Shows
PodQueueElif Shafak | If Trees Could Speak | Edinburgh International Book FestivalIn her Booker-shortlisted novel '10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World', Elif Shafak entered the mind of a dying sex worker lying murdered in an Istanbul alley. The story moved from brutal realism to the magical world of the afterlife. Now Shafak has turned her attention to another part of the Levant region, and to another example of how someone’s memory can be kept alive by the people and things that surround them.
'The Island of Missing Trees' is set in Cyprus, where two people from opposite sides of the country’s conflict fall in love. They meet secretly in a derel...2024-05-2357 min
Inside PublishingThe Edinburgh International Book festival with Kate SeilerIn this episode, Averie speaks to Kate Seiler – External Affairs Manager at the Edinburgh International Book Festival – about running and maintaining a popular book festival. Kate talks candidly on the Book Festival’s success, as well as its plans for a greener future. We also cover online events, how the Book Festival has adapted since the pandemic and the Business of Books series, which highlights the people and publishing processes behind the books that are promoted at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.Kate Seiler Twitter: @kateemmaseilerWebsite: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/ Mentioned in this ep...2022-10-1433 min
2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalThe Literacy Revolution at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)According to UNESCO, every region of the world during the last 20 years has seen gains in literacy rates, but the situation remains highly uneven. To what extent can this improvement be attributed to the urbanisation of populations across the world and the role of libraries in the culture of cities? The panel includes: Sergio Fajardo, one of the best-known political figures in Colombia who as mayor of Medellin oversaw a highly successful campaign to improve literacy in the city by placing libraries in downtrodden and overlooked barrios; and Amina Shah, CEO of the Scottish Library and Information Council who is...2015-11-2100 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalCédric Villani at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Forget about the maths you learned at school; the charismatic Cédric Villani has a gift for revealing the beauty and magic of mathematics at the highest level. Dubbed a ‘rock-star mathematician’, the French winner of the maths world’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize takes us on an inspiring, charming journey through his intellectual discoveries in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-11-1800 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMonica Cantieni & Sunjeev Sahota at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Monica Cantieni’s The Encyclopaedia of Good Reasons, translated by Donal McLaughlin, tells the deeply moving story of a young girl’s long wait for adoption into a Swiss family, and into a German-speaking community. Whilst Sunjeev Sahota’s much-anticipated second novel, The Year of the Runaways, describes the dreams and struggles of a group of young Indian men searching for a new life in Sheffield. Hear how these two authors powerfully explore the immigrant experience in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-11-1700 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalSJ Watson at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Honesty is Not the Best Policy in Crime Fiction<br />
<br />
S J Watson can count Dennis Lehane and Lionel Shriver among his fans for his crime debut Before I Go to Sleep, which was later made into a movie with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. The Midlands-born author opens up a shadowy world of identity, lies and secrets as he delivers a follow-up psychological thriller entitled Second Life.2015-11-1600 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalEdwyn Collins & Grace Maxwell with Ian Rankin at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)‘Moving beyond words’ was one critic’s response to The Possibilities Are Endless, a documentary charting Edwyn Collins’ return to relative good health after two massive strokes in 2005. That film, and a recent book, were the subjects of conversation in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, between Collins, his devoted wife Grace Maxwell and Ian Rankin, who has been a fan of the songwriter’s work since the days of 80s indie band Orange Juice and Postcard Records.2015-11-1100 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalZiauddin Sardar at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)The Future of Mecca<br />
<br />
Born in Pakistan and raised in Hackney, Ziauddin Sardar is one of the most respected experts on Islam and is utterly fascinated by Mecca. Sardar has retraced its history from a barren valley in the desert to becoming arguably the most significant city in the world today. But what does the future hold for a location which contains immense meaning both to the Middle East and the West?<br />
<br />
