Notes From the Festival

It ain't over yet

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 08:44:00 +0000

The day we’ve all been dreading – the final day of the 2013 Book Festival – has finally arrived.

But suspend your sadness for a while. There is still plenty of time to…

...relax in the Gardens (the sun is shining today)...

...see one more stupendous Storyshop reading - it's FREE at 4pm in the Guardian Spiegeltent...

...peruse our FREE exhibition of artwork from our Stripped programme..

..and author portraits by Chris Close...

...take one final browse around our bookshops...

...and see one last FREE Jura Unbound, tonight, from 9pm in the Guardian Spiegeltent.

There’s still time to see a live author event too. How about one of these wee gems?

Rutu Modan and Leanne Shapton share their beautifully illustrated stories of relationships and love at 2pm. £7 (£5)

Costa Award-winning Simon Sebag Montefiore launches his unforgettable new novel One Night in Winter at 3pm. £10 (£8)

Illustrators Rob Davis and Martin Rowson bring a graphic twist to classic tales at 3.30pm. £7 (£5)

Graphic novelists Glyn Dillon and Jon McNaught do fascinating things with words and pictures at 7pm. £10 (£8)

Crime writer Denise Mina and artist Andrea Mutti offer a graphic transformation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy at 8.30pm. £10 (£8)

Smoking hot authors Stuart Evers and Paul Harding present their latest works of fiction at 8.30pm. £7 (£5)

We hope to see you soon...

So little time, so much to do

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 10:58:00 +0000

The final weekend is here. But don’t be sad – there are still 3 days of bookish fun to be had.

Our Stripped programme of events celebrating comics, graphic novels and the people who create them is well and truly underway. Catch up with what happened on Stripped Friday with this handy Storify.

If you're coming to Charlotte Square Gardens this weekend pop in to our Mini Comic Fair in 5 Charlotte Square. You'll find many of Scotland's finest comics creators promoting their work. See the full line up on the Stripped blog.

There are still tickets available for lots of Book Festival events. Among the many marvellous authors appearing this weekend are…

Saturday 24 August

Classic comic strip creator Posy Simmonds presents her collection Mrs Weber’s Omnibus at 4:30pm. £10 (£8)

Sally Magnusson reveals the winners of this year’s prestigious James Tait Black Prizes at 6.30pm. £10 (£8)

In a double bill of fine fiction Eleanor Catton presents her Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel The Luminaries while Hannah Kent brings her stunning debut set in Iceland at 7pm. £7 (£5)

Hannah Berry and Gareth Brookes present their graphic novels with a gothic twist at 8.30pm. £7 (£5)

Sunday 25 August

Paula Byrne sheds new light on Jane Austen at 10.30am £10 (£8)

Paul McMahon and Andrew Rugasira take an optimistic look at feeding the world’s growing population at 2pm. £10 (£8)

We’re celebrating a generation of comic genius when our panel of industry experts traces the success of 2000 AD at 3pm. £10 (£8)

Margaret Atwood shares the joy of playing with literary forms with fellow genre-bending authors Naomi Alderman and Valerie Martin at 4.30pm. £10 (£8)

Poet Amin Haddad and musicians Eskenderella bring musical poetry from the heart of the Egyptian revolution at 8.30pm. £10 (£8)

There will be crime writing with a twist courtesy of Niall Leonard and Russ Litten at 8.30pm. £7 (£5)

Ceri Levy shares the stories behind the exotically drawn Extinct Boids at 8.30pm. £7 (£5)

Listen again, first books and photographs

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 21:39:00 +0000

As day 12 draws to a close we look back on the last couple of days (and then look forward too) ...

Have a listen!
We've now published audio recordings of a handful of this year’s events in the Media Gallery our website including Baroness Susan Greenfield in conversation with Kirsty Wark. There will be many more recordings to come in over the following days and weeks.

Susan Greenfield talks to Kirsty Wark

Fabulous first books
Once again our First Book Award is shining a light on the outstanding calibre of debut fiction in our programme. There is still time to vote for your favourite to win, just complete a voting slip and post it in the Big Voting Box in the entrance tent of the Festival, or vote on our website where you can also find the full list of shortlisted authors and books. If you’re in town why not come along and show your support for one of these new authors by seeing them in an event?

The Big Voting Box

The science of superheroes
Superheroes bring the fun Scientist and consultant to Hollywood James Kakalios brought physics to life through the antics of superheroes.

James was here as part of Stripped, our exciting programme of events and activities uncovering the wonderful world of comics, graphic novels and the people who create them. Find out more about Stripped on our website and on the special Stripped blog.

James Kakalios brings science to life

Turning the tables on the photographers
During a photo shoot this afternoon political stalward Tam Dalyell gave the photographers a taste of their own medicine. Both perspectives below. The first picture shows the photo shoot in action. The second photo, taken by Tam Dalyell, shows what it looks like to be at the mercy of the photogrpahers (don't worry, we can assure you they are a lovely bunch!).

Coming up in the next couple of days…

Thursday 22 August

Meet leading novelists from Germany and Argentina, Patricio Pron and Eugen Ruge at 2pm on Thursday 22 August. Tickets cost £7 (£5)

Editor of the Guardian Alan Rusbridger brings tales of musical triumph during a time of journalistic turmoil at 3pm on Thursday 22 August. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer of the Guardian, explores what Roman Britain means to the British now at 3.30pm on Thursday 22 August. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

King of crime Quintin Jardine celebrates 20 years of DCC Bob Skinner at 4.30pm on Thursday 22 August. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Man Booker Prize-winner DBC Pierre presents his first collection of short stories featuring phantasmagorical prose, a heady cocktail of illustrations and photographic ‘evidence’ at 7pm on Thurs 22 Aug. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

For a fascinating insight into the art of translating texts come and see our Translation Duel featuring acclaimed authors and translators at 8.30pm on Thurs 22 Aug. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Friday 23 August

One of Scotland’s finest authors James Robertson discusses his work with Ruth Wishart at 12 noon. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

William Sutcliffe discusses his book based in a fictional settlement with acclaimed Palestinian author and lawyer Raja Shehadeh at 2pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Join two up-and-coming Scotland-based comics guys, Will Morris & Edward Ross, for some serious graphic chat at 3.30pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5). Part of our Stripped programme.

A Genius of comics art Melinda Gebbie discusses her fascinating and sometimes controversial career as a graphic artist at 4pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8). Part of our Stripped programme.

