Omid Djalili (2014 event)

Acclaimed comedian and actor Omid Djalili has produced a joyously funny memoir about growing up and finding fame as a young Iranian in London. He beautifully captures his unique childhood in his parents’ guesthouse, describing meetings with an array of remarkable characters and his own desire to escape. His story offers an intriguing perspective on British society today and in this event, filmed live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he talks to author and critic Peter Guttridge.

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

Simon Jenkins: Who Exactly Are the Celts? Simon Jenkins: Who Exactly Are the Celts? Since Scotland’s independence referendum and Brexit, the United Kingdom has felt far from united. Into this context, former editor of the Times Sir Simon Jenkins offers a timely analysis of Celtic identity, from its mysterious origins to its re-emergence… Thomas Keneally at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Thomas Keneally at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The Booker Prize-winning Australian author of Schindler’s Ark, Thomas Keneally comes to Edinburgh having woven another masterpiece in The Book of Science and Antiquities. Ancient human remains are found in Western Australia, causing controversy: was the… Scholastique Mukasonga: Reclaiming Rwanda’s Stories Scholastique Mukasonga: Reclaiming Rwanda’s Stories The genocide of 1994 in Rwanda continues to cast a long shadow over the country – and over its European colonisers. Belgian colonists and missionaries originally favoured Rwanda’s minority Tutsi people (even devising an ‘ethnic identity card’ in 1931) but… The Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture: Matt Haig (2015 Event) The Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture: Matt Haig (2015 Event) Award-winning author Siobhan Dowd died in 2007, bequeathing her royalties to a trust which aims to bring the joy of reading to those who need it most. In 2015 the Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture was delivered by novelist Matt Haig, whose books for… Ma Jian talks to André Naffis-Sahely at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Ma Jian talks to André Naffis-Sahely at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Exile in London hasn’t dulled Chinese author Ma Jian’s anger at the state which permanently banned his work over 30 years ago. His biting satire China Dream takes aim at Xi Jinping’s regime and the mistruths told by the Communist Party today, centring on… Jo Hunter & John Loughton: Power to the People Jo Hunter & John Loughton: Power to the People When Jo Hunter established 64 Million Artists, an organisation that aims to encourage everybody in the UK to discover their creativity, little did she know that in 2020 she would have to dramatically change the way they reached people. The ‘COVID-19 pivot’… Lola Olufemi & Minna Salami: Critical Reflections on Feminism Lola Olufemi & Minna Salami: Critical Reflections on Feminism Since 2010, the award-winning blog MsAfropolitan has connected feminism with critical reflections on contemporary culture from an Africa-centred perspective. Its founder is Nigerian-Finnish writer and lecturer Minna Salami, a powerhouse of feminist… Out of the Hot Zone Out of the Hot Zone The effects of the climate crisis are far-reaching and disastrous: from unliveable conditions and resource scarcity, to economic collapse, political unrest, and war. Over the course of the next 50 years, between one and three billion people will be left… Simon Woolley: Shaking Up the Establishment Simon Woolley: Shaking Up the Establishment When Simon Woolley created Operation Black Vote in 1996, he inspired hundreds of thousands of people to participate in the democratic process. Raised on an impoverished estate in Leicester, he has become a political force to be reckoned with, the first… Michele Hutchison & Marieke Lucas Rijneveld: Reap What You Sow Michele Hutchison & Marieke Lucas Rijneveld: Reap What You Sow Great art doesn’t just reinforce or reassure: the authors we love challenge us; they illuminate new perspectives, make us question our certainties. They discomfort us. From its very title, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s International Booker shortlisted debut…