Part of our The Changing Middle East series of events.2015-11-0900 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalReading the City at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)How do you navigate Edinburgh as a city of literature? Is there a map? Hosted by Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, award-winning author and poet James Robertson is your guide to exploring the literary landscape of the city through time and as seen by different writers. Where are the hotspots which provided the most inspiration? Where are the quiet corners? Take a tour without moving a muscle.2015-11-0600 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalTom McCarthy at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Is Tom McCarthy a J G Ballard for the 21st century? Or is he just bullshitting? McCarthy would probably claim he’s somewhere in between. The Man Booker shortlisted author’s hugely entertaining, densely imaginative novel Satin Island introduces us to U, a ‘corporate anthropologist’ commissioned to write an epoch-defining Great Report, only to be overwhelmed by images and information. McCarthy explains his ideas to Stuart Kelly in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.’2015-11-0400 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMatt Haig at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Award-winning author Siobhan Dowd died in 2007, bequeathing her royalties to a trust which aims to bring the joy of reading to those who need it most. This year the Siobhan Dowd Trust Memorial Lecture is delivered by novelist Matt Haig, whose books for children, teens and adults brilliantly and cleverly explore the stories that connect us and what it means to be human. Chaired by Tony Bradman.2015-11-0200 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMuseums and Libraries at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Museums and galleries dominate as destinations, attracting record numbers of visitors to blockbuster shows. Meanwhile libraries are facing a funding crisis and are increasingly asked to justify their existence. What can libraries learn from museums, and what do they offer that museums cannot? Tony Marx, president of the New York Public Library; Richard Sennett, professor of sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author of books on culture and cities; and Clementine Deliss, Independent Curator, debate the complementary and contrasting roles of the cultural institutions at the heart of our public life in this event chaired...2015-10-3000 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMeera Syal at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Acclaimed actor, screenwriter and author of Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee, Meera Syal returned to Edinburgh for the first time since 2000 to discuss her new novel. The House of Hidden Mothers moves between East London’s Little India and a village in rural India in a devastatingly moving story that shows the lengths some women will go to when they want to have a child. Chaired by Lee Randall, this event was recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-2800 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalKirstin Innes & Melinda Nadj Abonji at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Two novels which tackle issues of work and family head on. Kirstin Innes’ Fishnet takes us deep into the world of sex workers with Fiona hunting for the sister who went missing years previously, finding herself in a world she never knew existed. Melinda Nadj Abonji’s novel won prizes in Germany and Switzerland and Fly Away, Pigeon, which was translated into English by Tess Lewis, tells the story of families torn between fresh starts abroad and missing home.<br />
<br />
Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.2015-10-2600 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJoe Sumner & Evie Wyld at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Evie Wyld is fast shooting to international fame as a novelist. Already the winner of Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin Prize for All the Birds, Singing, her writing career takes a thrilling new turn in a graphic memoir, Everything Is Teeth, that she’s produced together with illustrator Joe Sumner. Their discussion about this beautifully beguiling book is chaired by Joe Gordon and recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-2300 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalGreg Proops at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Greg Proops is well-known for his appearances on the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and for his hit podcast The Smartest Man in the World. Downloaded over 9 million times, it’s a weekly online radio show recorded live from different locations around the world. Now comes The Smartest Book in the World, a compendium of Proops’ insights on a huge array of subjects from politics and history to music and film. Listen to the charming know-it-all comedian in his event chaired by Lee Randall and recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. <br />2015-10-2100 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJohann Hari at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)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 Scream, a game-changing book on the subject. Lively, highly personal and often poignant, Hari’s book questions the notion of ‘drug addiction’ and makes a powerful case for decriminalisation. In his event, chaired by Kevin Williamson, he asks the fundamental question: ‘are drugs really addictive?’. Recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-1900 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalWhy I Call Myself a Feminist at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)In this event entitled “a Rally, a Rant, a Story, a Song, a Protest, a Poem”, women – and men – take to the mike for five minutes each to tell us why they call themselves feminists. Authors Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre, Elif Shafak and Andrew O’Hagan; activists Emma Laurie and Caroline Criado-Perez; stand-up comic Nish Kumar; playwright Jo Clifford; and poets Robin Robertson and Natasha Kanapé Fontaine make a stand. Recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-1600 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalChigozie Obioma and Simon Sylvester at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Chigozie Obioma’s thrillingly assured debut novel The Fishermen is set in small-town Nigeria, while Simon Sylvester’s seductive debut The Visitors unfolds on a remote Scottish island. Yet despite their disparate locations, these stories are united by the presence of mysterious outsider figures, whose