We’re one week into the Festival already!
The last few days have seen...
Jonathan ‘Aggers’ Agnew told us he would love to see Charlotte Green presenting the cricket.
(photo by Guillem Lopez)
Andrew Marr took to the Book Festival stage to present the brand new updated version of his book The Battle For Scotland and in the process he made quite a few headlines including this one in The Independent.
Kirsty Logan was announced as the inaugural recipient of the Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship. Gavin, who was a great friend and supporter of the Book Festival, spent his career passionately championing Scottish literature so we’re delighted that this prestigious fellowship has been awarded to one of the country’s brightest new literary talents.
Smiles were raised and hearts set aflutter as The Mysterious Book Sculptor struck again and several stunning sculptures of birds appeared, as if by magic, in our bookshop.
The Big Issue vendors have been doing a roaring trade at the Festival. We’ve heard that this week’s mags are selling like hot cakes so get in fast and get your copy the next time you visit. As well as getting your hands on a great read you’ll be helping the vendor on their journey away from homelessness. You can find them next to our front gates.
Our roving photographers have been working overtime capturing the finest Book Festival moments. We regularly add new pictures to our Flickr account and to our Facebook page so be sure to pay a regular visit to see the latest snaps.
Still to come
As always, there are still tickets available for lots of fantastic events. A full list can be found on our website but here is a selection of what’s to come today and tomorrow (scroll down for events for children).
Today – Saturday 17 August
Journalist Damian Barr remembers growing up and coming out in the 80s at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
There’s gripping fiction aplenty tonight. Fayette Fox and Charlotte Mendelson capture the joy and pain of growing up at 7pm, while at 8.30pm Gillian Galbraith & Antti Tuomainen offer crime and intrigue. Tickets cost £7 (£5)
Tomorrow – Sunday 18 August
Poet Robin Robertson presents his most powerful collection yet – Hill of Doors. At 10:15am. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Our Guest Selector Gavin Esler and his esteemed panel ask ‘Can we trust the government’? at 11.30am. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Amit Chaudhuri offers a personal tribute to Calcutta at 3.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
One of the finest pop memoirs of recent time is brought to us thanks to Everything and the Girl singer Tracey Thorn, at 8pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Comedian and novelist Robert Newman presents his story set in the early days of capitalism at 9.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8).
For children
Tomorrow – Sunday 18 August
Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt present Just Imagine – the book that lets you be different creatures at the turn of a page. At 12noon, age 5 – 7, tickets cost £4.50.
Meet the master of horror, Darren Shan, with his flesh-eating new series, Zom-B. At 1.30pm, age 12+, tickets cost £4.50.
One of Britain’s most talented illustrators Tony Ross shows us how to capture humour and fun with pictures and words at 1pm, age 5 – 7, tickets cost £4.50.
So, what’s been happening since we last posted?
Lots!
Alasdair Gray set the record straight over his ‘settlers and colonists’ comments and revealed why he turned down a knighthood.
Our Stripped programme of events got underway in fine style with two legendary creators - Chris Ware and Joe Sacco.
The day after he told us that the Yes vote for Scottish Independence had 'no chance', Nate Silver joined us to talk about the power of statistics and why we need rational thinking in our journalism.
Still to come…
Today, Thursday 15 August
The Fabulous Baker Brothers are in town to reignite our passion for Great British grub at 3:30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Today’s Blueprint Debate is all about the future of our defence systems. Do you think Scotland should become nuclear-free? Come along and have your say at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8).
Lovers of the natural world will enjoy seeing Charles Rangeley-Wilson and Esther Woolfson, two writers with stunning stories of forgotten streams and open spaces, at 7pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)
Come and hear the confessions of Charlatans front man Tim Burgess who will be in conversation with Ian Rankin at 9.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8). Sponsored by Edinburgh Gin.
Tomorrow, Friday 16 August
Join William McIlvanney to celebrate the brand new editions of his classics Laidlaw, Strange Loyalties and The Papers of Tony Veitch at 3pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Poet Jackie Kay and her son Matthew share the stage to discuss the importance of artistic and cultural contributions in political life at 4:30pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
Hot on the heels of the recent Bob Servant BBC series Neil Forsyth presents further tales Bob’s anti-spamming antics. Neil will be joined by Johnny Watson who played Frank in the TV series. Join them at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8)
See two emerging stars of British fiction, Sam Byers and Angela Jackson, present their debut novels at 7pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)
Poets Michael Pedersen and Luke Wright are currently storming the spoken word scene. Join them for some poetic entertainment at 8:30pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)
The pictures are pouring in
Our Festival photographers have been snapping away - we’ve put a selection of their shots on our Flickr and Facebook accounts so take a look if you have a moment and keep checking back as we'll be adding more as we go.
