Edinburgh Festivals, Book Festival

Beyond the Book Fest

4 Sep 2008

Following their success this summer, The Edinburgh International Book Festival will present a special autumn event with award-winning Australian author David Malouf. Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, his book Remembering Babylon was shortlisted…

Kate Adie

edfest.tv - video

1 Sep 2008

What attracts some people to danger? Kate Adie's new book 'Into Danger' is full of personal insight

Barrie Appleby

edfest.tv - video

1 Sep 2008

Barrie Appleby's comic illustrations have been enjoyed by generations of children. Meet the artist behind Dennis the Menace and Roger the Dodger and watch as your favourite characters come to life!

Esther Rantzen

edfest.tv - video

26 Aug 2008

Esther Rantzen OBE embraces the philosophy of her self-help book, 'If Not Now, When?'.

Martin Bell

edfest.tv - video

26 Aug 2008

The former war correspondent and politician argues that on the issue of public trust in public life, New Labour's record was unforgivably negative.

Simon Hoggart

edfest.tv - video

26 Aug 2008

Simon Hoggart talks about his new book The Hands of History with tales about Tony Blair, John Prescott, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Telling stories while we can at The Edinburgh Book Festival

Alan Bissett's festival blog

26 Aug 2008

Today's theme is stories! The ones we tell about ourselves, our past, our bodies. What prompted this was The Fooligan at the Pleasance, a one-man show from the Arches' artist in residence, Al Seed. Al waddles onto the stage, an obese, grotesque medieval…

Chris Hannan

edfest.tv - video

22 Aug 2008

Chris Hannan writes about nineteenth century saloon girls in his first novel Missy.

Kate Mosse

edfest.tv - video

22 Aug 2008

Kate Mosse, the best-selling author of Labyrinth, talks about her new novel Sepulchre, a ghost story set in the south of France.

Roy Hattersley

edfest.tv - video

21 Aug 2008

The former cabinet minister talks about his latest book 'Borrowed Time', looking at the inter-war period in Britain.

5 Questions - Irvine Welsh

21 Aug 2008

Give us five words to describe Crime? Crime is an existential thriller. Which authors should be more famous than they are now? I used to say Ron Butlin, but I think that’s changing now. I think Doug Johnstone will soon be very famous. If I have…

Bryan Talbot

Graphic detail in the finest strips

21 Aug 2008

Bryan Talbot is a bit of a legend in the UK comics industry. He’s provided art for the likes of 2000AD, Sandman and Batman but you can still see the influence of underground comix artists such as Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton even in his most…

Simon Armitage

Pop poet turns wordy rock star

21 Aug 2008

Simon Armitage is a very modern poet, as happy to ruminate over Arctic Monkeys’ lyrics as he is to translate 14th century romantic poetry. During the 15 years since he handed in his notice as a probation officer to concentrate fully on his writing, he’s…

Andrew Sean Greer

No one can stop his California dreaming

21 Aug 2008

With his recent impressive run in the literary world, it’s hard to imagine Andrew Sean Greer ever feeling edgy about his work. Since the release of critically acclaimed debut The Path Of Minor Planets in 2001, the San Francisco-based scribe has come up…

Festival Books - Mark Watson

Eco-friendly, my dear Watson

21 Aug 2008

According to Mark Watson, saving the planet would, at the very least, ‘look pretty smart on all our CVs’. With an already sterling comedy résumé, Watson takes on environmentalism in his latest book, Crap at the Environment, which through the author’s…

Festival Books - Rosemary Goring

The history woman

21 Aug 2008

Rosemary Goring tells Doug Johnstone about finding the voices or ordinary people. There’s been a resurgence of interest in Scottish history among ordinary punters, a trend Scotland: The Autobiography taps into brilliantly. Edited by Rosemary Goring, a…

Gordon Burn

Upsetting the traditionalists with novelised news

21 Aug 2008

‘I hate plots. Soon as I know that a film or a book or TV show has a plot, my brain can’t cope with it. If I’m watching a film and I don’t know or have forgotten what the storyline is and I’m supposed to work out who this or that person is, I just fall…

Hardeep Sing Kohli

21 Aug 2008

As multi-tasking multi-media cultural polymaths go, writer, cook, broadcaster, columnist and all-round top bloke Hardeep Singh Kohli is pretty much up there in the can do stakes. Taking a short interlude from waxing lyrical in the papers or throwing in…