unsettling effect on the community drives the tension. These two highly promising authors share their ideas with Economist literary editor Fiammetta Rocco in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-1300 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalRyan Gattis and Marlon James at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Images of the 1992 LA riots were beamed across the world as six days of violence left a city bruised and broken. In All Involved, Ryan Gattis concocts a novel from separate voices of those whose story wasn’t told. The 1976 attempted murder of Bob Marley is the starting point for A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James’ multi-character tale featuring ghosts, beauty queens and Keith Richards’ drug dealer. Two ground-breaking novelists discuss their work in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.’2015-10-1300 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalHyeonseo Lee at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)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 family to join her over the border in the South. In The Girl with Seven Names she tells her incredible story, and reveals human rights abuses that have largely been kept secret. Recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. <br />2015-10-1200 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalNicola Morgan at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)What is the 21st Century Doing to Our Teenagers?<br />
<br />
Nicola Morgan, author of Blame My Brain and The Teenage Guide to Stress, reveals the science and psychology of teenage brains and the many challenges adolescents face, such as exams, friendships and anxiety disorders. Morgan believes that books can help us make sense of our problems and argues passionately for the power of reading for pleasure and for ‘readaxation’. An enlightening hour. Recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-0900 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalHenrietta Bowden-Jones, Erin Saltman & Åsne Seierstad with Lennie Goodings at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)What draws women to the extremes of war? Åsne Seierstad, acclaimed author of The Bookseller of Kabul and a seasoned war reporter, talks about being on the frontline; Erin Saltman, Senior Counter Extremism Researcher from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, tells us what makes young women slip from their families to go to Syria; and Imperial College psychiatrist Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones explores the behavioural science behind it all. Together with Lennie Goodings they discuss women and extremism, in this event recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-0700 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJulian Barnes at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)One of our finest writers, Julian Barnes first wrote about art in his novel A History of the World in 10½ Chapters. Since then, the Man Booker Prize-winning author has written a series of scintillating essays on a range of artists as diverse as Géricault, Cézanne and Lucian Freud. He discusses his ideas and his book Keeping An Eye Open with broadcaster and Royal Academy artistic programmes director Tim Marlow, in this event recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-0500 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJohn Boyne at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Author of multi-million bestseller The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne has unleashed his next book for younger readers, Stay Where You Are and Then Leave. It tells the story of a boy's search for his father during the First World War. For adults, Boyne looks closer to home with A History of Loneliness, a fiction about the priesthood. Why did it take so long for Boyne to write about his native Ireland? Hear Boyne discuss his books and answer this and other questions in this event recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-10-0200 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalYasmin Alibhai-Brown & Bidisha at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is one of Britain’s most important commentators on multiculturalism: in Exotic England she describes ‘a curious nation’ that has developed thanks to its long history of immigration. Bidisha is a writer and human rights journalist whose book Asylum and Exile depicts the bravery of people who have left everything behind to seek sanctuary on this island. The two writers get together in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, to discuss what national identity means in an era of multiracial culture.2015-09-3000 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalGeorge the Poet at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)George Mpanga is the 24 year old Cambridge-educated wordsmith who has attracted attention and accolades with his socio-political verse and urban beats, including a nomination for the BBC Music Sound of 2015. Born to Ugandan parents and brought up in London, Mpanga presents Search Party, his first collection of verse brimming with his trademark mix of wit, honesty and rhythm to articulate the voice of a new generation. In this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, George the Poet holds his audience spellbound with his inimitable charm.2015-09-2800 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalLimmy at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the first time with his first book, Daft Wee Stories, Brian Limond, aka Limmy, has been making a big splash for some years. Having emerged with his online series of dark yet oddly loveable Glasgow characters, he has taken the next step by creating the BAFTA-winning Limmy’s Show. What does he envisage as the future for Dee Dee, Falconhoof and the irrepressible Jacqueline McCafferty? This event was recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Contains