Take a whistle-stop tour of the world of comics with the masterful Paul Gravett, author of 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die at 5pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8). Part of our Stripped programme.

Mark Billingham presents his latest crime thriller, Dying Hours at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

We’re celebrating 50 years of Dr Who with three authors connected to the books and the their televisual incarnations at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
We hope to see you soon.

An actor's life, monsters in the Gardens and some very important poetry news

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:44:00 +0000

In the last few days we’ve seen…

Rupert Everett revealing quite a lot including his thoughts on the Russian winter Olympics and his exciting movie plans for next year.

The announcement of a major new poetry competition for young people – the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award.

Interviews with two of our Stripped authors – Chris Ware and Joe Sacco – available to watch online. There will be more interviews and event recordings to follow so watch this space.

And today we had some unusual visitors to the gardens…

Coming up in the next couple of days…

Tuesday

Mark Buchanan and Tony Juniper explore the impact of nature on our financial markets at 2pm.Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Our Guest Selector Kate Mosse leads a discussion on the changing face of feminism over the last 30 years at 3pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Mark Cocker and David Tipling share the stories behind their gorgeous book about Birds and People at 3.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Journalist Laurie Penny sheds a thoughtful light on the ordinary people affected by the Greek financial crisis at 4pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Vic Galloway takes a journey to the centre of the musical universe that is Fife at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Wednesday
James Fergusson and Ben Rawlence recount tales from troubled spots in Africa at 2pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

An expert panel let by Lin Anderson explores the art of being a writer in the digital age at 6.45pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Daniel Rachel recounts interviews with some of the biggest names in music at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Tony Ryan ponders the possibility of life on earth powered entirely by the sun at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

One week in...

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 17:07:00 +0000

We’re one week into the Festival already!

The last few days have seen...

Jonathan ‘Aggers’ Agnew told us he would love to see Charlotte Green presenting the cricket.

(photo by Guillem Lopez)

Andrew Marr took to the Book Festival stage to present the brand new updated version of his book The Battle For Scotland and in the process he made quite a few headlines including this one in The Independent.

Kirsty Logan was announced as the inaugural recipient of the Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship. Gavin, who was a great friend and supporter of the Book Festival, spent his career passionately championing Scottish literature so we’re delighted that this prestigious fellowship has been awarded to one of the country’s brightest new literary talents.

Smiles were raised and hearts set aflutter as The Mysterious Book Sculptor struck again and several stunning sculptures of birds appeared, as if by magic, in our bookshop.

The Big Issue vendors have been doing a roaring trade at the Festival. We’ve heard that this week’s mags are selling like hot cakes so get in fast and get your copy the next time you visit. As well as getting your hands on a great read you’ll be helping the vendor on their journey away from homelessness. You can find them next to our front gates.

Our roving photographers have been working overtime capturing the finest Book Festival moments. We regularly add new pictures to our Flickr account and to our Facebook page so be sure to pay a regular visit to see the latest snaps.

Still to come

As always, there are still tickets available for lots of fantastic events. A full list can be found on our website but here is a selection of what’s to come today and tomorrow (scroll down for events for children).

Today – Saturday 17 August
Journalist Damian Barr remembers growing up and coming out in the 80s at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

There’s gripping fiction aplenty tonight. Fayette Fox and Charlotte Mendelson capture the joy and pain of growing up at 7pm, while at 8.30pm Gillian Galbraith & Antti Tuomainen offer crime and intrigue. Tickets cost £7 (£5)

Tomorrow – Sunday 18 August
Poet Robin Robertson presents his most powerful collection yet – Hill of Doors. At 10:15am. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Our Guest Selector Gavin Esler and his esteemed panel ask ‘Can we trust the government’? at 11.30am. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Amit Chaudhuri offers a personal tribute to Calcutta at 3.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

One of the finest pop memoirs of recent time is brought to us thanks to Everything and the Girl singer Tracey Thorn, at 8pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Comedian and novelist Robert Newman presents his story set in the early days of capitalism at 9.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8).

For children

Tomorrow – Sunday 18 August
Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt present Just Imagine – the book that lets you be different creatures at the turn of a page. At 12noon, age 5 – 7, tickets cost £4.50.

Meet the master of horror, Darren Shan, with his flesh-eating new series, Zom-B. At 1.30pm, age 12+, tickets cost £4.50.

One of Britain’s most talented illustrators Tony Ross shows us how to capture humour and fun with pictures and words at 1pm, age 5 – 7, tickets cost £4.50.

Stripped kicks off and Independence is in the air

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:35:00 +0000

So, what’s been happening since we last posted?

Lots!

Alasdair Gray set the record straight over his ‘settlers and colonists’ comments and revealed why he turned down a knighthood.

Our Stripped programme of events got underway in fine style with two legendary creators - Chris Ware and Joe Sacco.

The day after he told us that the Yes vote for Scottish Independence had 'no chance', Nate Silver joined us to talk about the power of statistics and why we need rational thinking in our journalism.

Still to come…
Today, Thursday 15 August

The Fabulous Baker Brothers are in town to reignite our passion for Great British grub at 3:30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Today’s Blueprint Debate is all about the future of our defence systems. Do you think Scotland should become nuclear-free? Come along and have your say at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8).

Lovers of the natural world will enjoy seeing Charles Rangeley-Wilson and Esther Woolfson, two writers with stunning stories of forgotten streams and open spaces, at 7pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)

Come and hear the confessions of Charlatans front man Tim Burgess who will be in conversation with Ian Rankin at 9.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8). Sponsored by Edinburgh Gin.

Tomorrow, Friday 16 August
Join William McIlvanney to celebrate the brand new editions of his classics Laidlaw, Strange Loyalties and The Papers of Tony Veitch at 3pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Poet Jackie Kay and her son Matthew share the stage to discuss the importance of artistic and cultural contributions in political life at 4:30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

Hot on the heels of the recent Bob Servant BBC series Neil Forsyth presents further tales Bob’s anti-spamming antics. Neil will be joined by Johnny Watson who played Frank in the TV series. Join them at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)

See two emerging stars of British fiction, Sam Byers and Angela Jackson, present their debut novels at 7pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)

Poets Michael Pedersen and Luke Wright are currently storming the spoken word scene. Join them for some poetic entertainment at 8:30pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)

The pictures are pouring in
Our Festival photographers have been snapping away - we’ve put a selection of their shots on our Flickr and Facebook accounts so take a look if you have a moment and keep checking back as we'll be adding more as we go.

