of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only man ever convicted for the Lockerbie Bombing in 1988. Now MacAskill has written his own account of the… James Kelman (2016 Event) With the publication of Dirt Road, Scotland’s only Booker Prize winner James Kelman joins a Scottish publisher for the first time in decades. This brilliantly accessible road movie of a novel arrives with Canongate’s typical panache, alongside a film… Janet Ellis and Lorna Gibb (2016 Event) Two debut novels whose lead characters will entrance, unnerve and delight feature in this event recorded live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival. Evoking the blood, filth and beauty of Georgian London, Janet Ellis’ The Butcher’s… Limmy (2015 Event) His first book was called Daft Wee Stories, but Brian Limond, aka Limmy, has been making a big splash for some years now. Having emerged with his online series of dark yet oddly loveable Glasgow characters, he has taken the next step by creating the BAFTA… Laura Bates (2016 Event) The founder of the influential online project Everyday Sexism, Laura Bates was in the 2014 Woman's Hour Power List Game Changers Top 10 and is becoming well known for her refusal to accept the female stereotypes peddled by a normative mainstream media… Cara Ellison & Simon Parkin (2016 Event) For years video games have been part of daily life and now two keen players have written insiders’ accounts that explore their effects. In this event, recorded live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cara Ellison (a ‘cyberpunk hair-dyed… Anthony Seldon & Peter Snowdon (2016 Event) Did David Cameron’s early years in power reveal him as an ‘essay crisis’ leader, or an ambitious reformer? Enjoying unprecedented access to Cameron and his team, Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon have written Cameron at 10, an eye-opening authorised… A C Grayling (2015 Event) A Professor of Philosophy, A C Grayling believes that his subject shouldn’t float above in an ivory tower, but take an active role in society. His most recent published works have looked at the world in a time of war and perpetual conflict. Whether… David Millar (2016 Event) Those lucky enough to witness David Millar’s spellbinding Book Festival event in 2011 will recall the athlete’s forthright admissions about calorie counting, secret doping and quirky camaraderie on the pro cycling circuit. Now he's back with The Racer, a… Philippe Sands (2016 Event) There is no lawyer quite like Philippe Sands QC. Outspoken on a range of human rights issues, from the illegality of the Iraq war to torture in the Bush administration, the Professor of Law at University College London is also a highly respected barrister… Mervyn King (2016 Event) Nearly a decade after the Great Recession of 2007-09, banking may have become one of the world’s less popular professions, but has the financial system itself actually changed much? If not, what corrections to banking and financial practice do we… Miranda Sawyer (2016 Event) Mid-life crises arrive at different times for different people. For journalist and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer, hers made its presence felt at the age of 44. Out of Time is Sawyer’s investigation of this most challenging of life moments, and in this event… Steve Sem-Sandberg and Sjón (2016 Event) Meet two of Europe's most talented novelists. Swedish writer Steve Sem-Sandberg’s The Chosen Ones follows his towering novel The Emperor of Lies in describing brutality and tenderness in the Nazi era – this time in a home for sick children in Vienna… Alaa Al Aswany (2016 Event) In 2002, The Yacoubian Building was an international bestseller, establishing Alaa Al Aswany as one of the Arab world’s most influential voices. Since then, Egypt has changed radically. However, Al Aswany’s novel The Automobile Club of Egypt represents… Erica Jong (2016 Event) Back in 1973, Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying introduced the beguiling Isadora Wing and her idea of ‘zipless’ no-strings-attached sex. The book became a bestselling icon of the sexual revolution. Now, in this event recorded live at the 2016 Edinburgh… Paul Morley (2016 Event) Earlier this year, the jubilation upon the arrival of David Bowie’s new album, Blackstar, quickly turned to shock and grief with the announcement of his death. A true and rare musical icon, Bowie influenced generations of artists. Paul Morley, musician… Chris Packham (2016 Event) As the presenter of BBC's Springwatch, Chris Packham has become one of the nation’s favourite naturalists. But Packham was far from popular as a child: in his brave and lyrical memoir, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, he recalls life as a solitary child… Sam Baker & Carol Birch (2016 Event) Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist Carol Birch presents her new book Orphans of the Carnival, which features powerful female characters separated by centuries and continents. Meanwhile, former editor of RED magazine and co-founder of The Pool, Sam… Hadley Freeman (2016 Event) For many, the 80s was a decade that taste didn’t just forget, but totally bypassed. Guardian and Vogue columnist Hadley Freeman does not subscribe to that one bit and is so passionate about 80s American movies that she’s written a book about them. Life… Ben Rawlence (2016 Event) Dadaab Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya has existed for 25 years. Originally created for 90,000 Somalian refugees it now contains over 350,000 people, including 10,000 third-generation inhabitants. Over a period of four years, Ben Rawlence explored this… John Burnside and Jon Kalman Stefansson (2015 Event) Award-winning poet and novelist John Burnside and acclaimed Icelandic novelist Jón Kalman Stefánsson got together with interviewer Daniel Hahn to talk about their new books and explore why contemporary writers turn to the stuff of legend for… Caroline Lucas (2015 Event) In Honourable Friends? the first UK Green MP, Caroline Lucas reveals the secret workings of parliamentary life and suggests that we could be governed so much better. As a lone voice at her workplace, Lucas is the perfect outsider – ideally… David Crystal (2015 Event) A linguist and an expert on the development of the English language, David Crystal presents two books that tell us a great deal about English as it is spoken in the 21st century. You Say Potato looks at accents and our different ideas about ‘correct&… Johann Hari (2015 Event) It’s a century since drugs were first banned in the United States, thus unleashing a war against narcotics that has raged ever since. Journalist Johann Hari conducted a three-year investigation into the reality of drugs and now presents Chasing the… Alan Johnson (2015 Event) Amid a slew of politicians’ memoirs in recent years, Alan Johnson’s This Boy was comfortably among the finest: one critic called it ‘the best political testament I’ve ever read’. The former Home Secretary returns to the Book… Monica Cantieni & Sunjeev Sahota (2015 Event) Watch two authors who explore the immigrant experience powerfully in their unforgettable new novels. Monica Cantieni’s The Encyclopaedia of Good Reasons, translated by Donal McLaughlin, tells the deeply moving story of a young girl’s long wait… Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015 Event) Bestselling Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen arrived in Charlotte Square Gardens for his first appearance in Edinburgh, delighting fans and newcomers to his work. The creator of the Department Q novels has sold over 10 million copies of his books worldwide… Interview - David Reynolds (2015) We had a quick chat with the brilliant writer David Reynolds about his fascinating journey down Highway 83 before his event in Charlotte Square Gardens. Find out from some audience members to see what they thought about the event. You can see David's… Alan Cumming with Ian Rankin (2015 Event) Two of Scotland’s most successful creative talents hook up for this unmissable event. Alan Cumming made waves with a memoir about his tough upbringing, Not My Father's Son, the details of which… Meera Syal (2015 Event) Acclaimed actor, screenwriter and author of Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee, Meera Syal returned to Edinburgh for the first time since 2000 to discuss her new novel. The House of Hidden Mothers moves between East London’s Little India and a… The Principle of Capitalism (2014 Event) As part of a series of events examining the key ideas that have shaped the human race, sociologist Saskia Sassen, research director in international economics at Chatham House Paola Subacchi and professor of political economy Robert Skidelsky joined James… Interview - Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015) Bestselling Danish crime writer and creator of the Department Q novels Jussi Adler-Olsen joined us for a quick chat in Charlotte Square Gardens before his event. We also asked some of his fans what they thought about what he had to say. You can see Jussi&#… Paul Merton (2015 Event) Not Always Clowning Around. One of the most intelligent and likeable comics in the land, Paul Merton has had his fair share of darkness and tragedy… Ella Frances Sanders & Dominick Tyler (2015 Event) The mysterious beauty of certain words joins Ella Frances Sanders and Dominick Tyler at the literary hip, as their separate glossaries reveal. Sanders’ Lost In Translation is a beautifully illustrated book which contains a selection of wholly… Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015 Event) We were thrilled to welcome bestselling Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen to the Book Festival's home in Charlotte Square Gardens for the first time. The creator of the Department Q novels has sold over 10 million copies of his books worldwide; watch as… Terry Waite (2015 Event) As special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite spent plenty of time not only in the company of Robert Runcie, but also his son James. Then, he was kidnapped in Beirut. Upon his release, Waite continued his charity work, befriended his… Interview - Ella Frances Sanders & Dominick Tyler (2015) Before they took to the stage to talk about their new books, language enthusiasts Dominick Tyler and Ella Frances Sanders joined us in Charlotte Square Gardens for a sneak preview. Also hear from some audience members to see what they thought about the… Esther Gerritsen & Amy Mason (2015 Event) The complex relationship between mothers and their daughters is at the heart of writing by bestselling Dutch author Esther Gerritsen and emerging talent Amy Mason. Both Gerritsen’s razor-sharp third novel Craving, translated into English by Michele… Ryan Gattis and Marlon James (2015 Event) Images of the 1992 LA riots were beamed across the world as six days of violence left a city bruised and broken. In All Involved, Ryan Gattis concocts a novel from separate voices of those whose story wasn’t told. The 1976 attempted murder of Bob… Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Bidisha (2015 Event) Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is one of Britain’s most important commentators on multiculturalism: in Exotic England she describes ‘a curious nation’ that has developed thanks to its long history of immigration. Bidisha is a writer and human… Aleksandar Hemon & Elif Shafak (2015 Event) As a multilingual writer, does the language you choose to write in matter? Does it change who you are and who you are writing for? Does the omnipotence of global English dominate regardless? Elif Shafak is an acclaimed author who writes in both Turkish… Chigozie Obioma & Simon Sylvester (2015 Event) Chigozie Obioma’s thrillingly assured debut novel The Fishermen is set in small-town Nigeria, while Simon Sylvester’s seductive debut The Visitors unfolds on a remote Scottish island. Yet despite their disparate locations, these stories are… Joanne Harris (2015 Event) With The Gospel of Loki, Joanne Harris has made a highly successful move from Vianne and the Chocolat novels, to something altogether more elemental. With Loki, Harris takes on the heroes and villains of the great Norse myths in her characteristically… The Literacy Revolution (2015 Event) According to UNESCO, every region of the world during the last 20 years has seen gains in literacy rates, but the situation remains highly uneven. To what extent can this improvement be attributed to the urbanisation of populations across the world and… Henrietta Bowden-Jones, Erin Saltman & Åsne Seierstad with Lennie Goodings (2015 Event) What draws women to the extremes of war? Åsne Seierstad, acclaimed author of The Bookseller of Kabul and a seasoned war reporter, talks about being on the frontline; Erin Saltman, Senior Counter Extremism Researcher from the Institute for Strategic… Tom McCarthy (2015 Event) Is Tom McCarthy a J G Ballard for the 21st century? Or is he just bullshitting? McCarthy would probably claim he’s somewhere in between. The Man Booker shortlisted author’s hugely entertaining, densely imaginative novel Satin Island introduces… Museums and Libraries (2015 Event) Museums and galleries dominate as destinations, attracting record numbers of visitors to blockbuster shows. Meanwhile libraries are facing a funding crisis and are increasingly asked to justify their existence. What can libraries learn from museums, and… Julia Donaldson and Peter May (2015 Event) With the domination of the English language in publishing, we can often overlook what happens beyond our borders. How does a writer's work travel to other nations? How do authors keep ownership of their translations? Watch two of our finest literary… Leila Aboulela & Alessandro Gallenzi (2015 Event) Born in Sudan and for many years a resident of Aberdeen, Leila Aboulela injects a healthy dose of Scotland into her latest novel, The Kindness of Enemies. It opens in Scotland in 2010, and then journeys back to a time of war in 19th century Russia… Has Psychiatry Silenced God? (2014 Event) Throughout history, divine intervention has influenced great artists, thinkers and leaders, and the voice of God is a distinct and separate presence in the minds of many people today. Author and former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway leads this… Helle Helle (2015 Event) In Denmark, Helle Helle’s novels have garnered a mixture of critical acclaim, literary awards, and popularity with readers. Now, the highly-respected Danish author’s work has been translated into English for the first time by Martin Aitken… Interview - Julia Donaldson and Peter May We caught up with brilliant and best known writers Julia Donaldson and Peter May to talk writing and translation, which was the subject of their joint event in Charlotte Square Gardens. We also asked some audience members what they thought about the event… Interview - Etgar