strong language.2015-09-2500 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalCaroline Lucas at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Her book won’t make Caroline Lucas very popular with the Westminster establishment. In Honourable Friends? the first UK Green MP reveals the secret workings of parliamentary life and suggests that we could be governed so much better. As a lone voice at her workplace, Lucas is the ideal outsider – perfectly positioned to bring fresh ideas to the creaking Westminster system, and in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, she shares her stories.2015-09-2300 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalChen Guangcheng at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)As Hillary Clinton campaigns for the US presidential nomination, she will perhaps not be helped by the testimony of Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident who escaped house arrest in Dongshigu and sought refuge in the US Embassy in 2012. Chen’s memoir, The Barefoot Lawyer, reveals his view of the flawed diplomacy between Clinton and the Chinese government, and details his work with Chinese women who suffered abuse under the One Child policy. He discusses his campaigning and his memoir with audiences at Edinburgh International Book Festival and you can hear it here.2015-09-2300 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalTerry Waite at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)As special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite spent plenty of time not only in the company of Robert Runcie, but also his son James. Then, he was kidnapped in Beirut. Upon his release, Waite continued his charity work, befriended his former captors, and has now written a comic novel. In this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, he talks to James Runcie (himself now a leading writer) about surviving a nightmare and coping with the aftermath.2015-09-2100 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalDavid Hare at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)One of the most celebrated writers of his generation, David Hare’s notable plays include Plenty, Skylight and The Absence of War. In this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Hare discusses his powerful and often very funny memoir, The Blue Touch Paper, which takes him from his days as a student at Oxford through to the 1970s and his early breakthroughs as a playwright. He talks to fellow playwright and former Channel 4 Head of Drama, Peter Ansorge.2015-09-1800 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJenny Erpenbeck with Michel Faber at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)If you only read one novel this year, make it The End of Days. A book that takes a series of surprising turns, it confirms German author Jenny Erpenbeck as ‘one of the finest, most exciting authors alive’. That reviewer was fellow novelist Michel Faber, who talks to Erpenbeck about a novel in which the heroine, over the course of a long 20th century life, meets death several times, yet still keeps on going. This event was recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-09-1600 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJussi Adler-Olsen at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Bestselling Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen arrived in Charlotte Square Gardens for his first appearance in Edinburgh, delighting fans and newcomers to his work. The creator of the Department Q novels has sold over 10 million copies of his books worldwide and in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, he discusses his first ever work of fiction, the heart-stopping thriller Alphabet House, now published in English for the first time and translated by Steve Schein.2015-09-1100 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalViv Albertine with Ian Rankin at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)‘You’re in for a hell of a ride now,’ says Viv Albertine in Clothes, Music, Boys. And she’s dead right: with breathtaking honesty, Albertine describes her wild and often shocking experiences as a guitarist in the all-girl 1970s reggae-punk band The Slits. Equally fascinating is her account of life after punk; of motherhood, family and a return to music. She discusses her rollercoaster story with crime writer and music fan Ian Rankin, in an event recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-09-0900 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalAlan Cumming with Ian Rankin at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Two of Scotland’s most successful creative talents hook up for this unmissable event. Alan Cumming made waves with a memoir about his tough upbringing, Not My Father's Son, the details of which came flooding back upon receiving a call out of the blue from his estranged father. Cumming discusses his life and acting career that has turned him into the darling of Broadway and Hollywood with bestselling crime novelist Ian Rankin. Recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.2015-09-0900 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalAlan Johnson at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Amid a slew of politicians’ memoirs in recent years, Alan Johnson’s This Boy was comfortably among the finest: one critic called it ‘the best political testament I’ve ever read’. The former Home Secretary returns to the Book Festival with his sequel, Please, Mister Postman, which takes a nostalgic journey back in time and paints a vivid picture of Britain in the 1970s and in this Edinburgh International Book Festival event, recorded live, he talks to Scottish journalist and broadcaster Ruth Wishart and thoroughly charms his audience.2015-09-0700 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalVal McDermid with Nicola Sturgeon at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)The Diamond