Day 9

I'm told there is a word hidden in the term "Book Festival". A word beginning with "B" and ending in "ook".

When I eventually figured out what this word was, I decided to spend some time today asking lots of people at the Book Festival a simple, joyous little question -- what are you reading at the moment?

So my list of discoveries today is substantial, and consists of what books are being devoured by Book Festival authors, staff, press, and, of course, members of the public, both young and not-so-young. And they're all bundled in together, because book-lovers are book-lovers, no matter how famous.

If you're looking for book recommendations right from the heart of the Book Festival, this is the list for you. Though don't try to read them all unless you have very, very, very eclectic tastes...

'Pulphead' by John Jeremiah Sullivan
Rob (in the press tent)

'Embassytown' by China Miéville
Teresa Flavin (author)

'The Moon and Sixpence' by W Somerset Maugham
Kapka Kassabova (author)

'Ambition to Meaning' by Wayne W Dyer
Vicky (journalist)

'The Beautiful Indifference' by Sarah Hall
Roland (Programme Manager)

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø
Kristen (in the signing tent)

'The Betrayal' by Helen Dunmore
Nicola Morgan (author)

'Channel Sk1n' (an e-book) by Jeff Noon
Chris (photographer)

'N-W' by Zadie Smith
Nick (Book Festival Director)

'Gladiator' by Simon Scarrow
Nathaniel (aged 12)

'Violence' by Slavoj Žižek
Ewan Morrison (author)

'The Beano Annual 2012'
Sorley (aged 7)

'Bloodstone' by Gillian Philip
Daniela (Sorley's mum)

'International Private Law'
Lula (Front of House Supervisor)

'This is Not About Me' by Janice Galloway
Liz (in the bookshop)

'The Terror of Living' by Urban Waite
Mike (in the queue for Main Theatre)

'Midnight Swimmer' by Edward Wilson
Frances (Press Manager)

'The Impossible Dead' by Ian Rankin
Mike (in the queue for Peppers Theatre)

'Hawthorn and Child' by Keith Ridgway
Ian Rankin (author)

Day 8

This evening I spoke to someone who summed up her day at the Book Festival thus: “I feel like my life is sparkling”.

Here are my favourite discoveries today.

It has been a day for enthusiastic audiences at the Book Festival. Cheering, laughing, heckling, whooping, singing – and, for Michael Morpurgo, a standing ovation from a huge audience moved by his song, by his writing, and by his life.

Today's Writers' Conference on style versus content could not resist the hot literary topic of the moment: 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. Some objected to its involvement in the conference – and some objected fiercely – but there were voices of support. A book seller from Edinburgh mentioned that the book sells huge quantities in her shop, but those who buy it often come back later for more material to read. It has introduced the world of books to those who don't normally read. It is, as she said, an “entry drug into literature”

Most of us know that Danny Wallace started a country in his flat. But did you know that he then moved out of his flat and failed to tell the next occupant she's living in her own country? When he first opened his flat as a country, he invited local press to write about it. Then he framed the article and put it on top of a tall shelf, so that when the new owner is changing a light bulb she'll be met with the amazing surprise that she is living in an independent state.

There's a big board in the children's bookshop here at the Book Festival called “Hopes of a Nation”. Young visitors to the bookshop can write up their own hopes for the future.

Here are some of the contributions:

I wish people would be more respectful of people's opinions and views.

- Jessica (aged 14)

I hope my cardigan is found.

- Brodie (aged 3)

I hope Scotland has lots of rain so I can splash in puddles.

- Sophie (aged 6)

When I am older I hope there will be no more poor people.

- Poppy (aged 5)

I would like to be a doctor fairy princess. And live in Germany.

- Maya (aged 4 ½)

Day 7 and a half

Time for another recommendations package, do you think? Yes? Yes, I do too.

This evening (Saturday 18th)

Danny Wallace

He seems to go out of his way to do unique things and talk about those unique things in a way that makes us laugh out loud. Tonight at 8.30PM in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre he'll be sharing his debut fiction, 'Charlotte Street', a story of a man fixated on the photographs inside a discarded disposable camera.

