Day 4

Another packed day of discoveries at the Book Festival. Here are a few...

Andy Coogan is Edinburgh hero Chris Hoy's great uncle - and was an Olympic torchbearer this year! You can watch Andy in action on YouTube, and see him in person at the Book Festival on the 25th in his event with Graham Ogilvy.

The press tent here at the Book Festival is always full of people tapping away on state-of-the-art equipment; but today we also had something not so state-of-the-art. Rob of RobAroundBooks brought in a typewriter! Those of us who'd never used a typewriter before were keen to show that we were... well, not very good at it.

Despite being a bad liar, Clive Stafford Smith (whose event has been one of my absolute favourites so far) can beat a lie detector (polygraph test). At the beginning of the test, you're asked basic, easy questions, such as your mother's maiden name. Clive was taught that to cheat the test all you have to do is think the most erotic thoughts you can when asked these basic questions. Though he didn't find this very easy to do while thinking about his mother's maiden name.

Book cover designer Jamie Keenan has shared some of his secrets. Sometimes he'll just scribble the title of the book in a funky sort of way, et voilà! An excellent book cover design.

Today I made a point of going along to some of the daily free events offered by the Book Festival.

First there's Ten at Ten in the Writers' Retreat, which features a ten-minute reading (at 10AM) from one of the Book Festival authors. Check the screen in the Entrance Tent to find out who's reading that morning.

 

The City of Literature Trust's Story Shop is a chance to hear new writers share their talent from 4PM in the Guardian Speigeltent. Story Shop contributors from previous years have gone onwards and upwards, so see them now and boast about it in years to come.

The Amnesty International Imprisoned Writers series is a significant string to the Book Festival bow, with its events from 17.30 to 16.45. Each day in Peppers Theatre the Amnesty event features favourite authors reading from the works of writers persecuted simply for being who they are. Tickets are free, and you can pick them up from the Box Office on the day.

Unbound enjoys its "anything goes" reputation, from poetry to music, from storytelling to stand-up comedy. It takes place in the grand Guardian Spiegeltent, and whether an event is haunting and sumptuous or laugh-out-loud funny, it's bound to be unique. Take a look at The Skinny website for the Unbound programme. Events are on from 9PM each night.

If you're after a great day at the Book Festival without worrying about price, the above lot is your answer. Open the day with a Ten at Ten reading, discover new writers in the afternoon's Story Shop, followed by some moral discourse courtesy of Amnesty International, bring a picnic to enjoy in the sprawling green Gardens, and end with an entertaining night in the atmospheric Speigeltent.

As for the kids, there are fun, hands-on activities in the RBS Story Box at any time between 11AM and 4.30PM, and, if you book in advance, enjoyable half-hour events at 10AM in the Story Box.

And the price for all this? Zilch.

Day 3

My discoveries at the Book Festival today include...

Ben Hammersley was at yesterday's Olympic closing ceremonies... dressed as a priest! Did you spot him?

Forget Russell Brand; it's theoretical physics that students adore. When a group of students discovered that all the tickets to Frank Close (left) and Professor Higgs were sold out, there were tears in Charlotte Square Gardens.

Vivian French once sneezed during acupuncture therapy. Let's just say that she does not recommend it.

When I asked him where on The Edge he would live, illustrator-in-residence Chris Riddell said the floating island of Sanctaphrax, in a small school of learning where he would wear multi-coloured robes. Though he also expressed interest in becoming a spindlebug (left).

Michael Palin has an idea for a Book Festival event next year. His two heroes, David Attenborough and Bruce Springsteen. Discussing Jane Austen. As Michael says, “they'd probably just agree on everything, and hug.”

Edinburgh International Book Festival has its very own “yurt doodler”, Mo. The author's yurt is the Book Festival's green room. There's no photography allowed in there, but Mo is allowed in and she sketches what she sees! Keep an eye on her Tumblr page over the next couple of weeks.

My favourite moment today (actually, my favourite moment of the last two decades) was making Michael Palin laugh. He's my absolute idol, so now that he's shaken my hand, I'm never washing it again. Except just now, because my cat sneezed in it.

When his understandably popular event swung round, I went in early and accidentally became a sort of honourary Front of House assistant, helping set things up. When I sat down, a very nice lady with a very tiny baby sat next to me. So she could take off her jacket, she handed me her programme and said “please could you hold this?” And then her coat; “please could you hold this?” And then her baby: “please could you hold this?” I'd never held a baby before, but I think I managed not to hold him like a coat. And that was how I met the youngest Michael Palin fan in the world (eight weeks old).

My other favourite event today was Colm Tóibín's. Isn't it amazing when someone combines great talent with great humility? It was as if his terrific rhetoric and insightful remarks slipped out by accident.