Keret and Alain Mabanckou (2015) Warm, funny and incredibly moving, we spoke to international writers Etgar Keret and Alain Mabanckou in Charlotte Square Gardens before their event about the enduring meaning of home. We also spoke to some audience members to see what they thought about… Kate Tempest with Don Paterson (2015 Event) Still in her twenties, the ferociously-talented Kate Tempest has been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, won the Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry and secured a novel contract with Bloomsbury… Interview - Innu Poetry from the Canadian Tundra (2015) Before their very special event with three Innu writers from the Canadian Tundra, Anna Crowe, Rachel McCrum and J L Williams took a few moments to share with us this deeply moving and inspiring translation project. Also hear from some audience members to… John Boyne (2015 Event) Author of multi-million bestseller The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne has unleashed his next book for younger readers, Stay Where You Are and Then Leave. It tells the story of a boy's search for his father during the First World War. For… Blood and Secrets with Sophie McKenzie and Salla Simukka (2015 Event) In All My Secrets by Sophie McKenzie, the search to uncover the truth becomes life threatening, after a young woman discovers the shocking reality behind a huge inheritance. Finnish writer Salla Simukka's As Red As Blood, translated into English by… Val McDermid with Nicola Sturgeon (2015 Event) The Diamond Dagger-winning Fifer has built a vast fan-base over the years thanks to her number one bestselling novels that have sold over 11 million copies… Interview - Sergio Gonzalez Rodriguez & Juan Villoro (2015) It was an absolute privilege to meet these two incredibly brave Mexican journalists, Sergio González Rodríguez and Juan Villoro, before they took to the stage with the infamous Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco. Don't take it from us though… Viv Albertine with Ian Rankin (2015 Event) ‘You’re in for a hell of a ride now,’ says Viv Albertine in Clothes, Music, Boys. And she’s dead right: with breathtaking honesty, Albertine… Interview - John Burnside & Jon Kalmar Stefansson (2015) Bringing myths and fables together from Scotland and Iceland, we caught up with writers John Burnside and Jón Kalman Stefánsson before their joint event in Charlotte Square Gardens. Afterwards we asked fans what they thought about the event… The Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture: Matt Haig (2015 Event) Award-winning author Siobhan Dowd died in 2007, bequeathing her royalties to a trust which aims to bring the joy of reading to those who need it most. In 2015 the Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture was delivered by novelist Matt Haig, whose books for… Interview - Leila Aboulela & Alessandro Gallenzi (2015) Two brilliant international writers, Sudan's Leila Aboulela and Italy's Alessandro Gallenzi, chatted to us about their new books before their joint event in Charlotte Square Gardens. After their event we asked some audience members what they… Innu Poetry from the Canadian Tundra (2015 Event) When the Book Festival invited three writers from the First Nation Innu people of Northern Canada to present their work in Edinburgh, three Scotland-based poets were invited to work with them. In this collaboration, which will also result in Anna Crowe… Kirstin Innes (2015 Event) Winner of the Guardian’s Not the Booker prize, Kirstin Innes’ bittersweet debut, Fishnet takes us deep into the world of sex workers, tracing one woman’s obsessive quest for answers following her sister’s mysterious disappearance… Limmy (2015 Event) Appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the first time with his first book, Daft Wee Stories, Brian Limond, aka Limmy… Cédric Villani (2015 Event) Forget about the maths you learned at school; the charismatic Cédric Villani has a gift for revealing the beauty and magic of mathematics at the highest level. Dubbed a ‘rock-star mathematician’, the French winner of the maths… Rory MacLean (2015 Event) When the USSR dissolved in 1991, a narrow sliver of land next to the Ukraine declared independence. Transnistria now has its own Leninist government, but is still not recognised by any other country in the world. Photojournalist Nick Danziger and author… Etgar Keret and Alain Mabanckou (2015 Event) Two internationally acclaimed novelists who have turned their hands to memoir talk to Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Etgar Keret was declared ‘a genius’ by the New Yorker: The Seven Good Years, translated… Helen Macdonald (2014 Event) In her powerful, emotive memoir, H is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald recounts her obsessive pursuit to become a falconer. Following the shock of her father’s death and inspired by T H White’s The Goshawk, she embarked on a journey to train her own… David Reynolds (2015 Event) Watch David Reynolds discuss his journey to discover whether the American Dream is keeping its sheen with Sheena McDonald. In Slow Road to Brownsville, Reynolds embarks on a fascinating road trip along 2,000 miles of Highway 83, a road that starts in… Etgar Keret & Alain Mabanckou (2015 Event) Hear two internationally acclaimed novelists who now turn their hands to memoir. Etgar Keret was declared ‘a genius’ by the New Yorker: The Seven Good Years, translated into English… Making Meaning of the Voices (2014 Event) People with severe mental health issues are often stigmatized by society. From drugs to psychiatry, solutions are complex and expensive. Eleanor Longden, a voice hearer and a qualified psychologist joins James Ley, a playwright who explores his bi-polar… Chen Guangcheng (2015 Event) The blind Chinese dissident and human rights activist, Chen Guangcheng, escaped house arrest in Dongshigu and sought refuge in the US Embassy in 2012. Here he speaks about his memoir, The Barefoot Lawyer, in which he reveals his view of the flawed… Interview - Rory MacLean (2015) We spoke to Rory MacLean about his wild adventures journeying in Transnistria before his event in Charlotte Square Gardens. We also asked some audience members what they thought about the event. You can see Rory's hour-long event here on our website… Why I Call Myself a Feminist (2015 Event) In this event entitled “a Rally, a Rant, a Story, a Song, a Protest, a Poem”, women – and men – take to the mike for five minutes each to tell us why they call themselves feminists. Authors Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre, Elif… Mexican Writing, An Insider's View with Gabriel Orozco - Essays (2015 Event) Artist Gabriel Orozco brings us two of Mexico's most highly-respected and best-known authors. Sergio González Rodríguez is a novelist and essayist famous for his groundbreaking writing about the serial murders of young women in the… Monica Cantieni and Sunjeev Sahota (2015 Event) Watch two authors who explore the immigrant experience powerfully in their unforgettable new novels. Monica Cantieni’s The Encyclopaedia of Good Reasons, translated by Donal McLaughlin, tells the deeply moving story of a young girl’s long wait… SJ Watson (2015 Event) S J Watson can count Dennis Lehane and Lionel Shriver among his fans for his crime debut Before I Go to Sleep, which was later made into a movie with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. The Midlands-born author opens up a shadowy world of identity, lies and… David Hare (2015 Event) One of the most celebrated writers of his generation, David Hare’s notable plays include Plenty, Skylight and The Absence of War. In this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Hare discusses his powerful and often very… Malachy Tallack & Kathleen Winter (2015 Event) How do northern landscapes affect the people who live in them? Malachy Tallack’s Sixty Degrees North includes interviews and observations in places which share the same latitude, from Shetland to Scandinavia and as far as Alaska. Canadian writer… Amit Chaudhuri (2015 event) In Amit Chaudhuri’s entertaining latest novel, Odysseus Abroad, an aspiring poet named Ananda has arrived in London from India and is trying to make sense of what he sees. Chaudhuri crafts a sharply-observed world, inspired as much by James… Interview - Sophie McKenzie and Salla Simukka (2015) We talked about the complexities of writing young adult fiction and creating female characters with best known author Sophic McKenzie and newly translated Finnish writer Salla Simukka before their event together. Also hear from one of our young audience… Julian Barnes (2015 Event) One of our finest writers, Julian Barnes first wrote about art in his novel A History of the World in 10½ Chapters. Since then, the Man Booker Prize-winning author has written a series of scintillating essays on a range of artists as diverse as… Interview - Ghada Karmi (2015) Ghada Karmi joined us in Charlotte Square Gardens for a sneak preview of her event about returning to her homeland of Palestine after many years of exile, which she has documented in her new book, Return: A Palestinian Memoir. You can see Ghada's hour-… Interview - Elif Shafak (2015) Writing in multiple languages was the subject of the day, and we caught up with Turkish writer Elif Shafak before she took to the stage with fellow multi-lingual writer Aleksandar Hemon. We also asked some audience members what they thought about the… Edwyn Collins & Grace Maxwell with Ian Rankin (2015 Event) ‘Moving beyond words’ was one critic’s response to The Possibilities Are Endless, a documentary charting Edwyn Collins’ return to relative good health after two massive strokes in 2005. That film, and a recent book, were the… Interview - Joanne Harris (2015) Hugely popular writer Joanne Harris took a moment before her event in Charlotte Square Gardens to talk to us about her new Norse inspired novel, The Gospel of Loki. We also spoke to some audience members to see what they thought about her event. You can… Interview - Amit Chaudhuri (2015) Before he took to the stage to talk about his latest novel, Odysseus Abroad, Amit Chaudhuri joined us for a quick chat in Charlotte Square Gardens. You can also hear from some audience members to see what they thought about the event. Amit's hour-long… Hyeonseo Lee (2015 Event) As a child of Kim Il-sung’s North Korea, a teenage Hyeonseo Lee believed the Dear Leader was her saviour, even holding on to that faith after she’d fled the country to live with relatives in China. Subsequently, Lee fought for the rest of her… Ghada Karmi (2015 Event) When she was forced to leave Palestine in 1948, for Ghada Karmi it meant that she would spend most of her life away from her native land. In Return: A Palestinian Memoir, Karmi describes visits to places she hasn’t seen since her childhood; places… Interview - Esther Gerritsen & Amy Mason (2015) Dutch writer Esther Gerritsen and Britain's Amy Mason joined us for a chat about writing the universal theme of mothers and daughters before their joint event in Charlotte Square Gardens. You can also hear from a real life mother and daughter from the… Interview - Malachy Tallack & Kathleen Winter (2015) Journeys through northern landscapes are fascinating to writers on both sides of the Atlantic, and we spoke to Malachy Tallack, originally from Shetland, and Canadian writer Kathleen Winter to compare notes. Also hear from some audience members to see… Greg Proops (2015 Event) Greg Proops is well-known for his appearances on the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and for his hit podcast The Smartest Man in the World. Downloaded over 9 million times, it’s a weekly online radio show recorded live from different… Jenny Erpenbeck with Michel Faber (2015 Event) If you only read one novel this year, make it The End of Days. A book that takes a series of surprising turns, it confirms German author Jenny Erpenbeck as ‘one of the finest, most exciting authors alive’. That reviewer was fellow novelist… Jesse Jackson (2015 Event) One of the best-respected and most formidable civil rights activists of the 20th century, the Reverend Jesse Jackson worked for Martin Luther King in the 1960s… George the Poet (2015 Event) George Mpanga is the 24 year old Cambridge-educated wordsmith who has attracted attention and accolades with his socio-political verse and urban beats, including a nomination for the BBC Music Sound of 2015… Interview - David Crystal (2015) Top linguist David Crystal took a moment before his event to talk with us about accents, language and how it's changing in the 21st Century. We also chatted to his fans after the event to see what they thought. You can see David's hour-long event… What Is the 21st Century Doing to our Teenagers (2015 Event) Nicola Morgan, author of Blame My Brain and The Teenage Guide to Stress, reveals the science and psychology of teenage brains and the many challenges adolescents face, such as exams, friendships and anxiety disorders. Morgan believes that books can help… Shami Chakrabarti with Kate Mosse (2015 Event) A day after Shami Chakrabarti joined the campaigning organisation Liberty, New York’s Twin Towers were attacked. Ever since, she has fought a passionate campaign for human rights… The Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture: Matt Haig (2015 Event) Award-winning author Siobhan Dowd died in 2007, bequeathing her royalties to a trust which aims to bring the joy of reading to those who need it most. This year the Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture was delivered by novelist Matt Haig, whose books for… Libraries in the Digital Age (2015 Event) With the world’s knowledge accessible from anywhere via a computer screen, why should we continue to value physical spaces for literacy? In this discussion, recorded live… Interview - Monica Cantieni (2015) Immigration and belonging are the chief subject of new novels by writers Monica Cantieni and Sunjeev Sahota. We spoke to Monica before their event to find out more, and we also heard from some audience members to see what they thought about the event… Interview - Helle Helle (2015) We were delighted to meet the wonderful Danish writer Helle Helle before her Book Festival event in Charlotte Square Gardens to talk about her first novel to be translated into English, This Should Be Written in the Present Tense. We asked some… Joe Sumner & Evie Wyld (2015 Event) Evie Wyld is fast shooting to international fame as a novelist. Already the winner of Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin Prize for All the Birds, Singing, her writing career takes a thrilling new turn in a graphic memoir, Everything Is Teeth… John Gordon Sinclair (2014 event) John Gordon Sinclair continues to put distance between himself and Gregory’s Girl, the film that made his name. Two years ago he made his novel-writing debut and his second book, Blood Whispers wraps a grim tale around the CIA, Serbian gangs and a… Interview - Diana Gabaldon (2014) Before she took to the stage to thrill fans of her massively successful Outlander book series, Diana Gabaldon took a little time for a quick chat in Charlotte Square Gardens. You can also see her hour-long event, filmed live at the 2014 Edinburgh… The Voices in Our Heads: Creating Characters in Fiction (2014 event) The first sign that a book works is when the characters talk back to their author, and books can represent our internal voices unlike any other art form. A panel of award-winning novelists, Nathan Filer, Edward Carey and Matthew Quick talk about their… Malala Yousafzai (2014 event) Inspirational education activist and Pakistani school pupil, Malala Yousafzai came to the Edinburgh International Book Festival to talk to a packed theatre full of teenagers.  … Interview - Billy Collins (2014) He’s twice been poet laureate in the US and says he hopes his poems ‘begin in Kansas and end in Oz’. Now Billy Collins returns with Aimless Love, his first collection of new and selected poems for 12 years. Elegant, poignant and… Charlie Adlard & Robbie Morrison (2014 event) Graphic novel dream team Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison came to Edinburgh to talk about White Death, a frank graphic novel account of two dead bodies discovered almost 100 years on which highlights how snow was used as a military weapon. In this event… Diana Gabaldon (2014 event) The Outlander books by Arizona-based author Diana Gabaldon have achieved sales figures that would make your eyes water. Little wonder that Doune Castle was recently besieged by fans keen to see the TV version being filmed. The latest instalment, Written… Michael Morpurgo (2014 event) Only Remembered is a timeless and seminal anthology of First World War literature for children, edited by Michael Morpurgo and featuring artwork from renowned illustrator Ian Beck. In this event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book… Melissa Benn (2014 event) Airbrushed supermodels, unrealistically skinny celebrities, casual sexism in the media. Why, despite everything, are women still not paid equally or properly represented on corporate boards? These are the questions posed by Melissa Benn in her book What… EWWC Feature Film Billy Collins (2014 Event) Billy Collins has twice been poet laureate in the US and says he hopes his poems ‘begin in Kansas and end in Oz’. Aimless Love, his first collection of new and selected poems for 12 years, is elegant, poignant and thrillingly accessible. In… Highlights of the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival Just a few of the highlights of the 2014 Book Festival - what a wonderful year we had!… Nicholas Parsons (2014 event) The much-loved radio show Just a Minute has been delighting listeners for 46 years and every single episode of the programme has been hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Now, Parsons has produced his first book about Britain’s longest-running radio comedy… Diana Gabaldon (2014 event) The Outlander books by Arizona-based author Diana Gabaldon have achieved sales figures that would make your eyes water. Little wonder that Doune Castle was recently besieged by fans keen to see the TV version being filmed. The latest instalment, Written… Lynn Barber (2014 event) Fearsomely incisive interviewer and journalist Lynn Barber faced a Twitter storm after an article on tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, but anonymous cyberhate is nothing for someone who has taken on the likes of Gore Vidal, James Stewart and Salvador Dali… Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison (2014 event) Dream team Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison came to Edinburgh to talk about White Death, a frank graphic novel account of two dead bodies discovered almost 100 years on, and highlighting how snow was used as a military weapon. In this event, filmed live… Omid Djalili (2014 event) Acclaimed comedian and actor Omid Djalili has produced a joyously funny memoir about growing up and finding fame as a young Iranian in London. He beautifully captures his unique childhood in his parents’ guesthouse, describing meetings with an array… Blake Morrison (2014 event) Best known for As If, his landmark book about the killing of James Bulger, Blake Morrison is also a poet and novelist. He joined us to read from a new publication, This Poem. Bankers’ bonuses, phone hacking, super-injunctions and Jimmy Savile: these… Stripped Comic Fair Film 2013 Stripped mini comic fair: Scotland's finest comics creators come to Charlotte Square Gardens… Zakes Mda (2014 event) Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Zakes Mda is regarded as one of the most important novelists to have emerged on South Africa’s literary scene since the end of apartheid. The author of more than 20 novels and plays, Mda is now resident in the… Interview - Bonnie Greer (2014) We caught up with the wonderful Bonnie Greer before her Book Festival event for a quick chat about the first volume of her memoirs, A Parallel Life. You can also see her hour-long event, filmed live at Edinburgh International Book Festival, here on our… David Peace (2014 event) Yorkshire-born David Peace’s writing took an exciting turn with GB84, his ambitious novelisation of events during the miners’ strike. Later, Peace turned to football, first with The Damned United, a re-imagining of Brian Clough’s brief… Bonnie Greer (2014 event) Best known in the UK as a dispassionate commentator on BBC Newsnight Review and Question Time, even when sitting beside the leader of the BNP, Bonnie Greer has now written the first volume of her memoirs, A Parallel Life. In this event, recorded live at… Maggie O'Farrell (2014 event) Acclaimed Edinburgh-based Maggie O’Farrell talks about how she constructed her sixth novel, Instructions for a Heatwave… William Fotheringham (2014 event) Long before Bradley Wiggins took the world by storm, British cycling already had a hero. Tom Simpson was world champion and the first Briton to wear yellow in the Tour de France. In 1967 he died during a stage of the Tour while climbing the monstrous Mont… Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Cosslett (2014 event) Co-founders of The Vagenda blog, journalists Rhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter ended up with an instant hit; the blog received over 7 million views in year one and has received votes of approval from the likes of Caitlin Moran and Laurie Penny. In this… Gordon Brown (2014 event) Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown talks about his new bestseller My Scotland, Our Britain: A Future Worth Sharing… Interview - Karl Ove Knausgaard (2014) In this Interview, filmed at Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2014, Norwegian literary sensation Karl Ove Knausgaard chats briefly about being a writer, doing author events and about Boyhood Island, the third book in his epic and… The Moth (2014 event) To celebrate the UK launch of their first book, which collects together 50 of their best stories, we invited The Moth, the legendary US storytelling organisation, to create a special one-off evening of stories inspired by our strand of events… Interview - Leigh and Maureen (2014) We caught up with two top US writers of fantasy fiction for young adults, Leigh Bardugo and Maureen Johnson, in Charlotte Square Gardens for a quick chat just before their event at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival. You can also watch their… Interview - Omid Djalili (2014) Acclaimed comedian and actor Omid Djalili talks about his joyously funny memoir about growing up as an Iranian in London in this interview at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival. You can also watch his sold-out Book Festival event, filmed live… Interview - Charlie and Robbie (2014) Dream team comics creators Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison have made their contribution to the Great War centenary with their frank graphic novel White Death. This is a quick interview with the pair before they took to the stage at Edinburgh… Mai Al-Nakib & Tom Barbash (2014 event) Our 2014 First Book Award-winner Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib comes together in this event with bestselling San Francisco writer Tom Barbash to talk about their brilliant, moving short-story collections… Martin Amis (2104 Event) The last time Martin Amis wrote about the Holocaust was in 1991 in his novel Time’s Arrow. Now he returns to the subject with the much-anticipated The Zone of Interest. In this event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival… Oscar Guardiola-Rivera (2014 event) Colombian-born writer Oscar Guardiola-Rivera’s riveting Story of a Death Foretold lays bare the Cold War paranoia and rabid anti-communism which led to the downfall of Salvador Allende, Latin America’s first democratically-elected Marxist… The Principle of Religion (2014 event) Richard Holloway, Rowan Williams, Rchard Sennett and Angela Zito explore the key ideas that have shaped humanity. In this event: the ideas and impact of religious belief… Omid Djalili (2014 event) Acclaimed comedian and actor Omid Djalili has produced a joyously funny memoir about growing up and finding fame as a young Iranian in London. He beautifully captures his unique childhood in his parents’ guesthouse, describing meetings with an array… Alasdair Gray (2014 event) Hear the inimitable Alasdair Gray talking about his almost-autobiography, his masterpiece Lanark and his meetings with other literary figures at the Book Festival… Karl Ove Knausgaard (2014 event) Norwegian literary sensation Karl Ove Knausgaard has been gathering an ever-increasing band of avid followers with his epic and much-discussed six-volume novel cycle, My Struggle. ‘It’s completely blown my mind… I need the next volume… Leigh Bargudo and Maureen Johnson (2014 event) Two of the most exciting voices in fantasy writing travelled across the pond to appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to talk about their books for young adults. Leigh Bardugo's debut series, The Grisha Trilogy, is set in an alternative… Holly Baxter & Rhiannon Cosslett (2014 event) The Vagenda Blog creators, young journalists Rhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter discuss the site, their campaigning new book and how they turn a cacophony of negativity about women into something incredibly positive… John Gordon Sinclair (2014 event) Two years ago John Gordon Sinclair made his crime-writing debut and now he’s back wrapping a grim tale around the CIA, Serbian gangs and a feisty Glaswegian lawyer with his second novel, Blood Whispers. Hear how Sinclair created a central character… Stripped Highlights Film 2013 Stripped: When comics and graphic novels were laid bare at the Book Festival… George RR Martin (2014 event) Game of Thrones author George R R martin describes how he feels about the screen incarnations of his books… Interview - Melissa Benn (2014) Melissa Benn was in Edinburgh to talk about her book What Should We Tell Our Daughters? and took time out for a quick chat before her event at the Book Festival. You can also watch Melissa Benn's full hour-long event, recorded live at the 2014… Gerry Hassan & Lesley Riddoch (2014 event) Two of Scotland's outspoken commentators reflect on what might happen next in Scotland, after the independence referendum on 18 Sept… Bonnie Greer (2014 event) Best known in the UK as a dispassionate commentator on BBC Newsnight Review and Question Time – even when sitting beside the leader of the BNP – Bonnie Greer has now written the first volume of her memoirs, A Parallel Life. In this event she… Irma Kurtz (2014 event) For four decades, the Cosmo Agony Aunt has been helping to solve readers’ problems, encompassing everything from eating disorders to bad behaviour in the office. In My Life in Agony, In this event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International… Iain Mcwhirter (2014 event) His book Road to Referendum is a clear-minded history of Scotland’s journey towards its historic vote in September, and Iain Macwhirter argues that after the poll, constitutional change is inevitable. If so, where will the negotiations between… Interview - Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Cosslett (2014) Creators of The Vagenda blog, Rhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter chatted to the Book Festival just before their sold-out event - talking about the blog and campaigning new book. You can also watch their hour-long event, filmed live at 2014 Edinburgh… UNBOUND: Words Per Minute Performers got 10 mins to impress with whatever creative talent they could offer in this event… Stephen Collins & Tom Gauld (2013 event) Two critically acclaimed Guardian cartoonists delve into their charmingly surreal comic worlds… UNBOUND: Kristin Hersh Founder of iconic alt-rock band Throwing Muses, lead singer of the punk-tinged 50 Foot Wave, revered solo artist and now author… Nate Silver (2013 event) Statistician, political forecaster and creator of the New York Times blog FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver shot to world fame when he predicted the outcome of all 50 states in the 2012 US Elections… UNBOUND: The Paris Review Pioneers of extraordinary literature since 1953 impart literary wisdom from across the AtlantiC… UNBOUND: The Golden Hour A hellacious hybrid of rakish words and eclectic music: Ryan Van Winkle, Joe Dunthorne, Kelly Link and roofing poet William Leftford… Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (2103 event) Long-time collaborators Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie shed light on the processes behind their critically acclaimed Young Avengers series… UNBOUND: Dummy Jim Artist Matt Hulse and actor Samuel Dore enchanted with live music, readings, puppetry and elaborate knitwear, all devoted to the story of deaf cycling… The Beano (2013 event) Morris Heggie and Mike Stirling of DC Thomson take a fun-filled journey through the long and illustrious history of the Beano… Jenn Ashworth and Peggy Riley (2013 event) Brought up as a Mormon, Jenn Ashworth has since become a powerful voice in British fiction. She returned to Edinburgh with her third novel, The Friday Gospels, the story… Jura Unbound: Literary Death Match (2013 event) Four talented author-illustrator teams pit their live storytelling skills against one another in this all-star cartoon caper version of the legendary Literary Death Match… The Sandman with Neil Gaiman (2013 event) Neil Gaiman talks to Hannah Berry about the hugely influential comics series The Sandman…… Tracey Thorn (2013 event) Sitting at home in 2005, Tracey Thorn realised she was no longer happy to be part of the show business feeding frenzy and decided to tell her story… Jonathan