Don’t forget Story Shop – a free ten minute reading from Edinburgh’s brightest new literary talent brought to you by our pals at Edinburgh City of Literature. It’s in our Guardian Spiegeltent every day at 4pm and it’s FREE! No ticket required, so just drop in.

The sound of Norway

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Is it really day 4 already?

There have been plenty more Book Festival highlights in the last few days including:
Yesterday evening's Jura Unbound when the magnificent Ljodahått brought their intriguing blend of poetry and music all the way from Norway...

The moment Sandi Toksvig met the Gruffalo...

Cerys Matthews played some open air tunes...

David and Carrie Grant got their audience up and dancing...

Coming up soon we have…

Tonight

He’s a master of journalism in the graphic form, Joe Sacco will be here at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8).

Two young novelists from opposite sides of the Atlantic write about the search for humanity in dysfunctional lives. See Brian Kimberling and Allan Wilson at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5).

Tomorrow
Danny Dorling explores the rise and fall of the word’s population at 12noon, tickets cost £10 (£8).

Practising psychoanalyst Darian Leader takes a closer look the growth of bipolar in western societies at 2pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

Andrew Robinson tells us about the compelling characters behind some of the greatest discoveries in science at 5pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

See the full Festival line-up on our website.

Of course, you don’t have to go to an event. You could just come down to Charlotte Square Gardens and do a bit of this…

The perfect beginning and plenty more to come

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Wow – what a day we had yesterday!

There was dancing and drumming.

Books being browsed...

...and books being signed.

Jeremy Strong made the audience laugh their socks off...

and Salman Rushdie told us that ‘You cannot be a novelist unless you are fully engaged in life’.

And that was only day one!

There is so much more in store this evening and tomorrow, including many events with tickets available. Below is a hand picked selection of things you might like to see. For the full programme of events see our website.

Later today…

Rome-born Niccolò Ammaniti unveils his new novel, Let the Games Begin at 7pm, tickets cost £7 (£5).

Alice Rawsthorn shows how design is not just about the glamorous worlds of fashion and the Bauhaus, it is also a vital agent of change. At 8:30pm, tickets cost £10 (£8)

Harriet Tuckey tells the forgotten story of her father Griffith Pugh, the mountaineer whose scientific breakthroughs made the first ascent of Everest possible. At 8:30pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

And tomorrow (Monday 12 August)...
Journey through Alexandria and Colombia with Michael Jacobs & Peter Stothard at 11am, tickets cost £10 (£8).

This year’s Carnegie Medal winner, Sally Gardner, presents her fairy detective Emily Vole at 12 noon, tickets cost £4.50 (Age range 7-10).

Brigadier David Allfrey from the Edinburgh Tattoo presents his enchanting story for youngsters, The Tattoo Fox, which was inspired by a real vixen on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. At 2pm, tickets cost £4.50 (Families and 7+).

There will be literary Chinese whispers when Adam Thirlwell presents his magnificent feat of translation - The Multiples project at 3:30pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

Three of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists 2003 – Rachel Cusk, A L Kennedy and Toby Litt – share the stage at 5pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

Our Blueprint Debate for the day examines Justice – come and have your say at 7pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

Val McDermid presents her brand new thriller, Cross and Burn at 8pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

Not able to join us?
If you’re not able to come and join us we’re live tweeting from selected events – follow #edbookfest for the latest.

The 2013 Book Festival is here!

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 14:01:00 +0000

The 2013 Edinburgh International Book Festival is well and truly up and running! The first visitors to Charlotte Square Gardens this morning were greeted by the rousing rhythms of The Edinburgh Samba School kicking of the day – and the Festival – to a glorious start in the sunshine.

First up was Julia Donaldson who brought an entire team to enthral and entertain young and old in the packed Baillie Gifford Main Theatre. We caught a glimpse of one of the team chilling out backstage just before curtain up.

There are plenty more great events later on today and tickets are still available for many, so if you’re in the area and looking for some top-quality entertainment of a bookish kind why not drop by and see one of these fantastic events…

Novelists Patrick Flanery & Philipp Meyer explore the darker side of the American Dream with their latest books, one a tense literary thriller, the other an epic depiction of an ambitious family in the American West.
At 6.45, tickets cost £10 (£8)

For families and children there’s a chance to get Hooked on Drawing with author Vivian French and illustrator Cat Rayner, as they explore the process of drawing pictures for words and offer tips for budding picture book artists.
At 6pm, tickets cost £4.50.

Harold Davis went from plucky young Scot facing bullets in the Korean War to celebrated professional footballer. He shares his astonishing life story at 7pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).

The importance of Gaelic fiction to the 21st century will be explored when novelist and poet Angus Peter Campbell joins German-Gaelic author Michael Klevenhaus and Màiri E MacLeod. At 8.30pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)

This is just a mere handful of the events we have on offer. See a full list of what’s lined-up for, today and the rest of the Book Festival, on our website.

Say hello to the Open University
This weekend we're delighted to welcome The Open University who are hosting two Open Days in our Bookshop. They're here to spread the word about their wonderful range of study options - including courses on creative writing - so if the Book Festival has inspired you to put pen to paper, or you're curious to find out more about their other courses, pop in and say hello - they'd love to see you.

Grab yourself a red hot ticket

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 17:50:00 +0000

August is upon us and there’s just 7 days to go before we open so we've created a hand-picked selection of some of the hottest names in publishing – all coming to the Book Festival and all with tickets still available…

(listed in event date order)

Roddy Doyle presents his follow up to The Commitments.
Sat 10 Aug at 8pm, £10 (£8)

George Monbiot gets back to nature with Feral.
Sun 11 Aug, 3pm at 8pm, £10 (£8)

Former Design Museum director AliceRawsthorn offers a life affirming exploration of design as an agent for change.
Sun 11 Aug at 8:30pm, 8pm, £10 (£8)

Much-loved novelist A L Kennedy describes the courage and the crises behind the writing process.
Mon 12 Aug at 11:30am, £10 (£8)

Master Irish writer John Banville returns with his latest novel, Ancient Light.
Mon 12 Aug at 1:30pm, £10 (£8)

Scottish crime writing legend ValMcDermid presents her brand new thriller, Cross and Burn. Mon 12 Aug at 8pm, £10 (£8)

Statistician and political forecaster Nate Silver reveals the art and science of prediction.
Tue 13 Aug at 10, £10 (£8)

