Shahad Al Rawi & Michael Donkor (2018 Event)

Two coming-of-age tales come under the microscope in this event recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. Shahad Al Rawi’s poignant debut The Baghdad Clock (winner of the Book Festival's 2018 First Book Award) takes us back to 1991 with the Iraqi capital under fire as two girls bond against the backdrop of military bombardment. Michael Donkor’s moving and unexpectedly funny debut novel Hold, switches between Ghana and Britain as a wayward girl finds kinship with a sensible teenager.

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

Johann Hari (2015 Event) Johann Hari (2015 Event) It’s a century since drugs were first banned in the United States, thus unleashing a war against narcotics that has raged ever since. Journalist Johann Hari conducted a three-year investigation into the reality of drugs and now presents Chasing the… Mark Millar Mark Millar Mark Millar candidly discusses comics, graphic novels and Hollywood with Stuart Kelly in this sold-out Book Festival event. His bestselling comic Kick-Ass is being made into a film this year; Wanted 2 is in development after the success of his blockbuster… Tom Parker Bowles Tom Parker Bowles The popular food critic and writer Tom Parker Bowles traveled the country meeting the weird and wonderful people and dishes which make up our culinary heritage and in this event he talks about his discoveries with his customary blend humour and wisdom… Patrick McCabe and Colm Tóibín Patrick McCabe and Colm Tóibín These two superlative writers explore small-town Ireland in their latest novels and we were delighted that they were both able to come to the Book Festival to talk about their work… Gordon Brown (2014 event) Gordon Brown (2014 event) Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown talks about his new bestseller My Scotland, Our Britain: A Future Worth Sharing… Nicholas Parsons (2014 event) Nicholas Parsons (2014 event) The much-loved radio show Just a Minute has been delighting listeners for 46 years and every single episode of the programme has been hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Now, Parsons has produced his first book about Britain’s longest-running radio comedy… Julia Donaldson reading Ballad of Jemmy Button Julia Donaldson reading Ballad of Jemmy Button The massively popular children's writer and new Children's Laureate reading her contribution to our Elsewhere series of stories… Ed Stourton (2011 Event) Ed Stourton (2011 Event) When you hear that a book by a renowned journalist and broadcaster is subtitled ‘Time Spent Following a Lead’, you might assume it’s a memoir concerning the pursuit of headlines. But Diary of a Dog Walker is in fact Stourton’s tale/tail of going out with… Richard Ford with Kirsty Wark (2017 Event) 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… David Mitchell with Sam Amidon: The Music of Utopia Avenue (2020 Event) David Mitchell with Sam Amidon: The Music of Utopia Avenue (2020 Event) While the Summer of Love is about to unfold across the Atlantic, life in 1967 isn’t so easy for a young would-be musician in London’s shabby Charing Cross Road. Yet from this modest starting point, David Mitchell builds a joyful fictional biography of a…