Kei Miller

Jamaican voice aching to be heard

21 Aug 2008

In a famous sketch by Bill Hicks, the great comedian is stumped by the question, ‘What are you reading for?’ The enquiry – and its correlative, ‘What are you writing for?’ – are deceptively simple. For Kei Miller, the Jamaican-born poet, novelist and…

Kids events

Getting arty and yucky, all in the same week

21 Aug 2008

If you suffer from Crayola on the carpet and finger-painted furniture, The Big Picture Event (24 Aug) should be the destination of choice for your little ‘uns. Chairman and Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen leads an exquisite event of drawing and…

Nam Le beams into Book Festival

21 Aug 2008

Vietnamese-born celebrated Australian writer, Nam Le is set to be beamed in live from the Melbourne Writers Festival, as part of an addition to the Edinburgh International Book Festival line-up. Le will talk about his debut collection of short stories…

Sadie Jones

Orange nominee who won’t stick to the script

21 Aug 2008

‘Not a bad start,’ comes Londoner Sadie Jones’ modest response when she’s reminded of the remarkable success of her debut novel The Outcast – a nominee for the Orange Prize for Fiction and one of 2008’s best sellers to date. ‘I’m just in a constant…

Top 5 - Tories

21 Aug 2008

Rick Wakeman He might be a cast member of the Grumpy Old Men but simply mention the word ‘conservative’ and the Yes man lights up. He even performed a gig in 2004 to raise funds for the party. Rock’n’roll eh? 22 Aug, 6.30pm, £9 (£7) . Ffion Hague…

Medium of the masses joins debate at Edinburgh Book Festival

Alan Bissett's Festival Blog

20 Aug 2008

17th August This morning I went to see Stella Duffy, Rodge Glass and Will Sutcliffe at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, promoting their new novels. Each reading was an assured affair, Duffy's in particular. Author discussion afterwards was…

Chuck Palahniuk

edfest.tv - video

19 Aug 2008

A very special visit from the States by famed literary provocateur and creator of Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk. Here he talks about his book, Snuff, the story of an ageing porn actress trying to have sex with 600 men in a single film.

Andrew O'Hagan

edfest.tv - video

19 Aug 2008

Andrew O'Hagan talks about his new collection of essays entitled The Atlantic Ocean.

Speaking in tongues at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

Alan Bissett's festival blog

18 Aug 2008

Thurs 14th Aug This morning I was on at the Edinburgh International Book Festival with Des Dillon and Anne Donovan, two of Scotland’s ace-est writers and who, like me, have a name mainly for writing in Scots urban dialect. We met in the Author’s Yurt…

Libby Purves

edfest.tv - video

18 Aug 2008

Award winning novelist Libby Purves appears at this year's Book Festival talking about her late son's book The Silence at the Song's End.

Tony Benn

edfest.tv - video

18 Aug 2008

Tony Benn discusses his diaries and international politics as the Edinburgh International Book Festival opens.

The horror, the horror… of the Edinburgh International Book Festival

Alan Bissett's festival blog

15 Aug 2008

Ah the Edinburgh International Book Festival! My home from home! My August social life! The Author's Yurt! The free tea/coffee/wine/beer/finger food! The celebs! The horror. The horror. Man, I love the Book Festival. As its director, Catherine…

David Lodge

edfest.tv - video

15 Aug 2008

Award winning novelist David Lodge talks at the Edinburgh Book Festival.

Katherine Whitehorn

edfest.tv - video

15 Aug 2008

Universally respected and much loved journalist Katherine Whitehorn tells of her long and distinguished career.

Menzies Campbell

edfest.tv - video

15 Aug 2008

Ming Campbell takes part in a political discussion at this years Book Festival.

