Jackie Kay with Nicola Sturgeon (2016 Event)

Scotland's Makar, Jackie Kay, has a proud history of writing poetry about believable characters; ordinary people like herself. Her poems are genuine, open and often deeply personal. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has long been an admirer of Kay's work, as well as an advocate of the importance of reading. In this event, filmed live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, they discuss the poems Kay is producing in her role as Makar, and Sturgeon's Reading Challenge.

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

Doireann Ní Ghríofa: A Ghost in the Throat Doireann Ní Ghríofa: A Ghost in the Throat The narrator in Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s A Ghost in the Throat is acutely conscious that she’s occupying a female body, and that her body is itself a kind of ‘female text’ that bears witness to her life experiences. But A Ghost in the Throat is also a female… 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… Pragya Agarwal & Shon Faye: Reframing the Personal and Political Pragya Agarwal & Shon Faye: Reframing the Personal and Political In what is ostensibly an era of choice, the most personal decisions we make – about our bodies and how we live our lives – continue to be subject to analysis, discussion and frequently unwelcome debate. We are under scrutiny and surrounded by assumptions… Interview - David Crystal (2015) Interview - David Crystal (2015) Top linguist David Crystal took a moment before his event to talk with us about accents, language and how it's changing in the 21st Century. We also chatted to his fans after the event to see what they thought. You can see David's hour-long event… Scotland's Stories Now Scotland's Stories Now Everyone has a story to tell; through stories we can make sense of our world. Earlier this year writers Andrew O’Hagan, Eleanor Thom, Ryan Van Winkle, Mae Diansangu, Roseanne Watt, Bea Webster and Siân Bevan collaborated with community groups across the… Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 10–12 August Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 Highlights 10–12 August The fantastic first few days featuring visits from Tim Winton, DeRay Mackesson, Malorie Blackman and more… Philippa Perry at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Philippa Perry at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Psychotherapist Philippa Perry cuts through the drone of humdrum parenting guides with The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, a straight-shooting and humorous look at the bigger picture of parenting. Twenty years of working in therapy have taught Perry… Michael Pedersen: Boy Friends Forever Michael Pedersen: Boy Friends Forever Are friendships the greatest love affairs of our lives? Join us to celebrate the publication of Michael Pedersen’s much-anticipated prose debut and intimate memoir Boy Friends. Along with two pioneering artists, Shirley Manson and Charlotte Church… The Accessibility of Books The Accessibility of Books What steps are being taken for those who face barriers in accessing books, or whose stories are underrepresented in mainstream publishing? Chaired by author and co-founder of the Good Literary Agency, Nikesh Shukla, this event showcases examples of how… Alan Cumming (2016 Event) Alan Cumming (2016 Event) Dividing his time between New York and Hollywood, one of our best-kent Scottish actors has found himself at the centre of an impressive collection of scenes, scrapes and scraps in the world of showbiz. Alan Cumming has now gathered some of his best…