Agnew (2013 event) There are many, including Jonathan ‘Aggers’ Agnew, who would agree that cricket is more than just a game. Controversy has dogged the sport throughout its history… Jane Gardam (2013 event) Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and twice the winner of a Whitbread Award, Jane Gardam also received a Heywood Hill Literary Prize for her distinguished literary career… Kay Ryan (2013 event) Kay Ryan is widely regarded as one of America’s great living poets. Her book The Best of It: New and Selected Poems won her the Pulitzer Prize in 2011… Tracy Chevalier (2013 event) Her novel based on a famous Vermeer portrait sold a staggering 4 million copies worldwide and put Tracy Chevalier straight into the international literary premier league… Salman Rushdie (2013 event) In 1983, Salman Rushdie was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for his novel Shame and named among Granta’s inuagural Best of Young British Novelists… Rupert Everett (2013 event) It’s taken the entertainment world six years to recover from Rupert Everett’s first memoir Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins and now he’s back on raucously top form with Vanished Years… Chris Ware (2013 event) In Chris Ware’s first appearance at the Book Festival he discussed his critically acclaimed graphic novel Building Stories and why comics are a language, not a genre…… Bryan & Mary Talbot (2013 event) Bryan and Mary Talbot talk about their award-winning work which brought the graphic novel form to mainstream attention… UNBOUND: Cargo Special Delivery Joining (parcel) forces were Radio 4 favourite Anneliese Macintosh and novelists Allan Wilson and Tracey S Rosenberg… Robert Lewis (2013 event) A decade ago, the death of Dr David Kelly shook the country and for a moment threatened to topple a Blair administration already reeling from dissent against the war in Iraq… UNBOUND: Electric Lit Orchestra Writers’ Bloc are modern day champions of the Scottish literary tradition the fantastique, and offer weird and wonderful tales… Jura Unbound: Illicit Ink & Graphic Scotland (2013 event) Graphic Scotland and Illicit Ink joined forces to combine stories from the page with illustrators on the stage in this lively, late night Jura Unbound event…… James Kakalios (2013 event) Charismatic scientist puts the fun into quantum physics in this witty and engaging event… Tim Burgess with Ian Rankin (2013 event) Tim Burgess’ rock and roll battles and the death of keyboard player Rob Collins are among the events in The Charlatans’ front man’s upbeat memoir, Telling Stories… Joe Sacco (2013 event) Previous books such as Footnotes In Gaza established Joe Sacco’s international reputation as the world’s leading comics journalist…… Kristen Iversen (2013 event) Riveting and horrifying in equal measure, Kristen Iversen’s memoir of growing up next to the Rocky Flats nuclear facility near Denver, Colorado describes the secrecy… Hadley Freeman (2013 event) Guardian journalist Hadley Freeman is known for her hugely entertaining daily columns. Now she has produced Be Awesome, a book of heart-warming but razor sharp essays… UNBOUND: Five Dials Five Dials, an online literary magazine, brought Book Festival audiences some of its leading lights in literature for an evening… Ma Jian (2013 event) Ma Jian’s criticisms of China’s government led to it placing a blanket ban on all his future books in 1987. He participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and now… Joe Sacco & Chris Ware (2013 event) For the first time, two of the world’s best graphic novelists, Joe Sacco and Chris Ware, appeared together on stage to discuss their work and life as a cartoonists…… Grant Morrison (2013 event) King of the Scottish comics scene talks about his extraordinary career… Nadeem Aslam (2013 event) Described by Colm Tóibín as ‘one of the most exciting and serious writers working in Britain now’, Nadeem Aslam’s new book will undoubtedly build his reputation still further… Damian Barr (2013 Event) In his effervescent memoir Maggie and Me, journalist, writer and gifted storyteller Damian Barr explains how his family, living in the shadow of Ravenscraig, learned to thrive… UNBOUND: Literary Death Match Four writers used words as weapons in a fight to the literary death. Host Todd Zuniga returned to Edinburgh from New York for the 160th anniversary… Susan Greenfield with Kirsty Wark (2013 event) She’s the Professor of Pharmacology at Oxford University and has been awarded no fewer than 30 honorary degrees for her work. Baroness Susan Greenfield has risen to… Amy Sackville and Evie Wyld (2013 event) Her debut The Still Point was inspired by the Arctic, and Amy Sackville heads north again with her second novel, Orkney, which confirms that this startlingly original writer is… Joe Sacco and Chris Ware (2013 event) Two of the world’s best graphic novelists reveal the processes behind their first class comic creations… Hilary Mantel (2012 event) The first woman to win the Booker twice talks to James Runcie about her work in this event, recorded live at the 2012 Edinburgh Intenational Book Festival… Danny Wallace (2012 event) In his non-fiction work, he’s tried to start a new country and helped a comedy friend find as many of his namesakes as possible. Now Dundee-born Danny Wallace… What Comes Next? (2012 event) Acclaimed author Keith Gray has edited an anthology of stories by leading writers looking at where we go when we die, entitled Next… Nile Rodgers (2012 event) He may be best known for the disco hit Le Freak but Nile Rodgers’ influence on pop music has been so very much greater than that… Nile Rodgers (2012) He may be best known for the disco hit Le Freak but Nile Rodgers’ influence on pop music has been so very much greater than that… Ian McEwan with Alex Salmond (2012 event) According to Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, his eclectic cultural interests range from Miss Marple… Jacqueline Wilson (2012 event) In 1902, E Nesbit published Five Children and It, which has never been out of print. Jacqueline Wilson, the highly acclaimed author of Tracey Beaker… Michael Palin (2012 event) The last time Michael Palin appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival was in 1987, when it was directed by Jenny Brown… Dyslexia debate (2012 event) In this event, recorded live at Edinburgh International Book Festival, prolific children’s writer Vivian French… Robert Macfarlane (2012 event) In The Old Ways, shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize, the celebrated author Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge home… Maggie Fergusson & Michael Morpurgo (2012 event) He's a master storyteller who has left an indelible mark on countless children who’ve grown up with his stories… Debate: Rethinking the Union, Part 2 (2012 event) The outspoken former Labour MP and Cabinet Minister Tony Benn, joined Dr Nicola McEwen, Director of Public Policy… Simon Mayo (2012 event) The award-winning broadcaster has been listened to by millions who rely on his insightful film reviews and music choices… William Fotheringham (2012 Event) Cycling was a hot topic during the summer of 2012, with British success in the Olympics and the Tour de France… Jennifer Rohn & Neal Stephenson (2012 event) Science fiction writing is readily dismissed as mindless escapism but in fact it is a hugely influential and creative genre… Pat Barker (2012 event) Her books include the highly acclaimed Regeneration trilogy: Regeneration (made into a film of the same name), The Eye in the Door (winner of the Guardian Fiction Prize) and The Ghost Road (winner of the Booker Prize)… Colm Toibin (2012 event) A writer absolutely at the height of his powers, Colm Tóibín is known for his stunning novels such as Brooklyn and… Coraline with Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell (2012 event) To mark the 10th anniversary of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, Chris Riddell has created beautiful, atmospheric and unsettling illustrations for a new edition… Paul Durcan (2012 event) 'If there were a prize for best reader of one’s own poems, Paul Durcan would probably win it hands down,' proclaimed the… Elif Shafak (2012) Elif Shafak’s novel Honour is a moving account of love and family set in Kurdistan, Istanbul and London… Danny Wallace (2012) Well where do we start? From reviewing videogames for Sega Power, judging Edinburgh’s Perrier Comedy Awards… Frank Close with Peter Higgs (2012 event) The race to identify the Higgs Boson has led to multi-billion dollar investment in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The return promise… Charles Fernyhough and Ben Marcus (2012 event) From Gulliver’s Travels to 1984, dystopian visions have shaped literary fiction. Why do these flights of fancy influence our reality?… Michael Sandel (2012) In his book, What Money Can't Buy, Michael Sandel examines one of the biggest ethical questions of our time… Lydia Cacho (2012) A Mexican writer and journalist, Lydia Cacho's courage knows no bounds in her battle to bring an end to illegal sex trafficking… Michael Frayn (2012 event) The Man Booker-shortlisted and Whitbread-winning author of Headlong and Spies travelled to Edinburgh to discuss his latest novel… Neil Forsyth (2012 event) Broughty Ferry's fictional hero Bob Servant was brought to life by Greg McHugh (aka Gary Tank Commander) in a sell-out performance. Since then… Audrey Niffenegger (2011 event) Michigan-born writer and artist, and one of our guest selectors, Audrey Niffenegger is the author of the runaway bestseller The Time Traveler’s Wife. In this event she chats about her various books, the most recent of which is a graphic novel, The Night… Eleanor Thom reading Sassuolo The young Glasgow-based writer reads her contribution to our Elsewhere project - a collection of new writing on the theme of Elsewhere… Michael Scheuer (2011 event) The death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 marked a key moment in the history of the so-called War on Terror. But Michael Scheuer, formerly the chief of the CIA unit responsible for capturing the elusive Saudi, believes bin Laden’s death will make no… Pamela Stephenson-Connolly (2011 event) Her book is certainly engaging but can it live up to the claims that it is the most enlightening book on sex ever published? Pamela Stephenson-Connolly's event threw up some surprises at the Book Festival in 2011… Alasdair Gray (2011 event) Thirty years ago Lanark was published, which confirmed Alasdair Gray as the most ferociously inventive Scottish writer of his generation. His output since then has been characterised by a close relationship between his writing… Barry Hutchison reading The Unclaimed Girl Author of the Invisible Fiends horror series for children, Barry Hutchison here reads his story on the theme of Elsewhere… David Vann reading Bain de Soleil Young award-winning US author David Vann reads his story on the theme of Elsewhere… Jason Donald reading Puerta Galera Listen to acclaimed author of Choke Chain read his story Puerta Galera, part of a series of podcasts… Jen Hadfield Reading From My Vow Hear this talented young author read her new work From My Vow, part of our series of stories and podcasts on the theme of Elsewhere… Yiyun Li reading A Tale of Two Cities The brilliant young Chinese-American writer reads her short story on the theme of Elsewhere… Neil Forsyth (2011 Event) The BBC Radio adaptation of Forsyth's Delete This at Your Peril catapulted the fictional Dundonian anti-hero Bob Servant to national attention. Servant's habit of responding to junk emails and striking up a relationship with… Dragons and Fairies with Julia Donaldson (2011 event) The opening event at the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival drew huge crowds of 5-9 year olds and their families to see the inimitable and forever-entertaining newly appointed Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson… Debi Gliori reading Once Upon a Time Children's writer and illustrator Debi Gliori reading her story Once Upon a Time as part of our series of podcasts on the theme of 'Elsewhere'… Marcus Sedgwick reading Archipelago Bestselling novelist of compelling teen fiction reading his story on the theme of Elsewhere… Ed Stourton (2011 Event) When you hear that a book by a renowned journalist and broadcaster is subtitled ‘Time Spent Following a Lead’, you might assume it’s a memoir concerning the pursuit of headlines. But Diary of a Dog Walker is in fact Stourton’s tale/tail of going out with… Niall Ferguson (2011 Event) Are we living through the dying embers of Western ascendancy? For Scottish historian and broadcaster Niall Ferguson, the ‘killer applications’ test is the best way to measure our status with the rest of the world… Roddy Doyle reading Los San Patricios Roddy Doyle reading his story Los San Patricios (note: contains strong language). Part of an engaging series of podcasts of leading… Robin Robertson reading Partytime The Scottish award-winning poet reads his brand new work on the theme of Elsewhere… Michel Faber reading A Flash of Blue Light Hear the bestselling author of The Crimson Petal and the White read his new story inspired by the theme of 'Elsewhere'… Ben Mezrich (2011 Event) His last book was adapted to become The Social Network, one of the most successful movies of 2010. Mezrich then turned his attention to another strange-but-true American tale in his novel Sex on the Moon… Ingrid Betancourt with Kirsty Wark (2011 Event) When Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt went on the campaign trail in 2002, she could not have imagined that it would end in a kidnapping and six year incarceration at the hands of guerrilla forces… Neil Gaiman with Audrey Niffenegger (2011 event) It’s ten years since the publication of the landmark American Gods, a book that brought Gaiman to international fame. One reviewer even lauded him thus: ‘Saying Neil Gaiman is a writer is like saying Da Vinci dabbled in the arts.’