Famed neuroscientist Baroness SusanGreenfield shares the story of her remarkable career with Kirsty Wark.
Tue 13 Aug at 6:30pm, £10 (£8)

Joe Sacco casts a light on the power of comic journalism to grasp at the truth.
Tue 13 Aug at 8.30pm, £10 (£8)

Award-winning novelist Jane Gardam presents the final instalment of her bestselling ‘Old Filth’ trilogy.
Wed 14 Aug at 11:30am, £10 (£8)

The popular foodie duo TheFabulous Baker Brothers come to town.
Thu 15 Aug at 3:30pm, £10 (£8)

William McIlvanney presents the gorgeous new editions of Laidlaw, Strange Loyalties and The Papers of Tony Veitch.
Fri 16 Aug at 3pm £10 (£8)

Andrew Wilson explores the intriguing life of Sylvia Plath before she met Ted Hughes.
Fri 16 Aug at 5pm, £10 (£8)

Stand-up funny man Mark Watson brings a tragicomedy in novel form.
Fri 16 Aug at 9:30pm, £10 (£8)

Scotland’s finest, Ali Smith, displays her non-fiction talents.
Sat 17 Aug at 12pm, £10 (£8)

Former US Poet Laureate Kay Ryan presents her Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry.
Sun 18 Aug at 5pm, £10 (£8)

Liz Lochhead, Scotland’s Makar talks about 30 years of Scottish culture.
Mon 19 Aug at 3pm, £10 (£8)

Daniel Rachel takes a look behind the art of songwriting with Idelwild frontman Roddy Woomble.
Wed 21 Aug at 8:30pm, £10 (£8)

Celebrate 20 brilliant years of DCC Bob Skinner with Quintin Jardine
Thu 22 Aug at 4:30pm, £10 (£8)

Get the inside story on the world’s favourite superheroes with Grant Morrison.
Fri 23 Aug at 8pm, £10 (£8)

Paula Byrne presents her brand new biography of Jane Austen.
Sun 25 Aug at 10:30am, £10 (£8)

Poetry and music straight from the heart of the Egyptian revolution.
Sun 25 Aug at 8:30pm, £10 (£8)

Of course the above is but a selection of the programme, there are many more events besides along with some great children's writers andillustrators - you can find them all on the website, searchable by subject, theme, author, age range.... Enjoy!

See the 2013 Man Booker Prize nominees at the Book Festival

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 17:30:00 +0000

So we now know who has been longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize and many of the authors will be appearing in events at this year’s Book Festival. Which will be the winner? We don’t know but we think this lot are in with a good chance…

Tash Aw, Five Star Billionaire
Tash Aw’s Five Star Billionaire follows five extraordinary characters, all of them Malaysian migrants, as they forge new lives for themselves in the dazzling streets of Shanghai.

See Tash Aw on Mon 19 Aug at 8.30pm, £10 (£8)

Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
The Luminaries is a richly evocative historical mystery set in the goldmines of New Zealand. When one man goes there to make his fortune he finds himself in the midst of a series of unsolved crimes and a complex network of fate and fortunes.

See Eleanor Catton on Sat 24 Aug at 7pm, £7 (£5)

Richard House, The Kills
The Kills is an epic novel of crime and conspiracy which moves across continents, characters and genres. Beginning with a man on the run and ending with a burned body, it’s an astonishing political thriller that began life as a sequence of four digital books with accompanying multimedia content that’s well worth a look.

See Richard House on Sun 18 Aug at 8:30pm £7 (£5)

Charlotte Mendelson, Almost English
Almost English is a heart-warmingly funny story following the troubled16 year-old Marina as she struggles to fit into life in a new school and find her identity in a land that isn’t home.

See Charlotte Mendelson on Sat 17 Aug at 7pm, £7 (£5)

Colm Tóibín, The Testament of Mary
The Testament of Mary is a short and immensely powerful novel which sheds new light on this well known figure.

See Colm Tóibín on Tue 20 Aug at 4:30pm, £10 (£8)

New event announced: Another chance to see James Robertson

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 17:24:00 +0000

James Robertson is one of Scotland’s foremost literary talents so it came as no surprise when tickets to his Book Festival event on 18 August were snapped up.

Due to the huge demand for tickets we’ve scheduled another event and you can now seeJames on Friday 23 August at 12 noon.

James’ novels are known for tackling the sometimes difficult territory between real and imagined lives and his work has been inspired by topics such as the Lockerbie bombing and post-war Scottish politics. In this new event James will read from his work and discuss his writing with Ruth Wishart.

Youcan buy tickets to see James in this new event on our website or by calling the Book Festival Box Office on 0845 373 5888

Record ticket sales on opening day

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:24:00 +0000

After much anticipation, our tickets went on sale on Friday 28 June and we have been thrilled with the response to our 2013 programme. Thousands of people booked by phone, on the website and at our Box Office counter at the Roxburghe Hotel in Edinburgh - in fact we sold more tickets this year on our opening day of sales than we have ever done - proving that literature has Wembley Stadium-sized rock-star status in the hearts and minds of anyone who loves a good read, doesn't mind dipping their toes into the unknown and enjoys being part of a great discussion - whether serious or not.

Competition for tickets was fierce: the first customers in the queue for the Box Office at the Roxburghe Hotel arrived at 3.10am and by the time we opened at 8.30am there were already 286 people waiting.

Our new strand of Reading Workshops across both the adult and children’s programmes has proved popular (although they aren’t all sold out yet so have a look at availability) as have talks featuring Caitlin Moran, Andrew Marr, Robert Peston, Kate Atkinson and Rupert Everett, which all sold out quickly. The Independence Debate with Kirsty Walk, the Celebration of Iain Banks and The Phoenix Comic Workshop in the Stripped programme also sold out.

There are literally hundreds of events which haven’t sold-out though – as you would expect with a programme of over 700 events and 800 authorsso plenty of tickets still available for all sorts of wonderful authors, poets, illustrators and graphic novelists.

Here’s a link which you can use to check what’s sold out:

http://online.edbookfest.co.uk/soldout/

This is an active link which updates automatically so you can use it from now until the end of the Book Festival.

A few tips for browsing online:

Have a look at the themes pages – they are a great guide to broad subject areas and give you a good idea of the shape of the overall programme.

If you just want to know whether we have any events with a focus on a particular subject, for instance ‘Russia’, ‘birds’ or ‘classic novel’, simply type it into the keyword search box.

And use the drop-down category search menu for finding events on a whole variety of subjects such as music, health, science, education, politics, European Fiction, Free events, debates and so on.

