Suzanne Bonnar & Joy Harjo with Jackie Kay

Following the runaway success of her brilliant lockdown project Makar to Makar, beloved poet Jackie Kay joins us for a celebration of the boundless (and borderless) power of poetry.

In this very special Book Festival event, the Scots Makar is joined by US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, the first Native American to hold the position, for a poignant reflection on what it means to be the artistic voice of a nation.

Get ready for warmth and wit as well as political and emotional gut-punches, in an evening of winding tales and terrific poetry — topped off with glorious songs from Scotland’s own Suzanne Bonnar.

This is a pre-recorded event.

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

Allan Little, Sheena McDonald & Gail Robinson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Allan Little, Sheena McDonald & Gail Robinson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Twenty years ago, broadcaster Sheena McDonald was hit by a police van, narrowly escaping death. Her recovery led one doctor to describe her as ‘a walking miracle’. In her book Rebuilding Life after Brain Injury, she recalls the accident and its aftermath… Interview - Rory MacLean (2015) Interview - Rory MacLean (2015) We spoke to Rory MacLean about his wild adventures journeying in Transnistria before his event in Charlotte Square Gardens. We also asked some audience members what they thought about the event. You can see Rory's hour-long event here on our website… Marina Warner (2016 Event) Marina Warner (2016 Event) Marina Warner's defining, shapeshifting presence in British literature finds new form in a book of short stories, Fly Away Home. Currently Professor of English at Birkbeck College, Warner was also chair of the Man Booker International Prize jury in 2015… Interview - Bonnie Greer (2014) Interview - Bonnie Greer (2014) We caught up with the wonderful Bonnie Greer before her Book Festival event for a quick chat about the first volume of her memoirs, A Parallel Life. You can also see her hour-long event, filmed live at Edinburgh International Book Festival, here on our… Richard Sennett: Ruling by Acting Richard Sennett: Ruling by Acting How did humans learn to live together as a collective, co-operative entity? Three books published between 2008 and 2018 by acclaimed sociologist Richard Sennett explored the notion that collaboration came through working together. Today Sennett reflects… Shifting Sands, Five Years On: What Future for the Middle East? Shifting Sands, Five Years On: What Future for the Middle East? In 2015, the acclaimed writer and lawyer Raja Shehadeh was a guest selector for Edinburgh International Book Festival, presenting a series of events exploring the past, present and future of the Middle East. With memories of the region’s 2011 uprisings… Matt Haig (2017 Event) Matt Haig (2017 Event) Acclaimed writer of novels and screenplays for adults and children, Matt Haig’s new book, How to Stop Time, was so heavily anticipated that Benedict Cumberbatch signed up to play the key role in the movie adaptation well before its actual publication date… Amartya Sen: Home and Humanity Amartya Sen: Home and Humanity Amartya Sen is Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. His many books include The Idea of Justice, a critique of existing theories of social justice, with which he last visited the Book Festival in 2010. Now, Professor Sen has written… Interview - Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015) Interview - Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015) Bestselling Danish crime writer and creator of the Department Q novels Jussi Adler-Olsen joined us for a quick chat in Charlotte Square Gardens before his event. We also asked some of his fans what they thought about what he had to say. You can see Jussi&#… Maria Stepanova & Sasha Dugdale with Allan Little Maria Stepanova & Sasha Dugdale with Allan Little In an era when everything from photographs to credit cards and notes can all be preserved and stored on our personal devices, what is the impact on our own brain’s ability to store memories? Maria Stepanova’s astounding meta-memoir is a panoramic…