… John Hartson (2011 Event) The explosively talented Welsh footballer John Hartson enjoyed success with Arsenal and West Ham before becoming a striker for Celtic, where he scored more than 100 goals in a glorious five year period… Richard Bath and Tommy Macpherson (2011 event) Rugby writer Richard Bath has tackled a very different kind of battle in aiding Sir Tommy Macpherson with his memoir, Behind Enemy Lines. Britain’s most decorated living war hero with three Military Crosses… Cathy Cassidy (2011 event) In this exciting event Cathy Cassidy gave a sneak preview of her brand new book, Marshmallow Skye… Wendy Cope (2011 Event) The poetry of Kent-born Cope has charmed readers ever since her first collection, Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis… John Byrne (2011 event) Painter and set designer, playwright and novelist - one of Scotland's great polymaths talks about his extraordinary life and work… Andy Stanton reading Welcome to Flaxland The endlessly entertaining children's author Andy Stanton reading his story Welcome to Flaxland, part of an engaging series of podcasts of… John Byrne (2011 event) Painter and set designer, playwright and novelist, John Byrne is one of Scotland’s great polymaths. Best known for his plays the Slab Boys Trilogy and Tutti Frutti, Byrne has also designed record sleeves for Donovan and The Beatles… Neil Gaiman with Audrey Niffenegger (2011 event) American Gods author talks Americana, myth and fantasy with fellow enthusiast Audrey Neffenigger… Jacqueline Wilson (2011 Event) Jacqueline Wilson always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was only 9. Since those early days she’s gone on to write over forty books, won many prestigious awards and created iconic characters such as Tracey Beaker… Robert Coover (2011 Event) The reissue of his early novels as Penguin Classics in 2011 underlines his status as a giant of American literary postmodernism. Stories like Spanking the Maid, Gerald's Party and Pricksongs and Descants show that a mordant… Michael Ondaatje (2011 Event) The hotly-anticipated novel Cats Cradle is without question Michael Ondaatje's finest to date. Launched worldwide at this event, recorded live at the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he tells the… Anne Donovan reading Not Scotland Prize-winning short story writer and novelist reads her story on the theme of Elsewhere… Jonathan Agnew (2011 event) In 1991, cricket commentator Agnew was involved in a slice of broadcasting history with an innuendo-fuelled remark about Ian Botham. His throwaway line during a Test Match Special had his radio colleague Brian Johnston… Julia Donaldson reading Ballad of Jemmy Button The massively popular children's writer and new Children's Laureate reading her contribution to our Elsewhere series of stories… Gill Arbuthnott reading Marilyn's Hands Listen to the author of the gripping Germ Wars and The Keepers Daughter and many other novels and fact-filled books based around science, as she reads her contribution to… Jo Nesbo (2011 Event) Jo Nesbø, the king of Nordic crime fiction, came to Edinburgh to discuss his latest thrilling work, The Leopard… Stella Rimington (2011 event) The former director general of MI5 has forged a new career for herself as an author of spy novels, using her inside knowledge of intelligence activities to create a credible new hero, Liz Carlyle… Edna O'Brien with Andrew O'Hagan (2011 event) 'I'm very grateful for Ireland,' said Edna O'Brien in a recent interview. 'It stirs things up in me.' O'Brien came to Edinburgh to discuss her latest book, Saints and Sinners, which includes several stories set in her beloved home country… Tam Dalyell with James Naughtie (2011 event) There can be few backbench politicians who have had as much influence on British politics as Tam Dalyell. Fiercely independent and a thorn in the side of several Prime Ministers, his contributions to politics include his vocal opposition to military… Kurdo Baksi (2011 Event) Stieg Larsson’s books have sold more than 20 million copies in 41 countries. But because they were published after his death, many have been left wondering about the true character of a man who was as passionate in his campaign… Alan Warner reading Sullivan's Ashes Man Booker longlister and Morvern Callar author reading his new story on the theme of Elsewhere… Kirstin Innes reading Horror Story Kirstin Innes' Horror Story is just one of a whole series of podcasts of leading authors reading their stories on the theme of 'Elsewhere'… Michel Faber (2011 Event) The astonishing, triumphant television adaptation of Michel Faber's novel The Crimson Petal and the White represents a radical new step for the previously tired costume drama genre. In this event, Faber discussed his book with Lucinda Coxon… Francesca Simon: Horrid Henry (2011 event) You may not want Horrid Henry as your son or brother but how much fun would it be to have him in class? In this event, recorded live at the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival, his creator Francesca Simon… Kristina Stephenson: Sir Charlie Stinky Socks (2011 Event) Children's author Kristina Stephenson introduced her new book featuring the lovable but slightly pongy Sir Charlie Stinky Socks to the delight of her young audience of 5-7 year olds at the Book Festival… Allan Radcliffe reading Chicago Edinburgh-based Allan Radcliffe reads his contribution to our Elsewhere series of stories… Louise Welsh reading Vanishing Point The popular Scottish novelist reads her exclusive short story as part of our Elsewhere series of podcasts… John Fardell: The Day Louis Got Eaten (2011 Event) In this fun, interactive event for 4-10 year olds, award-winning author-illustrator John Fardell introduced his new picture book The Day Louis Got Eaten and talked about his artwork, sketches and models… Chan Koonchung (2011 event) Is it possible to live in China today, and to raise an eyebrow about the country’s political ambitions? Chan Koonchung does precisely that… Vivian French reading Billie D Listen to the ever popular and prolific children's author Vivian French, read her contribution to our series of stories on the theme of 'Elsewhere'… Elizabeth Laird reading Red Wolves in the Mist An engaging new story by a much-admired author of young adult fiction, read by the author herself… Caitlin Moran (2011 Event) Caitlin Moran is on a mission to reclaim feminism and make it relevant to women today… Miguel Syjuco reading Be Here Now The bright and brilliant Filipino-born Man Asian Literary Prize-winner reads his story on the theme of Elsewhere… Denise Mina reading We Are All Waiting The popular Scottish crime-writer reading her story on the theme of Elsewhere… Alan Hollinghurst (2011 Event) It's many years since Alan Hollinghurst's last novel, The Line of Beauty, was published – a story so powerful that it beat David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas to win the 2004 Booker Prize. His follow-up, The Stranger's Child… David Almond reading Paper Boat Paper Plane Multi-award-winning children's author reads his story on the theme of Elsewhere… James Robertson reading The Future According to Luke The winner of the Saltire Book of the Year award in 2010 reads his new story on the theme of Elsewhere… Caitlin Moran (2011 event) What should you call your vagina? And why does everyone ask you when you're going to have a baby? Caitlin Moran is on a mission to reclaim feminism… Melvyn Bragg (2011 Event) Since its publication in 1611, the King James Bible has been the world’s number one bestseller. But the book has become a story in itself. It has been the Bible of wars from the British Civil War to the American Civil War… Anne Fine reading her story As The Proverb Goes... Part of an engaging and varied series of podcasts of leading authors reading their stories, poems or essays on the theme of ‘Elsewhere’… Rodge Glass reading After Drink You Can Turn Earth Upside Down The versatile and entertaining Somerset Maugham Award-winner Rodge Glass reads his story on the theme of Elsewhere… Jonathan Meres: May Contain Nuts (2011 Event) The former stand-up comedian turned children's novelist Jonathan Meres launched his mad-cap new novel starring the hapless Norm at the Book Festival… Emma Donoghue and FIona Shaw (2010 event) Listen to two unique writers as they look at love and trauma through a child’s eyes. Emma Donogue’s Room and Fiona Shaw’s Tell it to the Bees are two remarkable works, discussed in depth in this event chaired by Pru Rowlandson… Nicholas Parsons (2010 event) Chatting to chair Al Senter, the inimitable Nicholas Parsons showed that the oldest gameshow host ever still retains his famous ability to entertain. A sold out event packed with fans, the British legend discussed life in the public eye to an enthusiastic… Tom McCarthy (2010 event) In 2010, major new literary voice Tom McCarthy joined us in Edinburgh to launch his new book, C, in which McCarthy’s hero embarked on a strange, Pynchonesque journey across the 20th century, from a Bohemian spa and the First World War, to a climax in an… Seamus Heaney (2010 event) We are delighted to offer you a chance to listen to celebrated Irish poet Seamus Heaney in his fantastic and extremely popular event with us in 2010. Chatting to chair Robyn Marsack, Seamus Heaney discussed his newest collection, Human Chain… Assessment for the Curriculum for Excellence (2010 Event) Join Terry Lanagan, Executive Director of Educational Services at West Dunbartonshire Council as he explores a range of assessment methods and how they can be used within the Curriculum for Excellence… A S Byatt (2010 event) In a surprise Book Festival event announced after the 2010 programme went to print, A S Byatt charmed her substantial audience to the full. Chaired by writer and literary critic Stuart Kelly, this was an engaging and appealing event of intriguing… James Robertson (2010 Event) Winner of the Saltire Book of the Year award, James Robertson talks to James Naughtie to launch his novel And the Land Lay Still - in an event full of humour and surprises… Anne Donovan, Kirstin Innes, Allan Radcliffe and Jason Donald (2010 event) From the word 'Elsewhere' four writers have created very different tales, Not Scotland, Horror Story, Chicago and Puerto Galera, join chair Jenny Brown and the authors as they discuss their commissions from the Book Festival… George Monbiot Passionate campaigner for environmental and social change, George Monbiot gives us practical, powerful solutions on a global scale of how to prevent further destruction of our planet through climate change in this 2007 event. The video of this event is… Alasdair Gray (2010 event) With the help of three actors, Lanark author Alasdair Gray presents an irreverent dramatised reading… A L Kennedy (2010 event) Exclusive extracts from her 2011 novel and the amusing Q & A with the audience that followed… Tohby Riddle and Keith Gray (2010 teen event) In an exclusive sold out UK appearance, celebrated Australian writer Tohby Riddle talks to masterful teen novelist Keith Gray for a sizzling conversation… John Green (2010 event) On 15 August droves of enthusiastic fans were treated to a visit from American teen novel master John Green. In a stroke of genius he arranged a meet-up beforehand for the Edinburgh-based fans in his audience...! The result: an unbeatably friendly and… Michel Faber (2010 event) The acclaimed author of The Crimson Petal and the White describes how ‘elsewhere’ can be hilariously ordinary… Roddy Doyle (2010 children's event) Listen to this audio recording to join the audience of Roddy Doyle’s fantastic 2010 Book Festival children’s event, ideal for ages 7+ and families. Brilliant and hilarious, the madcap misadventures of Rover and the Mack family are unmissable… Debi Gliori (2010 children's event) Debi Gliori takes us on an enchanting journey, wandering through the forests and meeting the animal characters in her acclaimed books… Reggie Nadelson in conversation with Ian Rankin (2010 event) In this event crime writing extraordinaire Reggie Nadelson discussed the ventures of her brilliantly believable detective, with Edinburgh’s own favourite crime writer, Ian Rankin. The charismatic pair are well worth a listen – and another listen after… Carol Ann Duffy (2010 event) We welcomed Britain's Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy to the Book Festival in 2010 for three remarkable events. In this beautifully-received event she read new work from The Bees which will be published in 2011, and was joined by chair Don Paterson and… Cressida Cowell (2010 children's event) A chance to hear the author of the book-turned-into-big-screen-hit How to Train your Dragon in her fantastic and wildly popular 2010 kids' event, ideal for ages 8 - 12. The adored writer provided some very silly drawings, chatted about her big hit, and… Fatima Bhutto & Fay Weldon (2010 event) The celebrated Fay Weldon and the superb Fatima Bhutto captivated Book Festival audiences in this 2010 event chaired by Ruth Padel. Despite their widely different backgrounds, both Fay Weldon and Fatima Bhutto share the way in which a parent’s loss… Joseph Stiglitz (2010 event) A 2010 Book Festival event that will be talked about for some time to come. Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz, delivered a thought-provoking event with the words of a real insider. As chair Ruth Wishart said, "Joseph Stiglitz has analysed… Simmone Howell (2010 schools event) Eclectic Australian children's writer Simmone Howell joined us for a brilliant event for schools in 2010. Suitable for S2 - S6, she talked about place, people and invention in this fascinating and charming event… Jeanette Winterson (2010 event) Legendary writer Jeanette Winterson inspired her audience with tremendous charm on 16 August, speaking movingly of happiness and the pursuit thereof. This brilliant event was full of intelligent questions from the audience and great energy from Winterson… Katie Morag with Mairi Hedderwick (2010 Children's Event) In this event for 5-8 year olds, sensational Scottish children's author Mairi Hedderwick - and a firm favourite with younsters - brings her stories about Katie Morag and her magical Hebridean home to life. What can you expect? A few tales of… Marina Endicott and Lisa Moore (2010 event) Canadian author Lisa Moore and Commonwealth Prize-winner Marina Endicott delivered with chair Luke Brown a captivating Book Festival event in 2010 to discuss their affecting explorations of life after death… Joyce Carol Oates (2010 event) Listen to a significant literary voice as she discusses her two books published in 2010, both of which, in very different ways, involve young people coming to terms with their own sexuality… Andrea Levy (2010 event) In 2010 Andrea Levy joined us for a captivating event to discuss The Long Song. Alongside chair Charlotte Higgins, Andrea Levy spoke of her striking new work to an eager audience… Simon Callow (2010 Event) On Monday 16 August, a gentleman came to the Information Desk to return his earpiece unused. "I didn't need it", he explained; "I've just been to the Simon Callow event!" Sure enough, beloved actor Simon Callow filled our RBS Main Theatre with his… Garth Nix (2010 children's event) The engaging Australian fantasy writer Garth Nix  talks about his gripping The Keys to the Kingdom series… Roddy Doyle (2010 event) Booker Prize author Roddy Doyle's writing has been described as urgent, funny and often deeply moving, in this video we see him reading from his new novel The Dead Republic before responding to audience questions… Polly Toynbee and David Walker (2010 Event) So what exactly did twelve years of undiluted New Labour achieve? Polly Toynbee and David Walker, co-authors of two previous books on the subject, returned to the Book