Wendy Cope (2011 Event)

The poetry of Kent-born Cope has charmed readers ever since her first collection, Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis. In Family Values she gives it to us straight with verse about religion, childhood and death, all imbued with her trademark wit and honesty. Family Values also holds a few life lessons for friends and relatives: in ‘My Funeral’, she wants no one to overstay their welcome when delivering an elegy while ‘Another Valentine’ aims a slingshot at the forced romanticism of one day in February.

Download MP3

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

Listen to more

David Vann and Willy Vlautin (2010 event) David Vann and Willy Vlautin (2010 event) Another chance to listen to two writers who have produced riveting, heartbreaking and sometimes shocking accounts of father-son relationships. An interesting, intelligent and compelling event, chaired by Hannah McGill, well worth revisiting… Neil Gaiman with Audrey Niffenegger (2011 event) 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.’… Seamus Heaney (2010 event) Seamus Heaney (2010 event) We are delighted to offer you a chance to listen to celebrated Irish poet Seamus Heaney in his fantastic and extremely popular event with us in 2010. Chatting to chair Robyn Marsack, Seamus Heaney discussed his newest collection, Human Chain… Gina Martin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Gina Martin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The vile practice of upskirting wasn’t an offence in Britain until activist Gina Martin came along. With no legal or political background, Martin changed the law within 18 months. Now, she wants to help others do the same. Be the Change is a campaigning… The Principle of Capitalism (2014 Event) The Principle of Capitalism (2014 Event) As part of a series of events examining the key ideas that have shaped the human race, sociologist Saskia Sassen, research director in international economics at Chatham House Paola Subacchi and professor of political economy Robert Skidelsky joined James… Jenn Ashworth and Peggy Riley (2013 event) Jenn Ashworth and Peggy Riley (2013 event) Brought up as a Mormon, Jenn Ashworth has since become a powerful voice in British fiction. She returned to Edinburgh with her third novel, The Friday Gospels, the story… Martin Amis (2104 Event) Martin Amis (2104 Event) The last time Martin Amis wrote about the Holocaust was in 1991 in his novel Time’s Arrow. Now he returns to the subject with the much-anticipated The Zone of Interest. In this event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival… Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry After being awarded the coveted Costa Book of the Year Award earlier in the year for his incredibly moving novel The Secret Scripture, Irish writer Sebastian Barry went on to receive the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction too, which was announced in a… Miguel Syjuco reading Be Here Now Miguel Syjuco reading Be Here Now The bright and brilliant Filipino-born Man Asian Literary Prize-winner reads his story on the theme of Elsewhere… Richard Holloway (2018 Event) Richard Holloway (2018 Event) ‘Remember you will die’, said the slave to the Roman general. Richard Holloway’s new book, Waiting for the Last Bus, is a reflection on the final curtain we must all face. Thoughtful, engaging and often quietly moving, it’s a…