Dagger-winning Fifer has built a vast fan-base over the years thanks to her number one bestselling novels that have sold over 11 million copies. One of Val McDermid’s better-known readers recently became Scotland’s First Minister and in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Nicola Sturgeon meets McDermid to discuss Splinter the Silence and Stranded, a book of scintillating, nail-biting short stories that range from passion and revenge in St Petersburg to the sleazy flipside of the international publishing scene.2015-09-0300 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalLibraries in the Digital Age at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)With the world’s knowledge accessible from anywhere via a computer screen, why should we continue to value physical spaces for literacy? In this discussion, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, we hear from key thinkers on libraries. Robyn Marsack is director of the Scottish Poetry Library, the world’s only purpose-built library for poetry. Claire Warwick is Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research at Durham University and is concerned with the way we encounter reading and cultural heritage in both physical and digital spaces. Dutch architect Francine Houben believes that ‘libraries are the most important public buildings’ and has recently complete...2015-08-3100 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJesse Jackson at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)One of the best-respected and most formidable civil rights activists of the 20th century, the Reverend Jesse Jackson worked for Martin Luther King in the 1960s. During his later political career, he specialised in high-profile international diplomacy, negotiating with Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milošević among others. In this keynote event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Jackson discusses a life of campaigning for black rights and human understanding with Scottish journalist Ruth Wishart.2015-08-2800 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalShami Chakrabarti at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)'The Most Dangerous Woman in Britain'<br />
<br />
A day after Shami Chakrabarti joined the campaigning organisation Liberty, New York’s Twin Towers were attacked. Ever since, she has fought a passionate campaign for human rights in the face of ASBOs, control orders and the War on Terror. In her book On Liberty, Chakrabarti argues that national security should never compromise human rights and vows to continue the battle against violations such as slavery and gender inequality. Chaired by Kate Mosse.<br />
<br />
Part of our Human Rights Now series of events.2015-08-2600 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalKate Tempest with Don Paterson at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Still in her twenties, the ferociously-talented Kate Tempest has been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, won the Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry and secured a novel contract with Bloomsbury. In this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Tempest discusses her full-length poetry collection, Hold Your Own, with the acclaimed Scottish poet Don Paterson. As Tempest’s poetry editor, Paterson is well placed to ask her about the collection one critic called ‘a game changer’.2015-08-2400 min2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalPaul Merton at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Not Always Clowning Around <br />
One of the most intelligent and likeable comics in the land, Paul Merton has had his fair share of darkness and tragedy. The ‘sad clown’ might be verging on a journalistic cliché but with Merton, the death of his second wife and his own manic episode which resulted in him being hospitalised make it all too real. His memoir Only When I Laugh details those unforgettable highs and lows and in this event, recorded live at Edinburgh International Book Festival, he talks to journalist Ruth Wishart about it.2015-08-2200 min
2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalHelen Macdonald at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)
Inspiration Takes Flight
In her powerful, emotive new memoir H is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald recounts her obsessive pursuit to become a falconer. Following the shock of her father’s death and inspired by T H White’s The Goshawk, she embarked on a journey to train her own goshawk. Macdonald joins us to discuss her celebratory, elegiac book - a reminder of our deep-rooted connections to the natural world. Chaired by Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer for the Guardian.2015-01-2400 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMaking Meaning of the Voices at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)People with severe mental health issues are often stigmatised by society. From drugs to psychiatry, solutions are complex and expensive. Eleanor Longden, a voice hearer and a qualified psychologist joins James Ley, a playwright who explores his bi-polar disorder in his writing, and Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London, to discuss how hearing voices and other problems can be ‘creative and ingenious survival strategies’. Chaired by Dr Angela Woods, a lecturer in Medical Humanities.2015-01-2400 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalIain Macwhirter at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)After the Referendum
His book Road to Referendum is a clear-minded history of Scotland’s journey towards its historic vote in September, and Iain Macwhirter argues that after the poll, constitutional change is inevitable. If so, where will the negotiations between Holyrood and Westminster start, and how are they likely to end? In this session Macwhirter outlines his view of the steps he believes both countries will take.