Junot Díaz & Nathan Englander

I've already seen both these very talented humans in action, and I can promise that they are extraordinarily engaging and likeable. Tonight at 7PM in the RBS Corner Theatre they'll be talking about their work. See you there!

Tomorrow (Sunday 19th)

Ali Smith

Her keynote speech at the Writers' Conference today provoked whoops of appreciation and howls of laughter from the audience. Need I say more? Sunday will see her in the RBS Main Theatre at 11.30AM. Be there or face the consequences.

Don Paterson

A much-beloved Scottish poet whose work never fails to produce both thought and emotion in its readers. See him in the ScottishPower Studio Theatre at 7PM this Sunday.

The day after tomorrow (Monday 20th)

Roald Dahl Funny Prize Event

This is a special one. It's for little 'uns – and big 'uns – and will feature chat about comedy, and why comedy can be particularly tricky. The participants are Liz Pichon (left), Rose Impey, and Philip Ardagh, who has recently been provoking (embarrassingly loud) guffaws on Twitter, so we'll see you in the RBS Corner Theatre at 5PM on Monday if you like a laugh. And who doesn't like a laugh?

Joyce Carol Oates

I hesitate to mention this event here, because it's selling so fast it might get a nosebleed, but at time of writing there are still tickets available – so grab them now! Joyce Carol Oates is, of course, one of the world's most respected novelists. Her event is on Monday at 11.30AM in the RBS Main Theatre.

Day 7

Today was a great day for much-anticipated events, from Joan Bakewell to John Burnside, from Axel Scheffler to Russell Kane. And it was an especially big day for the Edinburgh World Writers' Conference, which today kicked off a series of thought-provoking and busy debates based on subjects that were discussed at the first Writers' Conference exactly 50 years ago.

So that is the theme for today's list of discoveries! 

According to Elif Shafak, many characters in Turkish fiction are under-developed. This, says Elif, is because Turkish fiction tends to focus on the demon outside of us – as opposed to the demon within.

When the original Writers' Conference of 1962 was first being planned, John Calder (left), Sonia Orwell and Jim Haynes were discussing it in a Greek restaurant on Rose Street when suddenly – out of sheer disagreement with John – Sonia produced a wine bottle and smashed it over his head. John was knocked cold. Then he woke up and they continued the discussion.

When the  Writers' Conference first opened in Edinburgh fifty years ago, John Calder sent one lone cashier to the venue to sell tickets. Within the hour, there were over a thousand people in the queue.

Writers love discussion. Readers love discussion. People love discussion. The discovery here being that the Writers' Conference chat on Twitter reached over 43,000 people - a statistic that has astounded us.

Although I had been told a lot about the Writers' Conference – both by people directly involved in it and by people simply interested in its legacy – I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. But what I knew for sure was that today's conference – the first of five two-hour events – would have ideas, opinions, subjections and objections bouncing off the walls like a thousand dropped ping-pong balls.

Sure enough, it was engrossing. The topic for today was “should literature be political?”, and every word in that question was analysed. Can there be a “should” when it comes to literature? And what do you mean by “literature”? And how can it “be” anything other what the writer intends? And in what sense is anything “political”?

There were cogent points round every corner. Ahdaf Soueif observed that the novelist, just like the activist, is a citizen of the world. China Miéville pointed out that literature can be political irrespective of what the words in the book say. We had articulate agreements and articulate challenges, we had a bit of passionate volume and a bit of impressive swearing, we had Ewan Morrison getting up from the audience and pacing as he wondered if novels were over-stretching themselves politically, and we had Denise Mina share that because her main characters are female she was once asked why she was “being so political”.

George Orwell may have been being political by writing 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' instead of 'Thirteen Eighty-Eight', but was JK Rowling being political by writing 'Harry Potter' instead of 'Harriet Potter'?

The discussion could go on forever. And actually, that's kind of the idea. Take a look at the Edinburgh World Writers' Conference website to get involved.

Word of the Writers' Conference at the Book Festival is spreading like dog fur on a carpet (that's fast, by the way), so grab what's left of the tickets while you still can.

