Friday 10 August 2012

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"

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."

Ken MacLeod
3 words: "Scary future societies."
4 words: "SF writers scan horizon."

Kerry Hudson
3 words: "dark, funny, estatey"
4 words: "blackly funny estatey ladies"

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

Fi Bird
3 words: "Scotland's Kids' Larder"
4 words: "Wild Cooking with Kids"

Ian Rankin
3 words: "Cop With Problems."
4 words: "Likeable Cop With Problems."

Cat Clarke
3 words:
"Edgy, dark, British!"
4 words: "In four words? I'd add... awesome *cough* "

Jeremy Vine
3 words: "News. Music. Life."
4 words: "News. Music. Life. Floccinaucinihilipilification. "

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!