Interview - Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Cosslett (2014)

John Byrne (2011 event) Painter and set designer, playwright and novelist - one of Scotland's great polymaths talks about his extraordinary life and work… 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… 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… 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… 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… Karen Campbell and Simon Lelic (2010 event) Two of Britain's leading young writers stretch the boundaries of crime fiction… 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… 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… 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… 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…