James Kelman

Ngugi wa Thiong'o A major, first ever visit to the Book Festival in 2006 from one of the most important living African writers. A legend in his native Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, now world-renowned, was imprisoned for his opposition and insistence on writing in his native… Kathleen Jamie, Chitra Ramaswamy & Amanda Thomson: Antlers of Water (2020 Event) In a discussion recorded live at the 2020 Book Festival and led by the BBC's Clare English, Jamie is joined by award-winning journalist Chitra Ramaswamy as well as visual artist and writer Amanda Thomson – both contributors to the anthology – to discuss… Marina Lewycka Marina Lewycka is a gifted and entertaining storyteller whose popularity became assured with her first novel A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. Just like her books, her events are full of energy and humour which has made her loved by festival… Kirstin Innes: Who is Clio Campbell? (2020 Event) Written from the perspective of those who loved (and hated) Clio Campbell most, and taking in everything from Top of the Pops to IndyRef along the way, Scabby Queen will have you hooked. Kirstin Innes joins Heather Parry in this event recorded live at the… Richard Ford with Kirsty Wark (2017 Event) Richard Ford is one of America’s greatest writers, capturing the changing face of the USA since the late 70s. He writes of the human condition with wit, passion and an uncanny observational eye. His beloved country has gone through seismic shifts in the… Claire MacDonald - with John Dickie Jenny Erpenbeck with Michel Faber (2015 Event) If you only read one novel this year, make it The End of Days. A book that takes a series of surprising turns, it confirms German author Jenny Erpenbeck as ‘one of the finest, most exciting authors alive’. That reviewer was fellow novelist… Simon Sebag Montefiore Salman Rushdie (2013 event) In 1983, Salman Rushdie was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for his novel Shame and named among Granta’s inuagural Best of Young British Novelists… Alaa Al Aswany (2016 Event) In 2002, The Yacoubian Building was an international bestseller, establishing Alaa Al Aswany as one of the Arab world’s most influential voices. Since then, Egypt has changed radically. However, Al Aswany’s novel The Automobile Club of Egypt represents…