Extraordinary Events

Extraordinary Events

Looking for something different?

First Edition

Begin each weekday with a leading journalist as they delve into the morning papers at 10am in the Spiegeltent. Hear their take on the day’s headlines and explore where in the Festival programme you can find out more. Some sessions will include emerging journalists in collaboration with the John Schofield Trust. Supported by Claire and Mark Urquhart.

Inside Out – Earth, Sky, and Water

Endurance cyclist and author Emily Chappell is back with our popular Inside Out series. Hear Emily chatting (Inside) to a host of authors, and join a small group (Outside) on a foray to some iconic local locations, including Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Tickets for Outside events are limited and booked separately to Inside events. See listings for more information.

Think Tank

Think Tank invites you to take part in small group conversations where experts share their thoughts on topics at the forefront of the global agenda, with lots of space for questions and discussion. Over 90-minutes (and a glass of wine, if you like), these intimate events get you up close and personal. In this series dig into US foreign policy with presidential advisor: Harold Hongju Koh joins with years of experience in diplomacy; Ingrid Robeyns unpacks the ethics of extreme wealth; Ken Costa discusses intergenerational wealth transfer; and Suzy Glass and Georgina Voss tackle systems-thinking.

(Lunch) Box Fresh

Come along at lunchtime to hear readings from new and vibrant talent and discover brilliant new work being created every day. Who knows, you could be the first to see the next Irvine Welsh or Jenni Fagan. These are 45-minute lunchtime sessions with Scottish Book Trust, Glasgow Women’s Library, Scottish Poetry Library, and Jenny Brown Associates. Pay what you can and show your support for the next constellation of Scottish literary stars.

Industry Days & Global Ink

Meet and connect with editors, publishers, festival organisers, translators, and other experts across three days of panels, showcases, and receptions specifically aimed at those working within the publishing industry (both Scottish and international). Expect discussions on AI, sustainability, audiobooks, pitching sessions, and accessibility.

A one-day Industry Pass is £40 [concessions £25]. Spaces are limited so check edbookfest.co.uk/industry for details on how to register. Some events will take place online too.

Wednesday 14 August: Global Ink: International Working

Monday 19 August: Industry Day 1

Wednesday 21 August: Industry Day 2

 

Housewarming!

Saturday 10 August 10:00 - 11:00

  • Attend in person
It’s our first year at EFI, so consider this an open invitation to our housewarming! Bring your friends (and your coffee) and join Festival Director Jenny Niven as she takes us through highlights of the Festival: from the themes underpinning the...
 

Inside Out: Earth

Saturday 10 August 10:30 - 11:30

  • Attend in person
Celebrating the earth beneath our feet, Emily Chappell interviews JC Niala whose latest book explores our relationship with the natural world. Niala’s A Loveliness of Ladybirds weaves personal memoir with colonial history as she contemplates how the...
 

Holly Gramazio: Writing as Gameplay

Saturday 10 August 17:00 - 18:30

  • Attend in person
Holly Gramazio is the founder of experimental games festival Now Play This and author of the brilliantly inventive romcom The Husbands. In this workshop, Gramazio will introduce you to examples from the history of rule-based writing – from volvelles...
 

Think Tank: Suzy Glass & Georgina Voss

Sunday 11 August 16:00 - 17:30

  • Attend in person
Systems and networks govern our lives in all-encompassing – and increasingly confounding – ways. Georgina Voss, author of Systems Ultra, and strategist Suzy Glass are the ultimate tour guides in this complex age, here to show us that we don’t have...
 

First Edition

Monday 12 August 10:00 - 11:00

  • Attend in person
Quality journalism is indispensable. The model of ‘breaking the news’ has changed enormously in recent years, but we’re here to sing the praises of essential stories, well told. In an age of diminishing local resources, global conglomerates, and...