Griff Rhys Jones

Jane Gardam (2013 event) Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and twice the winner of a Whitbread Award, Jane Gardam also received a Heywood Hill Literary Prize for her distinguished literary career… Garrison Keillor For over three decades Garrison Keillor has delighted radio audiences and readers alike with his hilarious yet poignant take on life in mid-west America. Here he tells stories, sings songs and regales the audience with anecdotes in an event like no other… Andrea Levy (2010 event) In 2010 Andrea Levy joined us for a captivating event to discuss The Long Song. Alongside chair Charlotte Higgins, Andrea Levy spoke of her striking new work to an eager audience… Martin Amis We were delighted when Martin Amis agreed to speak at a special Book Festival autumn event at Edinburgh's Queens Hall in 2006. A rare visit to Scotland by one of the most admired and influential writers of his generation was indeed cause for celebration… Meera Syal (2015 Event) Acclaimed actor, screenwriter and author of Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee, Meera Syal returned to Edinburgh for the first time since 2000 to discuss her new novel. The House of Hidden Mothers moves between East London’s Little India and a… Maggie Fergusson & Michael Morpurgo (2012 event) He's a master storyteller who has left an indelible mark on countless children who’ve grown up with his stories… Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Bidisha (2015 Event) Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is one of Britain’s most important commentators on multiculturalism: in Exotic England she describes ‘a curious nation’ that has developed thanks to its long history of immigration. Bidisha is a writer and human… Arthur Smith The irreverent, hilarious and scandalous broadcaster Arthur Smith began his event at the Book Festival in the dark due to a complete power failure but with his booming voice and general good humour he revelled in the novelty of performing in the dark. And… Polly Toynbee and David Walker (2010 Event) So what exactly did twelve years of undiluted New Labour achieve? Polly Toynbee and David Walker, co-authors of two previous books on the subject, returned to the Book Festival in 2010 with the definitive assessment… Gordon Brown - 25th Anniversary Opening Event Prime Minister Gordon Brown opens the 2008 Book Festival with this unique and illuminating conversation with Ian Rankin. Hear him discuss history, heroes and his own writings…