And of course you can always just search for a particular author too by using the Author A-Z.

We hope you enjoy browsing the programme – if you prefer to flick through a paper version of the brochure we’d be happy to send one to you, simply email mailinglist@edbookfest.co.uk.

Or you can browse the digital edition of the brochure on screen instead.

We've launched the 2013 programme!

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 12:53:00 +0000

After months of hard work gathering together hundreds of authors from across the globe and crafting over 700 events, we are thrilled to unveil our 2013 Edinburgh International Book Festival programme. Hopefully some of you will have already have had the chance to look through the literary gems on offer - we hope you enjoy choosing what and who to see.

This year we celebrate our 30^th birthday, looking back over the past three decades to the year we started in 1983 and forwards thirty years to 2043.

Use our website search fields to browse events - you can search by author, subject or theme or by the age of your child if you are looking for children's events.

You can also view events by looking at the brochure: download a PDF file of the brochure.

Or if you'd like us to post you a copy, email your name and address to mailinglist@edbookfest.co.uk with the subject line 'brochure request'.

Our Director Nick Barley and Children's Programme Director Janet Smyth pose for the press at the launch of the Edinburgh International Book Festival's 2013 programme.

Transporting the big 30 from the Signet Library in Parliament Square,Edinburgh back to our office on the other side of town.

Down the Mound and past the Galleries...

Finally reaching Charlotte Square Gardens a bit puffed, a little bruised but generally intact.

Safely tucked into a corner of our office - waiting for August.

346 days to go

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:58:00 +0000

August 2012 watched two hundred thousand people fall in literary love with eight hundred authors.

Michael Morpurgo sang ‘Only Remembered’, unaccompanied. Jackie Kay stood up and by way of introduction said “I'm from Scotland and I'm a lesbian”. David Walliams made four hundred kids fire questions at him. Chris Riddell drew a monster in the middle of the Gardens. Val McDermid dressed up as a pirate. Jeremy Paxman admitted he can't dance. John McCarthy told us how to laugh when you're locked away without sunlight. Neil Gaiman rolled about on the walkway. Michael Palin did the Bolt pose. John Sampson made everyone sing. Ali Smith caused two journalists to throw away their pens and just listen.

That's about 1% of what caused a mass outbreak of glee and awe this month in Charlotte Square Gardens.

I'm loathe to say what I'm about to say, because it seems obvious to the point of being hackneyed. But I'm going to say it anyway, because it's the truth: my highlight of the 2012 Edinburgh International Book Festival was the World Writers' Conference. The keynote speeches were astounding, and I've never known a Book Festival venue to be so alive. There were guffaws, swearing, hissing, cries of “hear hear!”, and a philosophical quandary the size of a small planet. Actually there were a few of those.

If you're one of the Writers' Conference delegates and you're reading this, please know that your mind is bloomin' delicious and I would like to eat it. (If that's okay with you.)

The Book Festival would not simply whip itself out from under us like a tablecloth and leave us shivering. It's left plenty of stuff for us to be getting on with. The memories, yes, and the books, and the autograph you got Jeanette Winterson to scribble on your left hip (admit it) – but there's also all this:

Video & audio recordings

Five video recordings of some of the biggest events from this year's Book Festival, along with a plethora of audio recordings, will become available – completely free of charge – in the Book Festival media gallery over the next few weeks. So if you weren't in Edinburgh this August, you won't miss out after all.

Writers' Conference

This was just the beginning. The biting intellectuality of the Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference events will continue, starting with the Berlin International Literature Festival next week and then moving on to sixteen countries around the globe. Keep an eye on the Writers' Conference website for videos and updates. And continue the debates on Twitter with hashtag #worldwritersconf

Elsewhere

The Book Festival's very own book packed with brand new writing on the subject of “Elsewhere” will be available in shops soon. You can read the pieces (by a great range of writers, from Theresa Breslin to A L Kennedy) on the website; and listen to many of them being read out by the authors themselves.

The Anobii First Book Award

A celebration of debut novelists, the Anobii First Book Award gives us – the readers – forty six nominees to choose from. Which new book really awed you? Voting closes at 4.30pm on Friday the 12th of October 2012.

2013

The next Edinburgh International Book Festival programme will be announced in June 2013. Charlotte Square Gardens will open its gates once more to the book-loving public on Saturday the 10th of August 2013.

This is me signing off. If you've been reading – thank you! For tolerating my silliness and my strange punctuation, and for taking part in the social media side of the Book Festival, which has been just as triumphant as the grassy bits.

I'm tempted to finish on a stream of mushy adjectives. But instead I'll finish with a quote from John Calder (Writers' Conference founder, and supporter of the Book Festival long before it was even conceived). He stood up during the debate on the future of the novel and said this:

"Literature is art.

As long as there is life, there will be art".

Day 18

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:42:00 +0000

A 9-year-old boy planning out his career as a novelist with help from a Book Festival author; a trio of girls squealing at writer Jacqueline Wilson as if she were Justin Beiber; a group of school kids sitting on the grass with their noses buried in freshly-bought books.

Those were just some of the scenes from this month in Charlotte Square Gardens. We have nothing to fear from the future of literature – the youngest generation of book fans will make sure no page goes unturned. Or indeed unwritten.

By the way, I'm not just venting randomly. Today was the Schools Gala day at the Book Festival, which meant a full day of events just for schoolkids. We had Julia Donaldson and Tom Pow, Theresa Breslin and Joan Lingard, many other talented and good-spirited contributors, and loads of bunting and balloons (which of course meant a number of helium-voices over the radios). All of it added a great party atmosphere to the sun-filled Gardens.

Oh, and there were about a zillion Where's Wallys.

Where's Wa- THERE HE IS.

I'll post one last time here on the blog tomorrow with m'final thoughts on this year's record-breaking Book Festival, but, for now, it's time to fold up the deckchairs, take down the tents, pull up the walkways, pack up the books, and sweep up all the sleeping authors.

Day 17

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:49:00 +0000

Okay so I didn't go to eight events at the Book Festival today. I went to nine. Oho that's right. I've spent hours (sleepily) boasting about it and have been reliably informed that it's a Book Festival record. Allow me to boast some more by telling you about my day.

10:00 Ten at Ten. These have been consistently good-quality little events every morning at the Book Festival, and they ended this year on a high. Samkela Stamper read from her poetry and diary with contagious gusto.