1. Style vs Content (Saturday 18 August 3:00pm - 5:00pm)
2. A National Literature? (Sunday 19 August 3:00pm - 5:00pm)
3. Censorship Today (Monday 20 August 3:00pm - 5:00pm)
4. The Future of the Novel (Tuesday 21 August 3:00pm - 5:00pm)

The question “should literature be political?” has no conclusive answer, but this was my favourite snippet of insight from this afternoon's fascinating conference.

"How can you, if your gift is narrative, absent yourself from the great narrative of the world?" Ahdaf Soueif

Day 6

Here are my favourite discoveries of the day...

According to the man himself, Allan Massie prefers not to describe the physical appearance of his protagonists. Why? Because he's looking through them – not at them.

In his event today, Sam Bourne talked about an astonishing piece of research. In the '40s, '50s and '60s, Yale and Harvard (among other Ivy League universities) systematically took nude photographs of every new undergraduate. This was supposedly for a study of posture, but in fact the data was being collected by two researchers with an interest in eugenics, who were looking for a correlation between physique and intellect. Among those that would've been photographed were Hilary Clinton, George Bush Sr, and Meryl Streep.

Have you heard of Edinburgh's mysterious artist who makes sculptures from the pages of books? Of course you have! He or she has been mystifying and delighting the city for a year now, and today in Charlotte Square gardens a number of delicate paper roses were discovered. There are supposedly fifty of them (so many still to find!), each with the quote by Oscar Wilde: “freedom, books, flowers, and the moon”.

You may recognise the Book Festival's series “Elsewhere” from previous years. Fifty writers have been commissioned by the Book Festival to write a short story or an essay on the theme of elsewhere – and on the website you can read them all, and even listen to some of them being read out by the authors.

The printed book of all fifty of these Elsewhere pieces was launched this very evening in a much-anticipated event packed with enthusiasm. You can now purchase it from the Bookshop and enjoy the very addictive result of a very satisfying project.

Day 5

Some good juicy discoveries today.

People may be quick to turn their noses up at famous erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey", but Alexander McCall Smith thinks the book's sky-high popularity is nothing to disapprove of. It may not be high-calibre literature, he says, but much of the money it's earning will find its way back into the publishing industry, benefiting promising new authors in years to come. There was a lot of impressed nodding in the audience when he made this point.

Val McDermid is known for her suspenseful and serious crime novels - but today saw her wandering Charlotte Square Gardens with a pirate's hat on her head and a stuffed parrot on her shoulder. She has officially dubbed herself "the Scottish Rod Hull".

Who do you think the most famous figures at the Book Festival are? There are a few to choose from. But I bet you're wrong. The most famous figures are in fact the rubber ducks, which bob around merrily in the puddles ifever the rains come a-callin'. And over the past few days I've heard at least ten people bemoan the beautiful weather and hope the skies open so that the Book Festival ducks can have a splash! Judging by the pitter-patter on the roofs of the tents, they may get their chance soon...

Writer Daniel Tammet spoke today about being an autistic savant and a lover of numbers, and shared that he taught himself empathy by using mathematics. Numbers are universal, and, by appreciating this, he found it easier to relate to those around him. He remembers, for instance, tears being shed when he recited pi. The power and beauty of numbers has proved to build bridges between strangers.

The love and admiration in the Main Theatre for Alexander McCall Smith today was such that it was as if each member of the audience knew him personally. (And, given his approachable demeanour, maybe they did.) His event had a musician, a guest reader, a great interview, and a poem to finish. (And you can still see him! In his event tomorrow at 6.30PM.)

The fellow sitting next to me was from Tasmania, and reads McCall Smith books in order to "stay in touch with the people of Edinburgh". And the lady in front of me had such genuine passion for Alexander McCall Smith that Sandy himself was stirred, and spontaneously gave her a signed book mid-event. She was a writer too... so, in fact, they swapped signed books. A strange and sweet little hand-over ceremony in the middle of one of the most enjoyable Book Festival hours so far.

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.