So on the whole, an excellent day.

Also, I think I've stolen Gordon Brown's pen.

Day 2 and a half

As the gates open to a third day of soaking up that Book Festival atmosphere, I thought I'd provide some recommendations for the next couple of days.

This evening (Monday 13th)

The Heart and History of The Dandy. Andy Stanton, former Dandy editor Morris Heggie (left), and Dandy/Beano illustrator Gordon Tait share, discuss and enjoy the creative thoughts behind one of the most beloved comics in Britain. A great events for families.
ScottishPower Studio Theatre, 5PM

  


In what promises to be an intelligent and fascinating event, Geoff Dyer discusses his newest book, "Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room". Ideal if you like a bit of late-evening thinking and entertaining.
Peppers Theatre, 8:30PM

 

Tomorrow (Tuesday 14th)

Oddles of Poodles with Anna Wilson. In an event for children ages 7 to 10, Anna Wilson shares stories of her pampered pet salon. Or should I call it secret canine detective agency?
RBS Corner Theatre, 12PM





Join Charles Allen in a significant event about a significant figure. Many of us haven't even heard of Ashoka, but - two hundred years before the birth of Christ - he was the illustrious and peaceful ruler of the entire Asian subcontinent.
ScottishPower Studio Theatre, 12PM

The day after tomorrow (Wednesday 15th)

Award-winning author Charles Nicholl runs an event for those who love great history and great intrigue. You'll learn things you never knew about some of the most renowned historical figures in history, from Michelangelo to Shakespeare, from Arthur Cravan to Jack the Ripper.
ScottishPower Studio Theatre, 10.30AM 




In this unique event, celebrated Scottish crime writer Val McDermid will be unveiling her latest work, 'The Vanishing Point', a month before its publication. This is quite simply an event not to be missed.
RBS Main Theatre, 8PM

Day 2

I counted seven open Book Festival programmes on the bus today. Which is pretty inspiring, despite the fact that two of them were mine.

Here are some of my favourite discoveries made in Charlotte Square Gardens today.

As the Olympic Games closed, Book Festival visitors wished they had just one more gold medal to give out – to Darren Shan, who spent over three hours signing books after his event! He received a delighted round of applause for his triumph.

Kristina Stephenson's Sir Charlie Stinky Socks event features music so enjoyably catchy that it embedded itself in the consciousness of several Book Festival staff members (including myself) for the remainder of the day.

Prue Leith was campaigning for healthier school dinners some time before Jamie Oliver. She even came close to persuading PM Tony Blair of her cause.

 

Maajid Nawaz was an activist with Islamic extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. But during a four-year imprisonment in Egypt he engaged in fierce political debate with a number of fellow prisoners and emerged a left wing liberal.

 

The mother of David Lammy MP used to ferverently believe he would become “a black Aled Jones”. David did his best not to disappoint.

A few people today were intrigued by the photos taken here and there and were wondering where they might see them. In due course they'll be posted on the website, but you can catch some throughout the day on Twitter – and in the meantime, here's a whole little collection from the last couple of days!

Andrew Motion reads from 'Silver', his loving tribute to 'Treasure Island'

Two young visitors bask in Charlotte Square Gardens

Tom Watson and James Naughtie talk phone hacking

The Soul Foundation entertain at the enthusiastic Book Festival opening party

Visitors and authors alike enjoy the atmospheric Guardian Spiegeltent

Simon Callow smoulders for the cameras

Eager book fans browse the Bookshop

Day 1

Today began with a little girl at the gates of Charlotte Square Gardens, devising a cunning plan to make our own staff t-shirts and wear them so we could sneak our way into the Book Festival early.

But before this ingenious scheme could be put into motion, the gates opened and in we all poured, accompanied by sunlight and samba music.

Here are a few interesting and funny things I learned today – and they were learned straight from the authors' mouths!

Andrew Motion is allergic to the word “sequel”! His book 'Silver' is a tribute to 'Treasure Island'; not a sequel. His tribute is based around an enormous amount of affection for Robert Louis Stevenson's treasured classic.






David Rain is the one we have to thank for today's triumphant weather. Despite his suspicious surname, Mr Rain penned the book 'The Heat of the Sun'. It can't be a coincidence.

Illustrator Chris Riddell has nightmares about manga! This is because one of his very first jobs as an illustrator was to draw a little manga-style cockroach – hundreds and hundreds of times. That cockroach's manga eyes still haunt him today...

Stuart Kelly's earliest memory is of pulling a carton of eggs off a shelf in a supermarket, at the age of eight months. He can remember the intricate details. The thing is, this memory is a false memory.