10:15 Deborah Levy & Gwendoline Riley. Two powerful authors with a captivating way with words. There's something exciting about an author reading from their own works, and this event was a perfect example of that. Author readings have been among my favourite moments this August.

11:30 Kathy Lette. Kathy began her event with a mini highland fling! And it only got better from there. Full of outrageous true stories (from keeping Julian Assange in her attic to kissing Prince Harry on the lips), Kathy fused moving insights into her character's (and son's) autism, with laugh-out-loud humour.

14:00 Tom Bullough & Jane Sullivan. It's inspiring when speakers can work a small venue to great effect. Tom gripped the audience with tales of the deaf protagonist in his latest novel, and Jane shared the thinking and history behind her remarkable book about little people.

15:30 Harriet Walter. “We never tell older people that they're beautiful”, said Harriet. “So I went up to her and told her”. Harriet earned the adoration of a large audience as she shared her photography project celebrating the beauty of the older woman.

17:00 Robert Macfarlane. This was a motivating event about walking through landscape, and thinking as you do so. Robert is possibly the most instinctively articulate author I've heard at the Book Festival this year; and that's really, really saying something.

18:30 James Meek. This novelist writes about love as few others can; meticulously and without restraint. In his event this evening he gave us an insight into how, and why.

20:00 John McCarthy. Famously, John McCarthy is the BBC journalist who spent five years as a captive in Lebanon. He spent that whole time without a glimpse of sunlight. Tonight he gave a personal, fascinating account of his experience. It wasn't a surprise that the event was moving – but it was a surprise that it was hilarious. An absolutely extraordinary hour. Furthermore, it was the inaugural Frederick Hood Memorial Lecture at the Book Festival, celebrating the life of the late Frederick Hood, a young Charlotte Square-based investment manager who had a profound impact on those around him. Tonight, Hood's father presented John McCarthy with a Frederick-inspired fedora hat as a thank you and a memento.

21:00 Unbound. The Book Festival's late-night series of events has been a joy and – as ever – a phenomenal success. Sending it out on a high for another year was comedian Sian Bevan and the talented winners of Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. Lots of interaction, lots of brilliant readings, and LOTS of laughs.

The 2012 Edinburgh International Book Festival has come to an end for another year. But let us not mourn! Let us look back and sigh with great – and happily smug – contentment. And, of course, let us look forward. The Book Festival is getting better every year – so imagine what 2013 is going to be like.

Incidentally, it's not really the end of the Book Festival for this year...

Tomorrow is School Gala Day; a whole day in Charlotte Square Gardens open only to schools. So I'll report back to you tomorrow, and then – maybe – we can start thinking about closure...

Day 16

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 23:32:00 +0000

My discoveries on the penultimate day of this year's Book Festival.

Alistair McIntosh was sharing his views on Radio 4's 'Thought for the Day' recently, and although he was as eloquent as ever, he didn't dare use certain words he was keen to utilise. But as he said today, where better than the Book Festival to use words like “epistemological” and “ontological”? As Alistair says, “at the Book Festival you're not only likely to understand what those words mean; you're likely to buy me a drink for using them”.

Gavin Esler today chaired an event on the value of the environment, and he mentions sitting in an plane the other day (tut tut), musing over how many people deny climate change, when suddenly, as if in answer to the question as to to whether climate change is a real issue, the heavens opened up and flooding at Heathrow delayed his flight for over three hours.

Masha Gessen has written a book on Vladimir Putin ('The Man Without a Face'), uncovering some startling facts – but she has never met or even seen the subject of her book. This is because she is the first Russian journalist to be blacklisted by Russian authorities.

Struan Stevenson has sounded his support for politically-motivated Russian punk band Pussy Riot. In his words, their controversial anti-Putin protest was courageous, and the orthodox church was the ideal place to hold it. It may be easy to turn your nose up at support from the likes of Paul McCartney and Madonna, but Struan praises their participation as similarly brave and worthwhile and encourages others to add their voices.

Have you been enjoying the pre- and post-event music in the Book Festival venues? I discovered today that the selection is thanks to Spanish DJ José Padilla of Café del Mar, who has had a great influence on those who choose the Book Festival music.

Will Self today admitted to fleeting to the States in an attempt to escape the Olympics. His efforts were completely successful; except at one point when he was approached in a gas station by an enthusiastic Olympics fan who said; “isn't Bradley Wiggins fantastic?” To which Will Self replied; “who?”

This evening Nick Papadimitriou shared that he had a fairly troubled childhood, and as a boy would play truant from school for weeks at a time. He would “inhabit wastelands”, lighting a fire to keep himself warm, and sometimes building a little shack to sleep in until it was time to join the other children in their walk home at the end of the school day.

So, tomorrow is the la... the las...

No, I can't say it. I won't say it.

Suffice to say, I'm planning on going to eight Book Festival events tomorrow.

Day 15

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Lots of discoveries from Day 15 at the Book Festival.

Look! There on the left! It's Horace the Haggis. He's from Sally Magnusson's children's book, and he's been wandering happily around the Book Festival today with great aplomb. Black & White Publishing have put together an enjoyable little collage of Horace's day out in Charlotte Square Gardens.

As Chris Hoy is normally a blur, it's difficult to hold him still and check if it's really him, but – yes – it's been confirmed – that was the Olympic champion himself visiting the Book Festival. He was watching his great uncle Andy Coogan's (left) event this evening.

Jeremy Paxman confesses he couldn't dance to save his life. Not that he was expected to dance in his event today. But he did mention he was once out with some Anglo-Indian people who were doing the jive (as in the ballroom dance style), and when complimented they said sincerely that they “got their natural rhythm from the British”. The audience laughed for about five minutes when Paxman told us this.

You've seen – or at least heard of – the Lewis Chessmen, but have you noticed how utterly despondent they look? 'Horrid Henry' author Francesca Simon has, and today she shared her theory as to why they are so gloomy. They're real people, frozen and shrunk. You'd be at least a little bit frowny if that happened to you.

Censorship has been a sizzling hot topic at the Book Festival this year, and this morning Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy reminded us that she herself was censored by Britain's biggest exam board back when (as she puts it) “Meryl Streep was Prime Minister”. Carol Ann Duffy's 'Education for Leisure' was thought to be a potential provoker of knife crime in schools.

I don't know about you, but I kind of like the idea of some knife-wielding teenage hoodlum being influenced by a poem.

