Alan Cumming: Unpacking a Life

BSL Captioned

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 acting career, from the stages of Aberfeldy to the screens of Hollywood. Join him for a thoroughly entertaining hour.

Book Festival News

Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024 Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024
Friday 13 December

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Watch more

Maria Stepanova & Sasha Dugdale with Allan Little 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… Joan Bakewell with Richard Holloway: Moving On 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… Tom Devine speaks to Allan Little at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 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… Beneath the Covers: Best Marketing Strategies of 2022 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… Neil Oliver at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 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… Interview - Bonnie Greer (2014) 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… How to book on the first day of sales 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… Mat Osman: The Fickle Friend of Fortune 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… Innu Poetry from the Canadian Tundra (2015 Event) 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… Diana Gabaldon: The Outlander Phenomenon 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…