Simon Callow was at first tentative about playing Charles Dickens in Doctor Who, but once he read Mark Gatiss' script he saw that it was full of fierce and honest affection for Dickens. Today Simon quoted the episode in question.

Dickens: “will I be read?”
Doctor: “yes.”
Dickens: “for how long?”
Doctor: “for ever.”

Without question, there were some phenomenal events today. But my vote for the most fascinating one I saw goes to...

Charles Fernyhough and Claudia Hammond, at their event on memory and time.

There was some discussion on the extremely mysterious nature of time. If you spend 20 minutes waiting for a delayed train, time seems to go by very slowly indeed. And if you spend 20 minutes on a lunchbreak, trying to quickly exchange stories with a friend, time seems to zip by. But it's exactly the same 20 minutes. That can be hard to believe.

It seems it's all about our attitude to time. The example given in the event was: if there's a meeting on Wednesday, and the meeting is moved two days, when will the meeting be? Monday or Friday? Those of us who think Monday are apparently waiting for time to come to us, whereas those who think Friday are moving towards time. For me, Friday sprang to mind, so I'm an “ego-mover” as opposed to a “time-mover”. Good to know!

Our attitude towards time and memory is so enigmatic and changeable, but the event saw some rather beautiful conclusions. Charles Fernyhough said that a number of people read his book ('Pieces of Light') because they want to remember everything. But do you really want to remember everything? We out-source our memory these days, using modern technology among other things. We don't need to remember everything – and imagine how busy and cramped our minds would feel if we did.

Claudia Hammond, in the meantime, has people coming to her in the hope that they'll be able to slow down time, because it seems to move so fast. But she explained that when time moves slowly, it's because of boredom, or feelings of loneliness or rejection. If time seems to zip by, on the other hand, it's a sign that you're leading an exciting, eventful life.

In a very unexpected twist, the event ended with a lady in the audience putting up her hand and asking Claudia if she remembers her. Claudia hadn't. The lady then went on to say that she doesn't remember her either – but they should remember each other, because they were best friends when they were five years old...! The event ended, and Claudia shook her hand, grinning.

As a delighted audience member said afterward: you couldn't make it up.

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! 

2 days to go

Did you hear that? Two days to go! TWO! That's today and tomorrow we have to get through before we begin a festival to remember.

But don't waste those days; do something constructive. Like buy more tickets for the Book Festival. Have a good poke around the website; I think you'll be surprised by what events you can still sneak tickets for.

And if you could do with some suggestions, I've got you some from behind the scenes. If the Edinburgh International Book Festival staff are for anything they're for prodding and poking until book reviews spill out. Not that they need much prodding and poking – the wall of books in the office is approximately the size of the galaxy, and they have been devoured by the staff; who are, after all, bookworms by definition.

Anyway, on with some of their suggestions!

The Baskerville A Confession – by John O’Connell
“If Cumberbatch hasn’t yet turned you onto Sherlock then this novella (which has its basis in fact) provides an enlightening look behind the man that made the detective and his most famous crime story to whet your appetite.”

John O'Connell will appear with Ros Barber at 3PM on Wednesday the 22nd

Railsea – by China Miéville
“I loved this. China Miéville has an amazing imagination. I loved the characters' names, the places they come from,  the trains, the thrills and spills. This makes it sound like a children’s novel, which it could be, but it also goes a lot deeper than that and makes you sit up and think about what we are doing to our planet as well. I’ve not read anything by China Miéville before and really want to go and see him now.”

China Miéville will appear with at 8.30PM on Monday the 20th

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank – Nathan Englander
“When I first read Nathan Englander’s work, he reminded me of a young Jonathan Franzen. What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank is a terrific short story collection, and I am really looking forward to hearing him at the Book Festival before he really hits the big time.“

Nathan Englander will appear with Junot Díaz at 7PM on Saturday the 18th

Seventy Times Seven – John Gordon Sinclair
"Who knew that the long haired charmer from Gregory’s Girl would turn his hand to writing suspenseful crime? Sinclair takes an IRA hitman as his unlikely hero and sends him from Belfast to the USA to track down an old informer as his final job. However, things don’t turn out quite the way he expected when the old informer turns out to be someone quite different."

John Gordon Sinclair will appear at 7PM on Sunday the 26th

Narcopolis – Jeet Thayil
"The beautifully poetic prose of Jeet Thayil’s Narcopolis takes you on an intoxicating journey through the backstreets of Bombay’s forgotten Opium dens, offering a unique perspective of India’s underworld. This is definitely one my favourite books in the programme this year and well deserving of its place on the Man Booker longlist."

Jeet Thayil will appear with Teju Cole at 7PM on Sunday the 26th