Talking Book(sale)s

Here in Booksales, as you can imagine, we receive a lot of books. A lot of books. The vast majority of those books are processed in our warehouse (which you'll read more about later, right here on this blog). As of this moment, the warehouse has processed 75,816 books, with plenty more to come. (They'll be into six figures by the end of the festival.) And you can purchase every one of those books - around 8,000 titles - in our independently-run on-site bookshops.

A few of the books we stock are delivered directly to the office, which means the corridor outside Booksales Central resembles a wee warehouse at this time of --


...er, hang on. No one at the Festival is planning on taking a vacation any time soon. So why do we have a suitcase...?


Ah. Because it contains books. Specifically, RNIB Talking Books.


The two main booktents have panels devoted to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), which is the UK's leading charity offering information, support and advice to people with sight loss.

A DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) book is a digital talking book, structured in such a way to allow the reader to move around the book as someone would use a print book. For instance, the reader can skip to a new chapter, or bookmark a favourite passage. RNIB have a selection of DAISY books which can be purchased for around the same price as the printed paperback version, and we're pleased to be able to sell a selection.

If you're browsing in either the Adult Bookshop or RBS Children's Bookshop, please stop at the RNIB panel and check them out.

- Tracey S. Rosenberg, a/k/a the Booksales Officer

P.S. Joanne Harris, whose DAISY book is shown above, is appearing at this year's Festival, and tickets are still available.

P.P.S. Every purchase you make in our shops - in any format - supports the Book Festival. Thank you!

Site Build Day 5

I ventured out into the post-weekend grey to see how the site has progressed. New tents, walkways and confusing piles of raw material are springing up all over the place.



And now for something mysterious...

Site Build Day 2

Overnight new tents leapt out of the ground, suddenly and without warning. I took another permitted yet mysterious crawl through the bushes to check it out.

2010 Man Booker Prize

Above: Booker longlister Paul Murray

Brilliant news. A few days ago, the longlist for none other than the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction was announced, and guess what? 10 of the 13 fantastic authors on the list are coming to the Book Festival this August.

There are still tickets left for many of these events, and their shiny new Booker Prize longlist status serves as reason #10029430 to grab these tickets.

The ten longlisters who will be appearing in Charlotte Square Gardens are:

Emma Donoghue for Room
Helen Dunmore for The Betrayal
Howard Jacobson for The Finkler Question
Andrea Levy for The Long Song
Tom McCarthy for C
David Mitchell for The Thousand Autumns of Zacob de Zoet
Lisa Moore for February
Paul Murray for Skippy Dies
Christos Tsiolkas for The Slap
Alan Warner for The Stars in the Bright Sky

Site Build Day 1

Today was the very first day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival site build. The first tent of Charlotte Square Gardens was hoisted into place in a flurry of rope and canvas. Okay, it probably didn’t work like that, but I imagine it did. I wasn’t there. But I did duck into the bushes and take photographs from between the leaves (with permission: which spoils the air of mystique I was going for, but never mind).

Brand new Book Festival website

Ahh, websites. As Salman Rushdie said, “a website’s work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep”. As T S Eliot said, “a genuine website can communicate before it is understood”. And as Plato said “websites utter great and wise things which they do not themselves understand”.

… okay, none of those people said any of those things about websites. But websites can be valuable, trouble-free, nifty and entertaining blighters, and we’re hoping our brand spanking new Edinburgh International Book Festival website, freshly launched two and a half minutes ago, ticks all those boxes.

The beauty of it is that everything is tied together, so you’re always only one click away from further information. You can check out one of our fabulous Elsewhere pieces, then in a single click read a biography of its writer. From there, you can buy their books on Amazon, read any news or articles related to them, listen to their audio recordings, watch their videos, or go straight to reading about their events in the jam-packed 2010 programme – and from there, book your tickets!

What’s more, the place is full of high quality images of our authors – faces both famous and new – with their playful poses, studious gazes, animal friends and unexpected tattoos. Vote for our Readers’ First Book Award; learn about our RBS Schools Programme, educational schemes, tips and Outreach Programme; answer any Press queries; plan your Book Festival visit; delve into our great Media Archive; download our programmes, past and present; keep updated in the world of literature; and much, much more.

So start at the homepage, and get tucked in. Or as Aristotle said: “enjoy”.

(He really did)

What we're reading

You’re not the only ones reading up on the authors captivating Book Festival audiences this August. The team here is founded on literary enthusiasm, and many of us are taking the run-up to the festival as an opportunity to dive into the shelves upon shelves of great books that sit conveniently right here in our offices.

What follows are some of our favourite books being discussed at the Book Festival this year, a list compiled among ums and ers and “can I only pick one?”s –

Matterhorn by Vietnam veteran Karl Marlantes is a personal and powerful war epic, recommended very (very) vocally by Press Manager Frances.

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna is Marketing & PR Manager Amanda’s favourite. It’s a love story set in Africa, a startlingly beautiful read.

My Friend Jesus Christ by Lars Husum ticks Press Officer Charlotte’s boxes – she describes it as a brilliantly funny tale that provokes faith in friendship.

Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo is a consistent and worthy favourite of Programme Manager Roland’s.

The Bird Room by Chris Killen, recommended by Programme Administration Assistant Esmé, is an irresistibly dark comedy by an irresistibly talented young author.

Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man by Bill Clegg comes recommended by IT & Systems Administrator Steve. It’s a brutally moving and honest memoir described by Irvine Welsh as a remarkable achievement.

Exposure by Mal Peet is an award-winning young adult novel, recommended by Programme Assistant Hilary, about having it all – and then losing it all.

Begat: The King James Bible and the English is a fascinating and intelligent look at the Bible’s influence on the English language, written by David Crystal and recommended by Box Office Supervisor Miriam.

From the Dead by Mark Billingham is a gripping and inspired crime novel recommended by Box Office Supervisor Thomas.

Learning to Lose by David Trueba comes suggested by Sponsorship Assistant Simone. Worthy of its awards, it is an engaging tale of a talented young Argentinian football star who arrives in Madrid.

How Not to F*** Them Up! by Oliver James is recommended by Administrative Director Andrew, who, fittingly enough, is a father-to-be!

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit Anniversary by Jeanette Winterson is being enjoyed, among many others, by Festival Administrator Alice. A celebration of the renowned classic.

Room by Emma Donoghue, recommended by Development Officer Eli, is a novel, both uplifting and devastating, about a single locked room.

The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric has been highlighted by Sponsorship & Development Manager Loïs. It’s a daring and stunning work of tremendous power.

A motley selection, I’m sure you agree. But I wonder if you agree with our choices…