Part of our Scotland's Future series of events.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJohn Gordon Sinclair at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Actor Turned Crime Writer
With his second crime novel, John Gordon Sinclair continues to put distance between himself and Gregory’s Girl, the film that made his name. Two years ago he made his novel-writing debut and now he’s back with Blood Whispers, wrapping a grim tale around the CIA, Serbian gangs and a feisty Glaswegian lawyer. Hear how Sinclair created a central character who is at her most dangerous when under threat.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalLynn Barber at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Iron Fist, Velvet Microphone
Kate Mosse faces a tough task interviewing this fearsomely incisive celebrity interviewer. Lynn Barber faced a Twitter storm after an article on tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, but anonymous cyberhate is nothing for someone who has taken on the likes of Gore Vidal, James Stewart and Salvador Dali. In this event she discusses her memoir, A Curious Career, and those interviews that got nasty.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalRhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Time to Fight for Feminism
In early 2012, journalists Rhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter co-founded The Vagenda blog. An instant hit, it received over 7 million views in year one, and has received votes of approval from the likes of Caitlin Moran and Laurie Penny. The creators discuss the site, their campaigning new book, and how they turn a high-pitched cacophony of negativity about women into something incredibly positive.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMichael Morpurgo at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Only Remembered is a timeless and seminal anthology of First World War literature for children, edited by Michael Morpurgo and featuring artwork from renowned illustrator Ian Beck. Join Michael to hear more about this remarkable collection, which includes contributions from some of the UK’s leading cultural, political and literary figures.
Part of our Words and War series of events.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalNicholas Parsons at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)No Repetition, Hesitation or Deviation
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 show, and the venerable entertainer joins us today to enjoy some favourite moments and linguistic contortions that have made it such an enduring hit.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalOmid Djalili at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)A Peculiarly British Upbringing
Acclaimed comedian and actor Omid Djalili has produced a joyously funny memoir about growing up and finding fame as a young Iranian in London. He beautifully captures his unique childhood in his parents’ guesthouse, describing meetings with an array of remarkable characters and his own desire to escape. His story offers an intriguing perspective on British society today.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalThe Voices in Our Head at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Creating Characters in Fiction
The first sign that a book works is when the characters talk back to their author, and books can represent our internal voices unlike any other art form. A panel of award-winning novelists, Nathan Filer, Edward Carey and Matthew Quick talk about their relationships with their characters and their inner voices, exploring how a writer hears and channels the creative voice that drives a narrative or character.
Part of our Conversations with Ourselves series of events.2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalOscar Guardiola-Rivera at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Salvador Allende’s Last Stand
Why was Latin America’s first democratically-elected Marxist president deposed in a violent coup in 1973? Why had business leaders and military officers in Chile been collaborating with the US Government and the CIA for months to end his regime? Colombian-born writer Oscar Guardiola-Rivera’s riveting Story of a Death Foretold lays bare the Cold War paranoia and rabid anti-communism that led to Allende’s downfall.
In association with the Centre for Contemporary Latin American Studies2015-01-1000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalJulian Cope at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Genuinely Original Fiction
One of contemporary rock and pop’s true mavericks, the former leader of The Teardrop Explodes dazzles with his brilliance as he launches One Three One upon the reading public. It features an 80s musical genius who heads to Sardinia with one thing on his addled mind: to settle some scores. Today, Julian Cope joins us to share his ideas and read from his Gnostic whodunit.
Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.2015-01-0700 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalThe Principle of Capitalism at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Turning Points for Civilisation
As part of a series of events selected by Richard Sennett exploring key ideas that have shaped humanity, this session discusses the idea and profound impact of capitalism. New York University sociologist Saskia Sassen and Paola Subacchi, research director in international economics at Chatham House, are joined by professor of political economy at Warwick University, Robert Skidelsky, in an event chaired by the manager of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, James Anderson.
