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 president of the British Academy, David Cannadine, as he offers insight on our times, placing them on the broader stage of history, and presents his new book Victorious Century. He talks to Scottish journalist and literary editor Rosemary Goring in this event, filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Book Festival News

Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival
Monday 26 August

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

Donate

Share

Watch more

Matt Haig (2017 Event) 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… Playing with Books: The Yellow Door by Kathleen Jamie 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… Douglas Stuart with Val McDermid: Knives, Doves and Forbidden Love 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… Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with Nicola Sturgeon (2017 Event) 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… Samantha Power with Allan Little: What One Person Can Do 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… Ada Limón: The Images of Poetry 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… Simon Callow (2017 Event) 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… Interview - Elif Shafak (2015) 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… Outriders Africa: Meet Amanda Thomson and Sabrina Mahfouz| Edinburgh International Book Festival 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… Torrey Peters: The Remaking of the Family 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…