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 entertainment. Here we feature some of the highlights, along with what authors and audiences had to say about their time at the Festival.

You can view events from the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival in full here in our Video Gallery, or find events and author interviews on our YouTube channel.

Book Festival News

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

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Raven Leilani & Patricia Lockwood: Sharp, Fragmentary Fiction 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… Chelsea Clinton (2018 Event) 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… Reverend Jesse Jackson (2015 Event) 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… Eva Baltasar & Lina Meruane: Body Politics 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… Patrick Gale: The Word That Speaks the Man 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… Julia Donaldson and Peter May (2015 Event) 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… Marian Keyes: Disaster Averted Marian Keyes: Disaster Averted The bestselling author arrives at the Festival with a hilarious, heart-warming new novel. In My Favourite Mistake, Anna trades in her high-flying life in New York to help her friends open a wellness retreat in a tiny Irish town. When the locals protest… Andy Burnham & Steve Rotheram: Another Way – Politics Post-Westminster Andy Burnham & Steve Rotheram: Another Way – Politics Post-Westminster 25 years since the Devolution Act, two English city Mayors come together to offer rare insight into politics from outside the Westminster bubble. In Head North, the Mayors of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region, Andy Burnham and Steve… Kayus Bankole & Kei Miller: Outriders Africa from East to West 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… On Making it Count: Oliver Burkeman On Making it Count: Oliver Burkeman Oliver Burkeman is the international bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks, which explored how we might step back from Being Busy as a core personality trait and make the most of our ridiculously short time on Earth. Discussing his latest work…