1 day to go

Today I asked some of our Book Festival authors and illustrators to sum up their event in three words.

And then in four words.

Sally Nicholls

3 words: "Buboes, orphans, apocalypses"

4 words: "Hope, death, survival, change"

Sally Nicholls will appear at 5PM on the 25th in a teen's event with Kathryn Erskine

Nicola Morgan

3 words: "Perfect Pitches Promised."

4 words: "Whipping hooks into shape."

Nicola Morgan will appear on the 21st in a sold out event

Cate James

3 words: "Words and pictures."

4 words: "Fun chat about books."

Cate James will appear at 11AM on the 11th in her Creative Writing Class

Ken MacLeod

3 words: "Scary future societies."

4 words: "SF writers scan horizon."

Ken MacLeod will appear at 8.30PM on the 27th in an event with Chris Beckett

Kerry Hudson

3 words: "dark, funny, estatey"

4 words: "blackly funny estatey ladies"

Kerry Hudson will appear at 3PM on the 14th in an event with Lisa O’Donnell

Teresa Flavin

3 words: "Magic, mystery, alchemy!"

4 words: "Magic, mystery, alchemy, time-travel!"

Teresa Flavin will appear at 4.30PM on the 18th in her children's event

Fi Bird

3 words: "Scotland's Kids' Larder"

4 words: "Wild Cooking with Kids"

Fi Bird will appear on the 12th in a sold out children's event

Ian Rankin

3 words: "Cop With Problems."

4 words: "Likeable Cop With Problems."

Ian Rankin will appear on the 21st in his sold out Rebus event

Cat Clarke
3 words: "Edgy, dark, British!"

4 words: "In four words? I'd add... awesome *cough* "

Cat Clarke will appear at 4.30PM on the 12th in a young teen's event with Keren David

Jeremy Vine

3 words: "News. Music. Life."

4 words: "News. Music. Life. Floccinaucinihilipilification. "

Jeremy Vine will appear on the 23rd in a sold out event

And more demonstrations of the Book Festival spirit are just round the corner. A rapidly approaching corner – there's only one day to go now! One day! That's almost no days.

The gates open at 9.30AM in Charlotte Square – I'll be there; will you?

There will be sunshine (or an arctic snowstorm, let's be honest), there will be ice cream, and there will be a live samba band. There'll be café bars and bookshops and book signings, events for kids, events for adults, events for teenagers. Events for people with excellent beards, and events for people with no beards at all. Events for people who want to listen to their favourite author, and events for people who want to join in. And, of course – most importantly – as many writers, artists, readers and books as you'd expect from the most celebrated Book Festival this side of Jupiter.

(And I hear the Book Festival on the other side of Jupiter isn't getting any sun at all this year, so it looks like we win.)

See you tomorrow morning!