Part of our Guest Selector: Richard Sennett series of events.2015-01-0600 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalHas Psychiatry Silenced God? at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Creativity and Belief
Throughout history, divine intervention has influenced great artists, thinkers and leaders, and the voice of God is a distinct and separate presence in the minds of many people today. Author and former Bishop of Edinburgh, Richard Holloway, leads a discussion with writer Sara Maitland and psychiatrist and theologian Chris Cook to explore how religious beliefs and creative inspiration define our consciousness.
Part of our Conversations with Ourselves series of events.2014-12-2200 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalBilly Collins at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)America’s Favourite Poet
He’s twice been poet laureate in the US and says he hopes his poems ‘begin in Kansas and end in Oz’. Now Billy Collins returns with Aimless Love, his first collection of new and selected poems for 12 years. Elegant, poignant and thrillingly accessible, Collins’ book includes more than 50 new poems and selections from 4 favourite collections. They are deeply inspiring – and Collins performs them with great élan.2014-12-2000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMai Al-Nakib & Tom Barbash at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Champions of the Short Story
Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib is a thrilling new voice from the Middle East. Educated at Brown University in the USA, her debut short story collection The Hidden Light of Objects offers a stunning perspective on lives overwhelmed by military or religious events. Tom Barbash is an acclaimed, bestselling San Francisco writer whose new book Stay Up With Me has been glowingly described as ‘the Great American Story Collection’.
Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.2014-12-2000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalMartin Amis at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Laughing in the Face of Evil
Join one of Britain’s most influential writers for this keynote 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 in a brand new and much-anticipated novel, The Zone of Interest. Amis succeeds in finding moments of unexpected comedy as love blossoms in a Nazi concentration camp.
Supported by the Hawthornden Literary Retreat2014-10-2400 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalZakes Mda at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)No Artist is Slave to the State
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Zakes Mda is regarded as one of the most important novelists to have emerged on South Africa’s literary scene since the end of apartheid. The author of more than 20 novels and plays, Mda is now resident in the USA where he is a professor at Ohio University. He joins us today to discuss his output, including his new mystic-realist epic The Sculptors of Mapungubwe.
Part of our Voices from South Africa series of events.2014-10-2300 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalNed Beauman & Clemens J Setz at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Literature’s Brilliant Experimenters
Quite possibly Britain’s best hope for the future of literature, Ned Beauman’s first two novels have already picked up multiple prizes. Now he presents Glow, set in a strange South London where nothing quite seems to make sense. With a similar talent and a similarly unusual novel, Clemens J Setz returns with Indigo. Already shortlisted for the prestigious German Book Prize, it takes readers to an uncanny near future. Chaired by Richard Lea from the Guardian.
Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.2014-10-2000 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalDavid Peace at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)From Strikers to Centre Forwards
Yorkshire-born David Peace’s writing took an exciting turn with GB84, his ambitious novelisation of events during the miners’ strike. Later, Peace turned to football, first with The Damned United, a re-imagining of Brian Clough’s brief tenure at Leeds United, and then with Red or Dead, based on Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. Now Peace discusses his work with The Scotsman’s own great Yorkshireman, David Robinson.2014-10-1500 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalCharlie Adlard & Robbie Morrison at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)Digging in the Past Digging into the Story of The Great War
Dream team Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison have made their contribution to the Great War centenary with White Death, a frank graphic novel account of two dead bodies discovered almost 100 years on, and highlighting how snow was used as a military weapon. Adlard and Morrison join us to discuss how it’s possible to expose difficult historical truths through the medium of comics.
Part of our Stripped 2014 series of events.2014-10-1300 min2014 Edinburgh International Book FestivalBonnie Greer at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)From Rags to Cultural Riches
Best known in the UK as a dispassionate commentator on Newsnight Review and Question Time, even when sitting beside the leader of the BNP, Bonnie Greer has now unveiled the first volume of her memoirs, A Parallel Life. In this event she talks to Ruth Wishart about her tough upbringing and how it feels to be the key character in a real-life rags to riches story.2014-10-0800 min