Festival in 2010 with the definitive assessment… Michèle Roberts & Helen Simpson (2010 event) Two remarkable writers led an exceptional Book Festival event in 2010. Joined by chair Steven Gale, Michèle Roberts and Helen Simpson discussed their sharp and moving short story collections to great effect… David Vann & Willy Vlautin (2010 event) Two of Amercia's most captivating voices in fiction and their riveting new novels… David Mitchell (2010 event) The remarkable author of the Booker-winning Cloud Atlas sold out the Book Festival's biggest venue many weeks in advance. Talking to chair Steven Gale, he delighted festival audiences with his warmth and humour, offering a fascinating insight into how… Louise Welsh (2010 event) Much-loved author of The Cutting Room and The Bullet Trick Louise Welsh discusses and reads from her new novel… Sophia Jansson (2010 event) To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Tove Jansson’s wonderful Moomin series, Sophia Jansson, the author’s niece, and an artist in her own right, talked with chair Julia Eccleshare about her aunt’s work and life, revealing what it was… Andrew O'Hagan (2010 event) August 2010 saw writer Andrew O’Hagan bring to the Book Festival an unforgettable tale of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and a dog called Maf. Listen to O’Hagan in this audio recording of his special live event in Charlotte Square gardens, where he was… Powering the Planet (2010 Event) How do we provide fuel for the world without destroying it in the process, and can Scotland really be a key player? Part of our popular debates and environment strand in 2010, this event features a panel of experts to discuss the options… Alberto Manguel and Miguel Syjuco (2010 event) Two writers of international significance discussing their latest novels and literary festivals… Rodge Glass, Jen Hadfield and Eleanor Thom (2010 event) Three leading authors, who are all part of the writing project Elsewhere commissioned by the Book Festival, discuss what it felt like to be asked to take part… Philippe Sands (2010 event) Join Philippe Sands QC in his 2010 Book Festival event to learn why he believes the policy of abuse at Guantanamo Bay originated with Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George W Bush. An absorbing event, chaired by Kate Allen… Andy Stanton (2010 children's event) Highly energetic, funny-man Andy Stanton reads from jotters that he wrote when he was eight… Richard Holloway - 2009 launch video The launch of the 2009 Edinburgh International Book Festival programme was held in the Signet Library in Edinburgh on 11 June… Karen Campbell and Simon Lelic (2010 event) Two of Britain's leading young writers stretch the boundaries of crime fiction… James Robertson (2010 event) Joined by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme presenter, James Naughtie, James Robertson discussed his epic novel, And the Land Lay Still, launching it to great enthusiasm at the 2010 Book Festival… David Vann and Willy Vlautin (2010 event) Another chance to listen to two writers who have produced riveting, heartbreaking and sometimes shocking accounts of father-son relationships. An interesting, intelligent and compelling event, chaired by Hannah McGill, well worth revisiting… Christos Tsiolkas (2010 event) Christos Tsiolkas flew all the way to Edinburgh from his home in Australia to open the 2010 Edinburgh International Book Festival in fine literary style. In a sold-out event chaired by Steven Gale, he discussed his much talked-about best-selling novel The… Anthony Browne (2010 Event) Learn about the importance of visual literacy with a master creator of picture books. Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne led this 2010 CPD event as part of our 2010 RBS Schools Programme - it's an… Alain de Botton What does work mean to us? Why do we do it? What makes it pleasurable? Alain de Botton's gift for looking deeply behind the ordinary, taken-for-granted things in our lives has won him huge popularity. In this event he brings us The Pleasure and Sorrows of… Cornelia Funke (children's event) Massively popular writer for older children (although also with many adult readers; her work crosses over nicely), Cornelia Funke made a rare appearance at the Book Festival this year. With her boundless enthusiasm for stories she tells a packed… Griff Rhys Jones Comedian, writer, broadcaster and presenter, Griff Rhys Jones spoke at the Book Festival about Britain's rivers, taking the audience on a tour of the most beautiful and extraordinary waterways, exploring their place in the country's soul and their… Malorie Blackman (children's event) It was a joy to welcome Malorie Blackman to the 2009 Book Festival. She is a fantastically inventive storyteller as proved by her innovative novel Noughts and Crosses. In this event she introduces Double Cross, the latest instalment of the series, to a… Tracy Chevalier Talking about her new novel Remarkable Creatures, the queen of the historical novel this time tackles Mary Anning, the fossil-obsessed girl who discovered whole plesiosaurs in the Dorset cliffs. Her finds invited people to question the literal truth of… Judith Kerr (children's event) Judith Kerr's picture books, such as The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Cat, are classics and children love her work. In this event for children aged 9+ she revealed a bit about her own life, a fascinating page turner in itself, including details about… Patrick McCabe and Colm Tóibín These two superlative writers explore small-town Ireland in their latest novels and we were delighted that they were both able to come to the Book Festival to talk about their work… David Peace Before his 2009 event, David Peace discusses how and why he creates fiction from real-life incidents, looking at, amongst other writings, his Tokyo Trilogy and Red Riding Quartet… Valerie Martin American author Valerie Martin divulges the real-life inspiration for her new novel The Confessions of Edward Day, a dark comedy set in 1970s Manhattan, in this 2009 podcast… Steve Bloom Award-winning photographer Steve Bloom chats about Living Africa, his entrancing tribute in photos and essays to the continent of his birth… Sharon Olds Award-winning American poet Sharon Olds made a very welcome trip to Edinburgh to appear at the Book Festival in 2009. A poet of passion, imagination and power, her latest collection, One Secret Thing, is at once unforgiving and compassionate, humorous and… Garrison Keillor For over three decades Garrison Keillor has delighted radio audiences and readers alike with his hilarious yet poignant take on life in mid-west America. Here he tells stories, sings songs and regales the audience with anecdotes in an event like no other… Marina Lewycka Marina Lewycka is a gifted and entertaining storyteller whose popularity became assured with her first novel A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. Just like her books, her events are full of energy and humour which has made her loved by festival… Helen & Morna Mulgray Lively chat with the Edinburgh-based crime writing twins after their 2009 Book Festival event. They discuss their joint writing technique, outline the plot to their latest novel (which centres on a cat named Gorgonzola) and ask listeners to cast a… John O'Donoghue John O'Donoghue's highly personal memoir Sectioned: A Life Interrupted chronicles a decade of his life spent in and out of institutions as he battled with mental illness. Here he reveals how he came to write the book and get it published… Sebastian Barry After being awarded the coveted Costa Book of the Year Award earlier in the year for his incredibly moving novel The Secret Scripture, Irish writer Sebastian Barry went on to receive the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction too, which was announced in a… Raymond Blanc One of the nicest chefs we've ever had the pleasure of welcoming to Charlotte Square Gardens ? he even made up a special recipe for us on the spot after his event (see our blog). Here he tells his remarkable life story, which took him from a boyhood… Vince Cable Known for his intelligent and honest approach to party politics, Vince Cable has been the Lib Dem's economic spokesperson since 2003 and it is from this viewpoint he has witnessed the storm of the economic crisis. He talks about his new book in this event… Abdel Bari Atwan Good natured chat from newspaper editor Abdel Bari Atwan as he recounts his journey from Palestinian refugee camps to the front page. One of the world's leading authorities on the Middle East, Atwan shares some of his extraordinary encounters… Irvine Welsh The man who delved into the dark reality of contemporary Edinburgh was the first of the 2009 Book Festival's late evening events. Irvine Welsh here talks about his new collection Reheated Cabbage, which brings together an eclectic mix of stories capturing… Tom Parker Bowles The popular food critic and writer Tom Parker Bowles traveled the country meeting the weird and wonderful people and dishes which make up our culinary heritage and in this event he talks about his discoveries with his customary blend humour and wisdom… Henning Mankell The Swedish literary all-rounder chats about his varied writing career after his sold-out 2009 Book Festival event. Find out how living half the year in Africa and the other half in Sweden has affected his outlook on life… Tom Kitchin The Edinburgh-based Michelin-star chef highlights the merits of cooking with locally sourced, seasonal produce before his 2009 Book Festival event… Paul Preston Leading foreign correspondents such as Hemmingway, Gellhorn, Orwell and many others, now forgotten, were present during the Spanish Civil War. In this fascinating event, eminent historian Paul Preston explores their courage and skill and, through a huge… Dubravka Ugrešic Croatian writer Dubravka Ugrešić has won several major European literary awards and her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. In this event she introduces her new novel, Baba Yaga Laid an Egg, an extraordinary meditation on… Alex Gray and Denise Mina A fantastic hour of crime fiction with two leading ladies of the Scottish crime writing world. Alex Gray's third installment from DCI Lorimer sees him searching for missing school girls and Denise Mina's new book involves a kidnapping and dark secrets in… Jacqueline Wilson Legions of young fans descended on Charlotte Square Gardens for Jacqueline Wilson's event and book signing (billed for ages 9+). Her writing has made her an international phenomenon and continues to inspire and challenge young readers. In this event she… Martin Stannard Biographer Martin Stannard tackles the grande dame of Scottish literature in his latest work - the late, great Muriel Spark. We were honoured to have her at the Book Festival shortly before she died; her performance sparkled with wit and lit up Charlotte… Alasdair Gray Celebrated novelist and artist Alasdair Gray was once better known as playwright, a profession to which he recently returned. In this event he discusses and performs his dramatic works, including an intriguing glimpse at his as-yet-unmade movie of his… Tom Kitchin One of the UK's most exciting chefs, Tom Kitchin launched his first book in this event at the Book Festival. From Nature to Plate captures his story from trainee to Michelin-star chef while taking us through the seasons and some of his favourite recipes… Kate Atkinson Our opening Meet the Author event for 2009 went off with a bang - and why not? After all, the award-garlanded Kate Atkinson's perceptive and beguiling tales of love and loss, with not a little humour, are read by millions and she's is held in high esteem… Alistair MacLeod Much to our delight, Alistair MacLeod agreed to travel across the Atlantic from his home in Ontario to be with us at the 2009 Book Festival. One of the foremost novelists and short story writers, he is a master craftsman, an exquisite stylist whose work… Narinder Dhami Following her blockbuster success with Bend it Like Beckham, Narinder Dhami visited the Book Festival to talk to her young fans (this event was for ages 8+) about her new series, which focuses on six friends and their everyday lives: surviving school… Arthur Smith The irreverent, hilarious and scandalous broadcaster Arthur Smith began his event at the Book Festival in the dark due to a complete power failure but with his booming voice and general good humour he revelled in the novelty of performing in the dark. And… William Boyd Expect storytelling of the highest order from William Boyd. He's become a favourite at the Book Festival for his relaxed and witty events and, of course, for his brilliant stories. His latest, Ordinary Thunderstorms, is the thrilling tale of a young… David Simon One of the hottest tickets of the 2009 Book Festival, we were thrilled the creator and writer of HBO's universally acclaimed TV series The Wire, took time out to come to Edinburgh for the Book Festival. David Simon first posed the question 'Are America's… Jackie Kay A captivating hour of poetry from Jackie Kay, a Book Festival favourite whose events regularly sell-out, this being no exception. Listen to her words, revel in the language. Definitely one to listen to again and again… Lucy Hawking Lucy Hawking talks about teaming up with her father Professor Stephen Hawking to create George?s Cosmic Treasure Hunt, the second in a trilogy of books designed to explain physics to children in a fun way… Emmanuel Jal Forced to become a child soldier for the rebel army in Sudan's bloody civil war, Emmanuel Jal was put into battle in Ethiopia. He finally escaped, told his story in War Child (an incredible and moving memoir-cum-story) and now spreads messages of peace… Carol Ann Duffy (children's event) Our new Poet Laureate is as always provocative and heart-rending in equal measure. Her flair for language is nothing short of breathtaking. Listen to her event and be transported - best listened to with nothing to distract you from the warmth, the flow… Val McDermid One of Scotland's great masters of the crime genre was welcomed back to the Book Festival by capacity audiences. Great chat and some more tales from the casebooks of Dr Tony Hill and Detective Carol Jordan. A festival favourite if ever there was one!