Neil Gaiman with Audrey Niffenegger (2011 event)

It’s ten years since the publication of the landmark American Gods, a book that brought Gaiman to international fame. One reviewer even lauded him thus: ‘Saying Neil Gaiman is a writer is like saying Da Vinci dabbled in the arts.’ Since then he’s won countless awards for his work in the fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres as well as the Carnegie Medal for children’s literature. In this event, selected and chaired by Audrey Niffenegger, Neil Gaiman discussed the epic blend of Americana, myth and fantasy in his work. Filmed live at the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Loading the player... if your browser supports audio and video it should appear in a few moments.

Book Festival News

Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival
Monday 26 August

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Watch more

Mara Menzies: A Story of Identity Mara Menzies: A Story of Identity Perhaps because it is such a natural human impulse, storytelling has sometimes been overlooked as an art form. Yet we are content to take it for granted as a building block for films, plays and the written word. Mara Menzies is a performance storyteller… UNBOUND: The Golden Hour UNBOUND: The Golden Hour A hellacious hybrid of rakish words and eclectic music: Ryan Van Winkle, Joe Dunthorne, Kelly Link and roofing poet William Leftford… 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… Jessie Greengrass & Gwendoline Riley: The Agony of Love Jessie Greengrass & Gwendoline Riley: The Agony of Love ‘Jessie Greengrass makes words dance. And she makes me want to stand up and dance with them.’ Elif Shafak’s selection of Greengrass as one of ten exciting women writers in the UK coincides neatly with the publication of her second novel, The High House –… Polly Barton & Eley Williams: Words That Define Us Polly Barton & Eley Williams: Words That Define Us We define words – and then they define us. Meet two authors whose delightful relationship with words and meaning comes to the foreground in their work. Eley Williams won the James Tait Black Prize for her debut short story collection Attrib., a… Zindzi Mandela with Allan Little (2018 Event) Zindzi Mandela with Allan Little (2018 Event) Zindzi Mandela is the youngest daughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. She has long been involved in South Africa’s freedom struggle and is currently serving as South Africa's ambassador to Denmark. In this frank interview with journalist and former BBC… Colm Tóibín: Man Imagines Mann Colm Tóibín: Man Imagines Mann It’s been a year of recognition for Colm Tóibín. First the writer was announced as the new Irish Laureate for Fiction and then he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime of achievement. He’s also published a first book of poetry, Vinegar Hill and… Susan Abulhawa: Grace in the Face of Violence Susan Abulhawa: Grace in the Face of Violence Susan Abulhawa is a human rights activist and political commentator – and she’s now regarded as one of Palestine’s most accomplished writers. Her debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, was an international bestseller, translated into 26 languages. Now she… Ciaran Martin with Tom Devine: Where Next for the United Kingdom? Ciaran Martin with Tom Devine: Where Next for the United Kingdom? Currently a professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, Ciaran Martin played a key role as a senior civil servant for David Cameron’s government in negotiating the terms of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Seven years on… How We Kept The Conversation Going in 2020 How We Kept The Conversation Going in 2020 This film illustrates the challenges faced by the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2020 and great achievements made during a difficult year for the cultural sector. Narrated by the Chair of the Book Festival's Board, Allan Little and featuring…