Chuck Palahniuk - Snuff love

14 Aug 2008

Chuck Palahniuk tells such stark tales that people faint at his readings. Doug Johnstone crosses his legs, girds his loins and chats to the guru of gore

Gavin Francis

Trekking round the back door of Europe

14 Aug 2008

Edinburgh-based GP-turned-adventurer and travel writer Gavin Francis’ next book – charting an epic motorcycle schlep from Orkney to Sydney – will finish on an ironic endnote. Having survived the mean streets of Beirut and New Delhi on its journey, his…

Lisa Appignanesi - Express yourself

14 Aug 2008

Kate Gould finds Lisa Appignanesi on good form as she discusses the history of health and the future of censorship

5 questions - Tony Black

14 Aug 2008

New Edinburgh crime prince Tony Black has half an eye on Ian Rankin’s throne. Here he becomes king of our less than majestic Q&A

Books - hitlist

14 Aug 2008

Anne Enright After winning the Man Booker prize for The Gathering last autumn, the Irish author talks about her latest effort, Taking Pictures, a short-story collection about female lives. 15 Aug, 11.30m, £9 (£7). ] Chuck Palahniuk The creator of cult…

Bookslam

Ripping up the stuffy literary world

14 Aug 2008

‘People think live readings are supposed to be 20-minute monotones about the “quality of light on the mountains” and unfortunately they often are,’ says Alan Bissett, master of ceremonies for a stagefull of Dan Rhodes (pictured), Patience Agbabi and…

Charles Leadbeater

Internet ideas man seeks to expand boundaries

14 Aug 2008

‘What excites me about book festivals is the sheer diversity of ideas, viewpoints and styles,’ says Charles Leadbeater. ‘There are so many interesting people who are interesting in different ways.’ Leadbeater is all about ideas. He has advised…

Daniel Kalder

14 Aug 2008

It’s not everyone who packs their bags and heads to Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Mari El and Udmurtia – four of the most remote and least frequented republics of Russia. But that is exactly what anti-tourist and travel writer Daniel Kalder did for his debut…

Dave McKean

The comics guy who connects with rock stars and chefs

14 Aug 2008

An illustration masterclass from Dave McKean is a very special thing indeed. As one of the most innovative illustrators in Britain, his association with Neil Gaiman has raised him to a near-deity among comic fans and goths, providing the covers for all…

Esther Rantzen

Loving life in the third age

14 Aug 2008

It was the death of her husband Desmond Wilcox that shaped the philosophy behind Esther Rantzen OBE’s new book If Not Now, When? A self-help book, after a fashion, it expands on the virtues of enjoying life at every available opportunity, even into…

Kevin Williamson

Writing poetry on the run

14 Aug 2008

‘Rebel Inc involved a lot of chaos and a lot of confusion,’ says Kevin Williamson, founder of the one-time cult Edinburgh imprint. ‘And I can tell you that my days as a publisher are definitely over. I gave it all I could for ten years and wouldn’t go…

Kids Events

14 Aug 2008

When Miranda Richardson so memorably played the child-like Queen Elizabeth I in Blackadder, a career in entertaining kids seemed to be in the offing. With Horrid Henry (16 Aug) she appears to have finally grasped that opportunity by voicing the little…

Martin Bell

Seeking truth and an end to sleaze

14 Aug 2008

Eleven years after New Labour’s landslide victory, Martin Bell has been considering Tony Blair’s legacy. More specifically, the white suit-wearing BBC war correspondent turned independent MP, and now UNICEF ambassador, wants to work out where it all…

Rodge Glass

Analysing icons of football and fiction

14 Aug 2008

‘Faith is something that preoccupies me, definitely, but it is usually the lack of it,’ says Rodge Glass, the Glasgow-based Jewish author of No Fireworks and Hope for Newborns who passed through a staggering range of variously religious, private and…

Ross Raisin

Creating a malevolent teenager trapped on the Moors

14 Aug 2008

Ross Raisin burst onto the literary scene flanked by quotes from JM Coetzee and Colm Toibin. Dubbed ‘one of the most eagerly awaited literary debuts of 2008’, God’s Own Country didn’t disappoint. Set on the Yorkshire Moors, it is about Sam Marsdyke, a…

Susan Greenfield

Being proactive about identity

14 Aug 2008

Short attention span? Inability to turn down chocolate biscuits? Memory of a long-term dope smoker? Susan Greenfield, the Oxford-based neuroscientist, is hoping to shed light on these problems and more, when she appears here to discuss her latest book.

Top 5 - TV People

14 Aug 2008

Susie Dent Don’t even ask her to be drawn on the subject of the ‘Carol Countdown Controversy’. Along with fellow word fan Henry Hitchings, the nine-letter word expert will be talking about the ever-evolving English language. 20 Aug, 2pm, £9 (£7).