… Mark Millar Mark Millar candidly discusses comics, graphic novels and Hollywood with Stuart Kelly in this sold-out Book Festival event. His bestselling comic Kick-Ass is being made into a film this year; Wanted 2 is in development after the success of his blockbuster… Louise Rennison (children's event) Louise Rennison is splendidly wild, as are her characters. In this event she gives her legions of teenage fans the details of the final instalment of Georgia Nicolson?s adventures revealing what?s next for the Ace Gang and whether Dave the Laugh ever… David Campbell David Campbell describes his varied working life from English Lit teacher to BBC broadcaster to Celtic storyteller, culminating in his world travels with friend and hero "tinker" storyteller Duncan Williamson, in this lively chat during the 2009… Ewan Morrison and Alan Bissett The young men of Scottish literature are growing up and taking us with them! Both talk about their latest books in this event: Alan Bissett about Death of a Ladies? Man where his boy racer discovers a life of work, sex and love; and Ewan Morrison picks… Paddy Ashdown Before his 2009 Book Festival event Paddy Ashdown reveals the content of A Fortunate Life, his new memoir which charts his life outside of politics. And a very dramatic life it has been too: he was soldier, spy and businessman before becoming leader of… Kate Summerscale Kate Summerscale created a bestseller about the true tale of the murder of a Victorian child. Her novel, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher dazzlingly combines hard-dug research with the best of the crime writer?s craft and in this event she tells all about it… Eoin Colfer (children's event) The teenage criminal mastermind is back. The latest book in the Artemis Fowl series (described as 'Die Hard with fairies' by its creator) sees our hero come face to face with his worst opponent yet - his younger, more evil self! Join energetic author Eoin… Steven Berkoff Stunning performer and actor, commander of the stage. Steven Berkoff discusses theatre, travel and world cuisine, focussing on his lastest book, My Life in Food, in this 2008 event… Julian Barnes Julian Barnes, one of Britain's most singular and talented novelists, talks to Richard Holloway about his new 2008 book Nothing to Be Frightened Of – it is a deeply personal, moving and exhilarating autobiography-of-sorts: a mediation on death, art, God… Gordon Brown - 25th Anniversary Opening Event Prime Minister Gordon Brown opens the 2008 Book Festival with this unique and illuminating conversation with Ian Rankin. Hear him discuss history, heroes and his own writings… Hanif Kureishi One of the most distinctive and fearless writers in Britain, Hanif Kureishi has been a major and vital presence since Buddha of Suburbia. Sex, middle-age, love, longing, race, regret and psychoanalysis are all wholly present in his latest novel, Something… Jackie Kay An hour of pure pleasure with multi-talented poet, playwright, novelist, storywriter, children's author and broadcaster, Jackie Kay. In this 2008 event she discusses her latest collection of poetry Darling, which gets to the heart of love with exquisite… Michelle Magorian (children's event) Michelle Magorian's debut novel Goodnight Mister Tom has become a children's classic. In this 2008 event Michelle gives an exclusive look at her first book in ten years, Just Henry, a gripping mystery-thriller for children of 10 and upwards… Christopher Brookmyre Acclaimed Scottish novelist and hugely entertaining speaker, Christopher Brookmyre talks in this 2008 event about his latest book, A Snowball in Hell, which takes celebrity culture and turns it on its head… Janice Galloway Janice Galloway, one of the UK's finest writers, talks eloquently to Richard Holloway in this 2008 event about her outstanding memoir This is Not About Me, which vividly evokes Ayrshire in the 1960s… Lights Off The Quay - pt1 (A L Kennedy) We commissioned and published new stories and poems from four of the finest Scottish writers: A L Kennedy, Janice Galloway, John Burnside and Don Paterson. Lights Off The Quay, our first publication of new writing, is the result. A sold-out event at the… Simon Sebag Montefiore Jonathan Stroud (children's event) After the knock-out success of his Bartimaeus Trilogy, Jonathan Stroud previews his new stand-alone fantasy Heroes of the Valley in this 2008 event. For children of 10 and upwards… Sophie McKenzie - Catching the Spark (children's event) The A-Z of Poetry with Michael Rosen, Carol Ann Duffy, Tom Pow & John Sampson The electrifying and infectious Children's Laureate is joined by top poets, musicians and writers for children (Carol Ann Duffy, Tom Pow and John Sampson) in this unique 2008 event which plays with words and makes them dance. For children of 5 and upwards… Salman Rushdie Master storyteller Salman Rushdie returned to the Book Festival in 2008 to talk about his sumptuous new novel The Enchantress of Florence with Ramona Koval. This is a short extract filmed live at the sold-out event where he describes the influences on his… Sean Connery talks to Murray Grigor On his 78th birthday, 25 August 2008, Edinburgh-born international film legend Sean Connery launches his long-awaited book Being A Scot with his co-author and friend Murray Grigor at the Book Festival. Here he chats about a wide range of subjects with… Andrew O'Hagan A magnificently intelligent essayist, novelist, critic, and a mesmerising speaker. Andrew O'Hagan talks to Magnus Linklater in this 2008 event about politics, Scotland and his recent collection of reportage on a declining Britain and a rising America, The… Brian Boyd - The Curriculum for Excellence Professor Brian Boyd, contributor to the groundbreaking report The Curriculum for Excellence, examines how to improve the effectiveness of schools and learning for all in this inspirational 2008 event… Tariq Ali One of the most impassioned and eloquent orators and thinkers of them all, Tariq Ali's events are inspiring and unmissable. In this, his 2008 Book Festival event chaired by Ruth Wishart, you can hear him discuss British politics, South America and much… Andy Stanton (children's event) His mad wit is reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Monty Python and his crazy events are loved by children. In this 2008 event for 7 - 12 year olds, Andy Stanton gives an exclusive preview of his latest adventure, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear… Sean Connery - filmed highlights On the day of his 78th birthday, 25 August 2008, Edinburgh-born film icon Sean Connery chats with his friend and co-author Murray Grigor about a range of subjects including his much-anticipated book Being A Scot. The event proved to be the fastest-selling… John Burnside The finest contemporary Scottish writing commissioned especially by the festival. We asked four of our most highly acclaimed writers (John Burnside, Janice Galloway, A L Kennedy and Don Paterson) to create new work - poetry and prose - for this 2008 event… Susan Greenfield A powerful speaker and one of the world's foremost neuroscientists, Susan Greenfield discusses how we can safeguard our individuality from modern living in this 2008 event… Anne Enright Man Booker winner and one of the finest Irish writers, Anne Enright brings to life her intensely poetic writing, focussing on her new collection of stories Taking Pictures in this 2008 event… Jonathan Dimbleby Outstanding journalist and presenter Jonathan Dimbleby travelled thousands of miles to get to the heart of modern Russia. In this absorbing and often moving event from 2008, he gives unique insight into a vast land in transition… A L Kennedy The finest contemporary Scottish writing commissioned especially by the festival. We asked four of our most highly acclaimed writers (John Burnside, Janice Galloway, A L Kennedy and Don Paterson) to create new work - poetry and prose - for this 2008 event… Mark Robson Children's writer Mark Robson reveals, to an engaged audience of school children in this 2008 event, how his experiences as a Royal Air Force pilot helped prepare him to write his exciting Dragon Orb quartet of books. He speaks about the power of tenacity… Lights Off The Quay - pt3 (John Burnside) We commissioned and published new stories and poems from four of the finest Scottish writers: A L Kennedy, Janice Galloway, John Burnside and Don Paterson. Lights Off The Quay, our first publication of new writing, is the result. A sold-out event at the… Tony Benn Passionately dedicated to politics and to ordinary people, Tony Benn is a highly engaging speaker. He speaks in this 2008 event about his warm, funny, feisty diaries which record his trenchant views on the political landscape of the past seven years… Gavin Esler Co-presenter of Newsnight, one of our foremost commentators, Scottish broadcaster and writer Gavin Esler knows better than most what goes on behind the scenes in politics. In this 2008 event he talks about his new novel A Scandalous Man, which tells the… David Lodge David Lodge, one of the UK’s pre-eminent novelists and critics, talks about his latest book, Deaf Sentence – a brilliant, elegiac portrait of one man’s attempt to come to terms with his deafness… Bill Paterson Bill Paterson, one of Scotland's most renowned and best-loved actors, talks with Ruth Wishart about his much-awaited memoir Tales from the Back Green in this 2008 event. It's a wonderful portrait of growing up in Glasgow's East End in the 1950s… Alastair Reid Gatecrash the final evening of the 2008 Book Festival to hear the brilliant 'word magician', citizen of the world, translator, poet and more, as he talks about his work and reads from a new collection of writing… Howard Jacobson Howard Jacobson, the celebrated novelist and leading cultural critic renowned for his ebullient wit and passion for literature and art, talks about his new novel An Act of Love in this 2008 event… Lights Off The Quay - pt4 (Don Paterson) We commissioned and published new stories and poems from four of the finest Scottish writers: A L Kennedy, Janice Galloway, John Burnside and Don Paterson. Lights Off The Quay, our first publication of new writing, is the result. A sold-out event at the… Lights Off The Quay - pt2 (Janice Galloway) We commissioned and published new stories and poems from four of the finest Scottish writers: A L Kennedy, Janice Galloway, John Burnside and Don Paterson. Lights Off The Quay, our first publication of new writing, is the result. A sold-out event at the… Alex Salmond Scotland's First Minister and the first ever Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond speaks of his hopes and vision for the country in this 2008 event. Chaired by Brian Taylor… Richard Dawkins A brilliant evolutionist, polemical in his attack upon religion as an explanation of our world, Richard Dawkins was one of our fastest-selling events of 2008. In conversation with Paula Kirby, atheist and former Christian, he tackles life on Earth and the… Louis de Bernières A welcome return to the Book Festival in 2008 by Louis de Bernières, the author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Here he speaks engagingly about his humorous and sad new novel, A Partisan's Daughter… Xiaolu Guo Xiaolu Guo has won international praise for her work as both writer and filmmaker. In this 2008 event she discusses her latest novel 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth, which draws on her experiences as a filmmaker in Beijing… Xinran Xue - with Helen Tse Margaret Atwood - event with Alice Munro An extraordinary event from the 2007 Book Festival - an interview with two legendary, world-leading figures of Canadian writing, one on either side of the Atlantic. Margaret Atwood in Edinburgh interviews and chats to the great Alice Munro in Canada… Anita Nair - with William Dalrymple Tony Bradman (children's event) Fun poems and stories from entertaining children's author Tony Bradman in this 2007 schools event for pupils from P4-7. Tony also reads from his new book Assassin, which features a boy growing up in Scotland during the time of Hadrian's Roman occupation… Michael Rosen - Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly... New Children's Laureate and master entertainer Michael Rosen (most famous for We're Going on a Bear Hunt) thrilled Book Festival audiences in 2007 with this fun event for the whole family, full of silly, zany poetry told with infectious enthusiasm… Cathy Cassidy (children's event) Cathy Cassidy is back with an all-new lovable heroine whose family are a complete embarrassment - her mum is a drama queen while her dad thinks he's Elvis! Hear about the quirky characters and silly misadventures of Sundae Girl in this hugely enjoyable 200… Lucy Hawking A young audience plays Who Wants to be a Cosmic Billionaire?, is showered by an asteroid storm and learns about the solar system with Lucy Hawking and her father Professor Stephen Hawking (via live audio link-up) in video highlights from this thrilling 200… George Monbiot - pt2 Passionate campaigner for environmental and social change, George Monbiot gives us practical, powerful solutions on a global scale of how to prevent further destruction of our planet through climate change in this 2007 event. The video of this event is… Raja Shehadeh A breathtaking 2007 event with Palestinian human rights lawyer and writer Raja Shehadeh. He here launches his new book Palestinian Walks in which he crosses his land on foot; conflicts and history revealed in the beautiful and battered landscapes. Chaired… Lucy Hawking - pt2 A young audience plays Who Wants to be a Cosmic Billionaire?, is showered by an asteroid storm and learns about the solar system with Lucy Hawking and her father Professor Stephen Hawking (via live audio link-up) in video highlights from this thrilling 200… Margaret Atwood - interview In an interview with Tom Rice, the great Canadian writer Margaret Atwood talks about her poetry and fiction following sell-out events at the 2007 Book Festival. Here she describes her ingenious invention the LongPen: technology that allows authors to sign… Jacqueline Wilson (children's event) Perennial children's favourite Jacqueline Wilson is always a sell-out, and has the longest queues for book signings in the festival. In this 2007 event she talks about her new book for older readers and teenagers, Kiss which charts the adventures of… Alan Bennett Alan Bennett talks about his latest sublime fiction, The Uncommon Reader, in this fun 2007 event. The story revolves around the Queen's dicovery of literature and is full of Bennett's trademark humour and humanity… Lewis Alsamari - with Marina Nemat Iraqi exile Lewis Alsamari and Iranian Marina Nemat both wrote deeply moving and personal accounts of their experiences of escape to the West… Sergio Della Sala - pt2 The much-admired Professor of Human Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, Sergio Della Sala takes us on a highly amusing and accessible journey, exploring the myths and beliefs about our brain. Can mind conquer matter and diseases? Are… George Monbiot - pt4 Passionate campaigner for environmental and social change, George Monbiot gives us practical, powerful solutions on a global scale of how to prevent further destruction of our planet through climate change in this 2007 event. The video of this event is… Germaine Greer Provocative and opinionated - there's no one quite like Germaine Greer. In this 2007 event she talks about Shakespeare's Wife, her