Anna Politkovskaya

An outstandingly courageous critic of the current Russian regime, journalist and author Anna Politkovskaya has been the recipient of numerous international honours. Sadly she was found shot dead in a lift at her apartment block in Moscow on 7 October 2006. She was one of our most welcome guests at the Book Festival in 2005 and spoke compellingly about her work and also her fears for her life. This talk is translated from Russian.

Loading the player... if your browser supports audio and video it should appear in a few moments.
Download MP3

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

Listen to more

Hyeonseo Lee (2015 Event) Hyeonseo Lee (2015 Event) As a child of Kim Il-sung’s North Korea, a teenage Hyeonseo Lee believed the Dear Leader was her saviour, even holding on to that faith after she’d fled the country to live with relatives in China. Subsequently, Lee fought for the rest of her… Harry Baker (2017 Event) Harry Baker (2017 Event) Meet the man who is a World Poetry Slam Champion turned full-time poet via a maths degree. Following on from his debut collection, The Sunshine Kid, Harry Baker brings a selection of old favourites and brand new poems to this event recorded live at the 201… Susan Greenfield with Kirsty Wark (2013 event) Susan Greenfield with Kirsty Wark (2013 event) She’s the Professor of Pharmacology at Oxford University and has been awarded no fewer than 30 honorary degrees for her work. Baroness Susan Greenfield has risen to… Michel Faber (2011 Event) Michel Faber (2011 Event) The astonishing, triumphant television adaptation of Michel Faber's novel The Crimson Petal and the White represents a radical new step for the previously tired costume drama genre. In this event, Faber discussed his book with Lucinda Coxon… Limmy (2017 Event) Limmy (2017 Event) The short, sharp and funny shock has been Brian Limond aka Limmy’s forte ever since breaking through with his World of Glasgow web series in 2006. After a Scottish BAFTA-winning TV show, Limmy has turned his attention to books of tiny tales (some… Serhii Plokhy at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Serhii Plokhy at the Edinburgh International Book Festival ‘Heartbreaking stories of heroism’ set against a backdrop of ‘political cynicism and scientific ignorance'. That’s how judges described the winner of 2018's Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction – Serhii Plokhy’s Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy. The… John Byrne (2011 event) John Byrne (2011 event) Painter and set designer, playwright and novelist, John Byrne is one of Scotland’s great polymaths. Best known for his plays the Slab Boys Trilogy and Tutti Frutti, Byrne has also designed record sleeves for Donovan and The Beatles… Maaza Mengiste: When Italy Invaded Ethiopia (2020 Event) Maaza Mengiste: When Italy Invaded Ethiopia (2020 Event) In Maaza Mengiste’s latest novel, the shadowy nature of figures from the past is played out in complex and interlocking ways. The Shadow King is powerful, stirring historical fiction that centres women within stories of war and battle that have… Cara Ellison & Simon Parkin (2016 Event) Cara Ellison & Simon Parkin (2016 Event) For years video games have been part of daily life and now two keen players have written insiders’ accounts that explore their effects. In this event, recorded live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cara Ellison (a ‘cyberpunk hair-dyed… Lola Olufemi & Minna Salami: Critical Reflections on Feminism (2020 Event) Lola Olufemi & Minna Salami: Critical Reflections on Feminism (2020 Event) 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…