Don’t forget Story Shop – a free ten minute reading from Edinburgh’s brightest new literary talent brought to you by our pals at Edinburgh City of Literature. It’s in our Guardian Spiegeltent every day at 4pm and it’s FREE! No ticket required, so just drop in.
Wow – what a day we had yesterday!
There was dancing and drumming.
Books being browsed...
...and books being signed.
Jeremy Strong made the audience laugh their socks off...
and Salman Rushdie told us that ‘You cannot be a novelist unless you are fully engaged in life’.
And that was only day one!
There is so much more in store this evening and tomorrow, including many events with tickets available. Below is a hand picked selection of things you might like to see. For the full programme of events see our website.
Later today…
Rome-born Niccolò Ammaniti unveils his new novel, Let the Games Begin at 7pm, tickets cost £7 (£5).
Alice Rawsthorn shows how design is not just about the glamorous worlds of fashion and the Bauhaus, it is also a vital agent of change. At 8:30pm, tickets cost £10 (£8)
Harriet Tuckey tells the forgotten story of her father Griffith Pugh, the mountaineer whose scientific breakthroughs made the first ascent of Everest possible. At 8:30pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).
And tomorrow (Monday 12 August)...
Journey through Alexandria and Colombia with Michael Jacobs & Peter Stothard at 11am, tickets cost £10 (£8).
This year’s Carnegie Medal winner, Sally Gardner, presents her fairy detective Emily Vole at 12 noon, tickets cost £4.50 (Age range 7-10).
Brigadier David Allfrey from the Edinburgh Tattoo presents his enchanting story for youngsters, The Tattoo Fox, which was inspired by a real vixen on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. At 2pm, tickets cost £4.50 (Families and 7+).
There will be literary Chinese whispers when Adam Thirlwell presents his magnificent feat of translation - The Multiples project at 3:30pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).
Three of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists 2003 – Rachel Cusk, A L Kennedy and Toby Litt – share the stage at 5pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).
Our Blueprint Debate for the day examines Justice – come and have your say at 7pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).
Val McDermid presents her brand new thriller, Cross and Burn at 8pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).
Not able to join us?
If you’re not able to come and join us we’re live tweeting from selected events – follow #edbookfest for the latest.
The 2013 Edinburgh International Book Festival is well and truly up and running! The first visitors to Charlotte Square Gardens this morning were greeted by the rousing rhythms of The Edinburgh Samba School kicking of the day – and the Festival – to a glorious start in the sunshine.
First
up was Julia Donaldson who brought an entire team to enthral and
entertain young and old in the packed Baillie Gifford Main Theatre. We
caught a glimpse of one of the team chilling out backstage just before
curtain up.
There are plenty more great events later on today and tickets are still available for many, so if you’re in the area and looking for some top-quality entertainment of a bookish kind why not drop by and see one of these fantastic events…
Novelists Patrick Flanery & Philipp Meyer explore the darker side of the American Dream with their latest books, one a tense literary thriller, the other an epic depiction of an ambitious family in the American West.
At 6.45, tickets cost £10 (£8)
For families and children there’s a chance to get Hooked on Drawing with author Vivian French and illustrator Cat Rayner, as they explore the process of drawing pictures for words and offer tips for budding picture book artists.
At 6pm, tickets cost £4.50.
Harold Davis went from plucky young Scot facing bullets in the Korean War to celebrated professional footballer. He shares his astonishing life story at 7pm, tickets cost £10 (£8).
The importance of Gaelic fiction to the 21st century will be explored when novelist and poet Angus Peter Campbell joins German-Gaelic author Michael Klevenhaus and Màiri E MacLeod. At 8.30pm. Tickets cost £7 (£5)
This is just a mere handful of the events we have on offer. See a full list of what’s lined-up for, today and the rest of the Book Festival, on our website.
Say hello to the Open University
This weekend we're delighted to welcome The Open University who are hosting two Open Days in our Bookshop. They're here to spread the word about their wonderful range of study options - including courses on creative writing - so if the Book Festival has inspired you to put pen to paper, or you're curious to find out more about their other courses, pop in and say hello - they'd love to see you.
August is
upon us and there’s just 7 days to go before we open so we've created a hand-picked selection of some of the hottest names in
publishing – all coming to the Book Festival and all with tickets still available…
(listed in
event date order)
Roddy Doyle presents his
follow up to The Commitments.
Sat 10 Aug at 8pm, £10 (£8)
George Monbiot gets back to
nature with Feral.
Sun 11 Aug, 3pm at 8pm, £10 (£8)
Former Design Museum director AliceRawsthorn offers a life affirming exploration of design as an agent for
change.