The other day, Nile Rodgers persuasively re-branded the Book Festival “The World, In Words (& Music)”. From the talented trills of M J McCarthy, to the veritably touching song of Michael Morpurgo (left), to the eclectic mix of musicians that have performed at Unbound over the last couple of weeks, the Book Festival has enjoyed a truly successful soundtrack this year. And it's wonderful what music can do. Just today, woodwind musician John Sampson had a packed audience bent double with laughter, and he didn't have to say a word.

Oh go on then. Let's admit it. Let's admit it so we can embrace it. It's been raining – a lot. The humming of rain on the tents, the whisper of drizzle on the green grass – it's all been damply atmospheric. And what do Book Festival fans do in the rain? We sip hot coffee in the Signing Tent, stretch out in the Bookshop – oh, and laze around on the deckchairs in the rain, of course. Preferably with an ice cream.

Day 14 and a half

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Here are a few recommendations for the next (and final!) few days of the Book Festival.

Tonight (Saturday 25th)

Jasper Fforde

Have you read 'The Woman Who Died a Lot'? Jasper Fforde has, because he wrote it. And as you can tell by the title, this is a writer full of humour and intrigue and brilliantly unexpected quirks. But you already know that. Come to his event at 8.30PM in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre this evening and you'll know it even more.

Will Self

Tonight at 9.30PM in the the RBS Main Theatre, the prince of pronunciation himself will be talking about his new novel 'Umbrella' and the implications therein. If you're not going to this event, go and sit in the corner and have a long hard think about your life. And then go to the event.

Tomorrow (Sunday 26th)

Susannah Clapp

There has been a fair bit of buzz on Twitter about this event, so I'll say it again: Susannah Clapp's event at 3.30PM in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre looks to be very interesting indeed. And not only that, but moving. Susannah will be discussing her novel about the great Angela Carter, with whom she was close friends.

Mark Billingham

He was a stand-up comedian, and now he writes crime fiction. That's what we at the Book Festival call a very, very, very promising event. He's on at 4.30PM in the RBS Main Theatre. Prepare to make all manner of intrigued noises.

The day after tomorrow (Monday 27th)

Deborah Levy & Gwendoline Riley

A powerful, likeable author with a remarkable novel. And there's two of them. In the same room. At the same time. To take full advantage of this fact, see you at 10.15AM in the famously atmospheric Guardian Spiegeltent.

Peter Robinson

A crime writer with intelligence, with passion, and with a brilliant character that's really getting people talking. This character, DCI Banks, recently starred in a four-part series on ITV, and is now back in book form with a vengeance. 7PM in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre.

Day 14

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:15:00 +0000

Today's discoveries!

Today I met a lady who'd visited the Book Festival annually for thirteen years! I also met a 12-year-old boy who'd been to the Book Festival every year of his entire life. A born fan, then. Both attest that it gets better by the year. They'd know.

In an event this afternoon, chair Rodge Glass was schooled by (a beautifully playful) Howard Jacobson on what authors he's allowed to say he enjoys. And the rule, apparently, is this: if you're chairing an event at the Book Festival, you are permitted only to adore the books of the author you're interviewing, and no other. Unless the other authors you're referring to are dead. That's allowed.

Time for quite an immature discovery. You may have seen the “Hopes of a Nation” board in the children's bookshop. It's full of sweet and inspiring thoughts from the kids that contribute to it. But take that same insightful child and put it with a group of its schoolmates, and what do you get? “Books are gay”. Ahh, hopes of a nation indeed!

Our Book Festival authors have some enjoyably unexpected backgrounds, and the list grows day by day. Politicians, artists, priests, police officers, chefs, film-makers, teachers, scientists, athletes, an Islamic fundamentalist, and the Prime Minister of Great Britain. See if you can guess who's who.

Howard Jacobson today spoke of a bittersweet honour. His work is packed with references to how the novel is failing and how literature is under-appreciated.

Unfortunately, in 2010 'The Finkler Question' won the Man Booker prize.

This ruined his point completely.

Day 13

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:22:00 +0000

First, a couple of discoveries.

When the bookshop staff came into the signing tent, they found that the Ian McEwan books – ready for his events today and yesterday – had mysteriously arranged themselves into artful stacks. Further investigation confirmed that this was the work of the warehouse staff, who delivered the books to the signing tent and happened to be in a particularly arty mood.

Mark Haddon, author of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time', confessed today that he believes himself to be a fairly poor writer by nature. He says his first drafts are awful. What he is, however, is a very good “editor”. It takes him endless drafts to reach the glowing quality we enjoy in his books. He explains that the process is like combing a very dirty Afghan Hound. It starts off a mess, but gradually gets smoother and tidier and more beautiful until it's quite pristine.

Recently I got my hands on four tickets to Susannah Clapp at the Book Festival, so I can brandish them gleefully as a prize to the winner of... a Book Festival caption competition!

There are so many impressed “hmm!” noises at Chris Close's portraits around Charlotte Square Gardens that it's like having a bee stuck in your ear. Today I picked out one of my favourites, and am opening it your captions. Tomorrow, Chris himself will help me pick the winner.

Susannah Clapp's event is this Sunday the 26^th at 3.30PM. She has penned a remarkable book on the late Angela Carter, one of the most influential artists of the last fifty years. Susannah will be discussing her book and her moving, fascinating meetings with Carter.

As if that wasn't a tempting enough prize, the event is sponsored by the Folio Society, a company renowned for its beautiful and creative cover designs. And for its generosity, which means – yes that's right – goody bags. Expect free book vouchers and other such treats.

So, on with the picture!

This is Chris' photograph of Professors Frank Close and Peter Higgs (as in Higgs boson).

You can contribute your captions on Twitter (with hashtag #edbookfestcomp) or here in the comments section. If you do use the comments section, please leave your full name or/and email address.

This competition will close at 12 noon tomorrow (Friday)!

Good luck!

Day 12

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:43:00 +0000

My discoveries for the day...

The last time Adam Thorpe was in the Spiegeltent he was doing an event with Hilary Mantel (left), who was writing 'Wolf Hall' at the time. Adam asked her what she was working on, and she said it was a novel about Thomas Cromwell. “Oh”, Adam remembers saying sarcastically; “that'll go down well”.

The rest is history.