new book on Ann Hathaway, which combines her immense literary knowledge with her views on woman's position in society… George Monbiot - pt3 Passionate campaigner for environmental and social change, George Monbiot gives us practical, powerful solutions on a global scale of how to prevent further destruction of our planet through climate change in this 2007 event. The video of this event is… Sergio Della Sala The much-admired Professor of Human Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, Sergio Della Sala takes us on a highly amusing and accessible journey, exploring the myths and beliefs about our brain. Can mind conquer matter and diseases? Are… John Pilger - pt2 Radical, passionate and often controversial, John Pilger is one of the most important free spirits in worldwide journalism and filmmaking. In these video highlights from his 2007 event, he talks about the long shadow of imperialism, hidden censorship and… Philip Gourevitch The esteemed editor of The Paris Review, Philip Gourevitch discusses the magazine's position as one of the great iconic literary publications. See him divulge behind-the-scenes stories about some of the world's greatest writers who he has interviewed for… John Pilger Radical, passionate and often controversial, John Pilger is one of the most important free spirits in worldwide journalism and filmmaking. In these video highlights from his 2007 event, he talks about the long shadow of imperialism, hidden censorship and… Alexander McCall Smith An international publishing phenomenon, Alexander McCall Smith chats to Louisa Donaldson in this 2007 podcast about life, the festival and his popular series of books which include The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street… William Nicholson - with Charlie Fletcher Academy Award nominee William Nicholson (Shadowlands and Gladiator) and Charlie Fletcher (Taggart, Afterlife) are both currently adapting their novels for the screen - what will that mean for the stories? They offer a few insights in this 2007 podcast… Ian Rankin Always a hot favourite at the Book Festival, bestselling crime author Ian Rankin's events are never less than entertaining. Here he chats to Magnus Linklater and reveals something about his new 2007 Inspector Rebus novel, Exit Music… Ian McEwan Unedited audio recording of the 2007 event in which Ian McEwan chats with chair Ian Rankin about his early work, influences and most recent publication, On Chesil Beach. Great fun!… Phillip Gourevitch - pt2 The esteemed editor of The Paris Review, Philip Gourevitch discusses the magazine's position as one of the great iconic literary publications. See him divulge behind-the-scenes stories about some of the world's greatest writers who he has interviewed for… Andrew Marr The hugely admired Scottish broadcaster Andrew Marr talks to Iain Macwhirter about Scotland, politics and life in general in one of our fastest selling events of 2007… Fay Weldon She's stylish, sharp, satirical and a great speaker to boot. A free spirit with a long and remarkable writing career, Fay Weldon talks in this 2007 event about her latest novel The Spa Decameron, in which ten women gather at a spa for pampering, new… James Kelman James Kelman is the single most influential Scottish novelist of modern times and Scotland's only Booker Prize winner. Listen to him discuss his groundbreaking early work in 2007, the year of its reissue… Julian Clary - with Rhona Cameron This 2007 podcast features a bit of chat, a sneaky listen to each event and some audience feedback with comedians Julian Clary and Rhona Cameron as they both launch their very first novels at the Book Festival… Michelle Paver (children's event) Michelle Paver's book signing queues are getting almost as long as Jacqueline Wilson's and her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series has become a massive hit with children; full of ancient artefacts and tales of survival. Listen to this exciting event… Nicola Barry Join leading journalist Nicola Barry for this poignant event from 2007 about her family's struggle and her ultimate triumph over alcoholism… Joyce Carol Oates One of America's most admired and respected novelists and a strong contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. In this 2007 event Joyce Carol Oates discusses her bold new novel Black Girl / White Girl, which examines the issues of race in the US in the… Richard Ford A rare and long-awaited visit to the Book Festival in 2007 by one of America's greatest writers. Richard Ford's Independence Day is the only book ever to have won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Here he discusses his magnificent follow-… Billy Bragg Thoroughly at home with an audience, political singer and activist Billy Bragg inspires his hundreds of fans with talk of his new book, The Progressive Patriot in this 2007 event… A C Grayling How should we lead our lives? An hour of illuminating, engaging and passionate talk from the leading philosopher A C Grayling in this 2007 event… Louise Rennison (children's event) Do the Disco Inferno with Louise Rennison, outspoken author of extraordinary teen fiction, as she discusses her latest hilarious Georgina Nicholson offering 'Luurve is a Many Trousered Thing...' in this lively 2007 event… Claire MacDonald - with John Dickie Joanna David - with Josephine Hart & Dan Stevens The poetry and life of Byron is examined by novelist and poetry evangelist Josephine Hart in this 2007 event. With readings by renowned actors of stage and screen, Joanna David and Dan Stevens… Dylan Wiliam - Formative Assessment Professor Dylan Wiliam of University College, London is a leading education expert and champion of Formative Assessment. In this event from 2007, he talks candidly about helping children reach their goals without teaching to tests… Alan Warner An immensely welcome visit in 2007 from one of Scotland's most dizzingly talented and original writers, now living in Spain. Listen as Alan Warner, author of Morvern Callar and The Worms Can Carry Me to Heaven, discusses the scope and ambition of his work… Lionel Shriver American author, journalist and critic Lionel Shriver talks, in this 2007 event, about her new novel The Post-Birthday World which imagines two parallel lives for a woman… A L Kennedy Linguistic brilliance from A L Kennedy, one of the most remarkable writers of her generation. In this 2007 event she talks about her latest novel Day - a moving, profound, beautifully realised story of a bomber in the Second World War… Ian Rankin - interview Always a favourite and always entertaining, Ian Rankin is the UK's biggest-selling crime author and recipient of countless awards. He is a hot favourite at the Book Festival, where he regularly wins more fans. In this 2007 podcast he chats to Tom Rice… Norman Mailer - live from America Live from America, the inimitable man of letters Norman Mailer chats via video link-up to Scottish writer Andrew O'Hagan in Edinburgh. Topics discussed in this extraordinary 2007 event include Mailer's career, his ambitions and his latest novel The Castle… Marina Nemat - with Lewis Alsamari Iraqi exile Lewis Alsamari and Iranian Marina Nemat both wrote deeply moving and personal accounts of their experiences of escape to the West… Michael Foreman - with Michael Morpurgo (children's event) A unique opportunity to hear one of the most successful and best-loved writing and illustrating partnerships, Michael Foreman and Michael Morpurgo, in conversation in this 2006 event. Between them they have worked on over 250 books for children and remain… Margaret Atwood She is one of the world's most gifted and eminent authors, on a special visit from Canada to receive the Scottish Arts Council's Muriel Spark International Fellowship. Always an entertaining speaker, here Margaret Atwood talks about her life as a writer… Martin Amis We were delighted when Martin Amis agreed to speak at a special Book Festival autumn event at Edinburgh's Queens Hall in 2006. A rare visit to Scotland by one of the most admired and influential writers of his generation was indeed cause for celebration… Alexander Masters Alexander Masters' biography of homeless Stuart Shorter, Stuart: A Life Backwards, has been hailed by critics as startling, remarkable, rare, haunting and uplifting. In this utterly absorbing event from 2006, he asks how a life can follow such a troubled… Roger McGough A joyous return to Edinburgh in 2006 by the 'patron saint of poetry' - simply hearing him read his own work is a blissful experience. He has also written an autobiography filled with his usual idiosyncratic humour and humanity - growing up in Liverpool… Roger McGough (children’s event) Roger 'patron saint of poetry' McGough enchanted his young audience with a lively bit of chat and some fantastic poetry in this 2006 event for all the family. Suitable for children aged 7 and upwards… Charlie Higson (children's event) Charlie Higson brings the latest ingenious instalment of his Young Bond series to the Book Festival in 2006. Hear about the thrilling teenage exploits of the world's most enigmatic spy in Blood Fever. Suitable for 10-14 year olds… Doris Lessing A great favourite at the Book Festival and one of the most revered figures in English literature, Doris Lessing reveals the full force of her literary intelligence as she discusses her career and recent writings in this 2006 event… Meg Rosoff (children's event) Will you step in front of a bus today or win the lottery? The author of the breathtaking bestseller How I Live Now, talks to an audience of teens and adults in this 2006 event about her utterly compelling new novel on fate and what happens when fate doesn'… Bernard MacLaverty Tony Benn In the fastest selling event at the 2006 Book Festival, captivating speaker Tony Benn enchants his audience with wit and unquenched passion… Seamus Heaney A chance to hear Seamus Heaney, the great Nobel Prize winning poet, reading his own work in this 2006 event, including his major new volume District and Circle. Pure pleasure… Paul Muldoon Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon has been called 'the most important English language poet born since the Second World War'. Hear the power of his forthcoming work in this 2006 event… Ian Rankin Always one of the most popular Book Festival authors and an international bestselling phenomenon to boot, Scottish-born Ian Rankin is interrogated by fellow crime writer Denise Mina in this revealing 2006 Book Festival event… Eoin Colfer (children's event) Gillian Baverstock To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the publication of Malory Towers, Enid Blyton's daughter, Gillian Baverstock, shares her memories of growing up with one of the world's best-loved children's authors. Hear about the real-life inspirations behind Blyton'… Ngugi wa Thiong'o A major, first ever visit to the Book Festival in 2006 from one of the most important living African writers. A legend in his native Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, now world-renowned, was imprisoned for his opposition and insistence on writing in his native… Billy Collins One of the most popular poets on the planet and former US Poet Laureate in his first visit to the Book Festival in 2006. Billy Collins speaks without pretension and with perfect perception about the revelatory detail of our daily lives… John Mortimer Utter delight in the company of one of the most effervescent minds in the land, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey and now a wonderful new comic novel, Quite Honestly. This 2006 event with John Mortimer is great fun… David Almond (children's event) A fantastic opportunity to gatecrash our 2005 Book Festival event with David Almond, one of today's most respected and acclaimed writers for young people and the author of many novels including the award-winning Skellig and The Fire Eaters. In this… Anna Politkovskaya An outstandingly courageous critic of the current Russian regime, journalist and author Anna Politkovskaya has been the recipient of numerous international honours. Sadly she was found shot dead in a lift at her apartment block in Moscow on 7 October 2006… Andre Brink Hear from one of the most important voices coming out of South Africa in this 2005 event. Andre Brink discusses his new novel Praying Mantis, many years in the making and steeped in African magic and dreams… William Nicholson (children's event) A gifted and imaginative writer, William Nicholson returns to the Book Festival in 2005 with the first book in his new trilogy Seeker, an extraordinary adventure full of magic, glory and truth. Suitable for children aged 11 and upwards… Andrew Marr The first ever visit to the Book Festival by the BBC's Political Editor was our fastest selling event in 2005. Andrew Marr talks about his trade and brings inside stories from the world of politics - expect colourful descriptions of Westminster… Michael Morpurgo (children's event) Award-winning Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo is a gripping speaker and a firm favourite with youngsters (and adults!). In this 2004 event for 9-12 year olds he talks about his new book Private Peaceful, the story of a young soldier at the front… Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins, one of the world's greatest living scientists, talks to Muriel Gray in this 2005 event about his extraordinary investigations of evolution and his passion for the wonders it contains and reveals… Liz Lochhead Rejoice in the wit, charm and warmth of a captivating poet and performer. Brimful of the most wonderful language, this Liz Lochhead event was the perfect conclusion to the 2005 Book Festival… Melvin Burgess (teen event) Well known for producing controversial, demanding and prize-winning teen fiction, Melvin Burgess is now regarded as one of the best writers of contemporary children's literature. In this 2005 schools event he talks about the significance of myth in his… Andrea Levy Andrea Levy's Small Island has won the Orange, Whitbread and Commonwealth prizes. The author speaks in this 2005 event with intelligence and wit about the book and her career… Jeanette Winterson Lighthousekeeping, in which motherless Silver is taken in by Mr Pew, keeper of the Cape Wrath lighthouse, is an extraordinary homage to R L Stevenson by one of the most startlingly original and brilliant novelists at work today. Jeanette Winterson is also… Cathy Cassidy (children's event) Fans of Jacqueline Wilson's books for older readers will love the wonderfully warm characters in Cathy Cassidy's instantly popular Dizzy and Indigo Blue. This 2005 event is suitable for 11-13 year olds… Margaret Atwood Canadian novelist, poet, critic and essayist of global renown and influence, Margaret Atwood's Book Festival events always sell out in a matter of days and her visits to Edinburgh are much anticipated. In this 2005 event she reads some of her short…