John Burnside

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… 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… 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… 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… 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… Wendy Cope (2011 Event) The poetry of Kent-born Cope has charmed readers ever since her first collection, Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis… 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… 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… 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… 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!…