Lisa Croft, Willy Maley, Jennie Renton & Tam Watters: ¡No Pasaran!

Captioned

Our Fathers Fought Franco is the remarkable collective biography of four men - three from Scotland, and one from England - who enlisted in the XV International Brigade and fought in the Spanish Civil War. In 1937, they were in the battle of Jarama, ending up in the same prison cell. The authors have sifted through news reports, interviews, and prison diaries to explore why their ancestors set out to stand up against fascism. Chaired by Brian Taylor.

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

Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015 Event) Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015 Event) We were thrilled to welcome bestselling Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen to the Book Festival's home in Charlotte Square Gardens for the first time. The creator of the Department Q novels has sold over 10 million copies of his books worldwide; watch as… Karen Campbell & Charlie Roy: Things We Don’t Remember, Things We Can’t Forget Karen Campbell & Charlie Roy: Things We Don’t Remember, Things We Can’t Forget Charlie Roy’s The Broken Pane follows Tam’s flight into her past, after a tragic discovery throws her life off course. Karen Campbell’s Paper Cup journeys with Kelly, who is homeless and decides to leave the streets of Glasgow to return to her childhood… Hadley Freeman (2016 Event) Hadley Freeman (2016 Event) For many, the 80s was a decade that taste didn’t just forget, but totally bypassed. Guardian and Vogue columnist Hadley Freeman does not subscribe to that one bit and is so passionate about 80s American movies that she’s written a book about them. Life… Chris Packham (2016 Event) Chris Packham (2016 Event) As the presenter of BBC's Springwatch, Chris Packham has become one of the nation’s favourite naturalists. But Packham was far from popular as a child: in his brave and lyrical memoir, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, he recalls life as a solitary child… On Food and Community: Sami Tamimi On Food and Community: Sami Tamimi From the personal to the political: what and how we eat says so much about who we are. Tamimi talks with Chitra Ramaswamy about food as a symbol of resistance, celebration and community… Olivia Laing: Art is Political Olivia Laing: Art is Political Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency is more than just a collection of Olivia Laing’s essays over decades. Ranging from interviews and profiles to reflections and confessionals, Laing’s characteristic generosity of spirit and optimism of purpose inspires… Monica Heisey: On Modern Love Monica Heisey: On Modern Love Newlywed PhD student Maggie is in her late 20s with her whole life ahead of her – and then her husband asks for a divorce, moves out, and takes the cat with him. Really Good, Actually is as hilarious and heartfelt as you’d expect from Monica Heisey, a… The Edwin Morgan Poetry Award The Edwin Morgan Poetry Award James McGonigal, Edwin Morgan’s friend and biographer notes that the man ‘was a poet of inventive forms and many voices – a writer of the unexpected. Here are two more surprises. Firstly, he actually made money from poetry. This took much effort and… Éric Vuillard & Mark Polizzotti with Amelia Gentleman Éric Vuillard & Mark Polizzotti with Amelia Gentleman Writer and film-maker Éric Vuillard was catapulted to fame in his native France when he won the Prix Goncourt in 2017 for his novel The Order of the Day, set in Austria in the lead-up to the Second World War. This also began the working relationship… Melissa Benn (2014 event) Melissa Benn (2014 event) Airbrushed supermodels, unrealistically skinny celebrities, casual sexism in the media. Why, despite everything, are women still not paid equally or properly represented on corporate boards? These are the questions posed by Melissa Benn in her book What…