Sun 11 Aug at 8:30pm, 8pm, £10 (£8)
Much-loved novelist A L Kennedy
describes the courage and the crises behind the writing process.
Mon 12 Aug at 11:30am, £10 (£8)
Master Irish writer John Banville
returns with his latest novel, Ancient
Light.
Mon 12 Aug at 1:30pm, £10 (£8)
Scottish crime writing legend ValMcDermid presents her brand new thriller, Cross and Burn. Mon 12 Aug at 8pm,
£10 (£8)
Statistician and political forecaster Nate Silver reveals the art and science of prediction.
Tue 13 Aug at 10, £10 (£8)
Famed neuroscientist Baroness SusanGreenfield shares the story of her remarkable career with Kirsty Wark.
Tue 13 Aug at 6:30pm, £10 (£8)
Joe Sacco casts a
light on the power of comic journalism to grasp at the truth.
Tue 13 Aug at 8.30pm, £10 (£8)
Award-winning novelist Jane Gardam
presents the final instalment of her bestselling ‘Old Filth’ trilogy.
Wed 14 Aug at 11:30am, £10 (£8)
The popular foodie duo TheFabulous Baker Brothers come to town.
Thu 15 Aug at 3:30pm, £10 (£8)
William McIlvanney presents the
gorgeous new editions of Laidlaw,
Strange Loyalties
and The Papers of Tony
Veitch.
Fri 16 Aug at 3pm £10 (£8)
Andrew Wilson explores the
intriguing life of Sylvia Plath before she met Ted Hughes.
Fri 16 Aug at 5pm, £10 (£8)
Stand-up funny man Mark Watson
brings a tragicomedy in novel form.
Fri 16 Aug at 9:30pm, £10 (£8)
Scotland’s finest, Ali Smith,
displays her non-fiction talents.
Sat 17 Aug at 12pm, £10 (£8)
Former US Poet Laureate Kay Ryan
presents her Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry.
Sun 18 Aug at 5pm, £10 (£8)
Liz Lochhead, Scotland’s
Makar talks about 30 years of Scottish culture.
Mon 19 Aug at 3pm, £10 (£8)
Daniel Rachel takes a look
behind the art of songwriting with Idelwild frontman Roddy Woomble.
Wed 21 Aug at 8:30pm, £10 (£8)
Celebrate 20 brilliant years of DCC Bob Skinner with Quintin Jardine
Thu 22 Aug at 4:30pm, £10 (£8)
Get the inside story on the world’s favourite superheroes with Grant Morrison.
Fri 23 Aug at 8pm, £10 (£8)
Paula Byrne presents her
brand new biography of Jane Austen.
Sun 25 Aug at 10:30am, £10 (£8)
Poetry and music straight from the heart of the Egyptian revolution.
Sun 25 Aug at 8:30pm, £10 (£8)
Of course the above is but a selection of the programme, there are many more events besides along with some great children's writers andillustrators - you can find them all on the website, searchable by subject, theme, author, age range.... Enjoy!
So we now know who has been longlisted for the 2013
Man Booker Prize and many of the authors will be appearing in events at this
year’s Book Festival. Which will be the winner?
We don’t know but we think this lot are in with a good chance…
Tash
Aw, Five Star Billionaire
Tash Aw’s Five Star
Billionaire follows five extraordinary characters, all of them
Malaysian migrants, as they forge new lives for themselves in the dazzling
streets of Shanghai.
See Tash Aw on Mon 19 Aug at 8.30pm, £10 (£8)
Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
The Luminaries
is a richly evocative historical mystery set in the goldmines of New Zealand.
When one man goes there to make his fortune he finds himself in the midst of a
series of unsolved crimes and a complex network of fate and fortunes.
See Eleanor Catton on Sat 24 Aug at 7pm, £7 (£5)
Richard House, The Kills
The Kills is an
epic novel of crime and conspiracy which moves across continents, characters
and genres. Beginning with a man on the run and ending with a burned body, it’s
an astonishing political thriller that began life as a sequence of four digital
books with accompanying
multimedia content that’s well worth a look.
See Richard House on Sun 18 Aug at 8:30pm £7 (£5)
Charlotte Mendelson, Almost English
Almost English
is a heart-warmingly funny story following the troubled16 year-old Marina as
she struggles to fit into life in a new school and find her identity in a land
that isn’t home.
See Charlotte Mendelson on Sat 17 Aug at 7pm, £7 (£5)
Colm Tóibín, The Testament of Mary
The Testament of Mary
is a short and immensely powerful novel which sheds new light on this well
known figure.
See Colm Tóibín on Tue 20 Aug at 4:30pm, £10 (£8)