Given that Charlotte Square Gardens is slap bang in the middle of Scotland's capital city (which, in turn, is slap bang in the middle of festival season), noise from the outside world sometimes slips into the ambiance of the theatres. But this has always been dealt with to great effect in the events I've been to. Danny Wallace said of the rainstorm - “I have angered Thor”. Adam Thorpe said of the sirens - “I specifically asked for these sound effects”. When a plane flew very low over the Gardens, Stuart Kelly remarked - “you'll always remember you were at the Book Festival the day war broke out”. And, the other day, when a group of girls were heard squealing outside the Main Theatre, an audience member leaned over and said to me “crikey, you'd think Jacqueline Wilson was out there or something”. Sure enough, when I went outside, there was Jacqueline Wilson herself, talking animatedly to a group of eager fans. What a lucky guess.

Claire Kilroy's gothic novel, 'The Devil I Know', was not supposed to be gothic. But while she was writing it, the Irish economic situation was dominating the news, which she heard through the radio. “ATMs will freeze, hospitals will close. Go buy some tin peaches because it might be the last meal you have in a while”. And, before she knew it, her writing was reflecting that looming asperity.

Each day at the Book Festival has been jam-packed with authors performing readings of their work, be them funny, moving, haunting, inspiring, or all of the above. But next time you hear a reading, make sure you bring the original text along... because Karen Campbell has confessed to occasionally self-editing as she reads out her work to an audience! I wonder if any other Book Festival authors do this. Let's keep a very sharp eye out. And if you catch someone doing it, heckle! Loudly.

(Don't.)

(I said don't!)

Day 11 and a half

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:20:00 +0000

Not sure what events to go to? Here are some recommendations for the next few days.

This evening (Wednesday 22nd)

Shaun Tan

This is a unique chance to hear from an eclectic Book Festival author, artist and film-maker. In 2011 he won Sweden's Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and an Academy Award. This year he's sharing his experiences and inspirations with a lucky Book Festival audience. He's on at 5PM in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre.

Iain Banks

The idea that I actually need to say anything persuasive about this fellow is a bit silly. So I'll just say his name. Iain Banks. Iain Banks will be here. 8PM in the RBS Main Theatre.

Tomorrow (Thursday 23rd)

Paul Broda

There's a whole host of great events on Thursday, and this one is right up there. Professor Paul Broda (left) will be speaking with Tam Dalyell about some astonishing political truths. Paul Broda's stepfather was Alan Nunn May - a Soviet spy. Hear about the history and resonance of this at 5PM in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre.

Kate Summerscale

Sex, secrets and dangerous whims - the incredibly successful writer of 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' has penned a new Victorian scandal to match it. Join her at 11.30AM in the RBS Main Theatre. The tickets are hot, so don't burn your fingers.

The day after tomorrow (Friday 24th)

Carol Ann Duffy

As recommended events go, I'm recommending this one fiercely. I might tantrum if you don't go. Carol Ann Duffy is - obviously - Poet Laureate. She will be joined not only by her fervent talent, but by musician John Sampson. This unmissable event is on at 4.30PM in the RBS Main Theatre.

The Brain of James Carter

This children's event on Friday afternoon sounds fantastic. The Book Festival can offer young 'uns a peek inside James Carter's brain - and it's a brain full of bewitching imagination and wild poetry. Ideal for kids aged 6 to 10. Join us at 1.30PM in the RBS Imagination Lab. And you may want to take the name of the venue, "Imagination Lab", literally.

Day 11

noreply@blogger.com (edbookfest) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Discoveries aplenty! Let us delve into them. Starting with my favourite...

Reports of strange Book Festival related dreams have been cropping up all over the place. We know that Chika Unigwe had a dream before the Writers' Conference that Woody Allen came to tell her that all writers were rule-breakers, but you probably didn't know that at least two audience members have dreamed that the Gruffalo is the secret brains behind the Book Festival.

Additionally, one staff member had a dream that the entire front row of seats in the Main Theatre had been put in the wrong way round, and I myself had a dream that the Front of House staff had been called up to be told about someone's disability requirement, which was that they were lonely and needed a hug before each event. Someone also mentioned that they fell asleep in Charlotte Square Gardens and was allegedly woken up by Vimes from Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld'. Were they sure that was a dream? You never know with the Book Festival.

Rubbing shoulders with your heroes at the front of a signing queue is a real highlight for many Book Festival visitors – and it can make your career. Once upon a time, theatre director David Johnstone was queuing to have his book signed by Ben Okri (left). David mentioned that he was a director, and Ben scribbled his phone number beneath his autograph. Now David is directing the theatre adaption of Ben Okri's 'The Comic Destiny'.

Today in his event, Antony Beevor said: “'I'm convinced the US was right to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki”. A juicily controversial assertion! When taken out of context. So I asked Antony to contextualise it, and he kindly agreed, explaining that without the bombings significantly more causalities would have been caused by war and starvation in Japan.

John Burnside has written and spoken about wind turbines and their effects, and, as someone who knows a great deal about them, he adds his knowledge to the relevant Wikipedia pages – only for his edits to be immediately removed by the organisations that own the turbines.

Official yurt doodler Mo bagged her first posed Book Festival models. She usually goes for candid sketches, but today both China Miéville and Ewan Morrison (left) sat for her. And they didn't wriggle.

Speaking of China and Ewan, the last of the Book Festival's Writers' Conferences was today. It was about the future of the novel, and sparked as much passion as the Conference did on previous days. (And you can re-live those days on the Writers' Conference website.)

While the Writers' Conference as a quintet of events provoked mostly agreement, a remark that came up time and time again was that rarely were any clear conclusions made. But the idea of concluding any discussion on the very free and very profound topic of literature is a distressing one.

If you love to debate (or, as your friends and family call it, “bicker”), you'll know that the very act of debate is intrinsically satisfying, and is not a means to an end at all. I fear the people who crave full stops and neatly-tied loose ends for the Writers' Conference are very sensible and tidy people. And none of my favourite writers are sensible or tidy.

If the Writers' Conference has left you utterly buzzing, but without a sense of resolution, then I believe it has done its job beautifully.

Most of the feedback on the Writers' Conference was as erudite as the writers themselves, but in my opinion the most expressive and telling feedback was the far less articulate stuff to be overheard while leaving the Writers' Conference.

At one point I heard: “Jackie Kay is so completely... she's just so completely... you know?” and “Ben Okri has this way of speaking, it's just... actually, I don't know what it is... but wow...” and “Ewan Morrison does this amazing thing when he makes a point; he sort of... he just... he kind of just...” and “how does China Miéville actually be like that? I can't even... I can't begin to...” and “Chika Unigwe, she's just so... so... she's just so...”

I know exactly what they mean.