Cédric Villani (2015 Event)

Forget about the maths you learned at school; the charismatic Cédric Villani has a gift for revealing the beauty and magic of mathematics at the highest level. Dubbed a ‘rock-star mathematician’, the French winner of the maths world’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize takes us on an inspiring, charming journey through his intellectual discoveries in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

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Book Festival reveals first author events for 2024 Book Festival reveals first author events for 2024
Sunday 14 April

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Dubravka Ugrešic Dubravka Ugrešic Croatian writer Dubravka Ugrešić has won several major European literary awards and her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. In this event she introduces her new novel, Baba Yaga Laid an Egg, an extraordinary meditation on f… Alexander Masters (2016 Event) Alexander Masters (2016 Event) In 2001, almost 150 tattered notebooks were discovered in a skip in Cambridge. They were a small part of an intimate diary that began in 1952 and ended half a century later. It took Alexander Masters five years to uncover the identity and real history of … Arthur Smith Arthur Smith The irreverent, hilarious and scandalous broadcaster Arthur Smith began his event at the Book Festival in the dark due to a complete power failure but with his booming voice and general good humour he revelled in the novelty of performing in the dark. And… John Byrne (2011 event) John Byrne (2011 event) Painter and set designer, playwright and novelist, John Byrne is one of Scotland’s great polymaths. Best known for his plays the Slab Boys Trilogy and Tutti Frutti, Byrne has also designed record sleeves for Donovan and The Beatles… Andrew O'Hagan (2010 event) Andrew O'Hagan (2010 event) August 2010 saw writer Andrew O’Hagan bring to the Book Festival an unforgettable tale of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and a dog called Maf. Listen to O’Hagan in this audio recording of his special live event in Charlotte Square gardens, where he was… Tim Burgess with Ian Rankin (2013 event) Tim Burgess with Ian Rankin (2013 event) Tim Burgess’ rock and roll battles and the death of keyboard player Rob Collins are among the events in The Charlatans’ front man’s upbeat memoir, Telling Stories… Siri Hustvedt with Elif Shafak (2017 Event) Siri Hustvedt with Elif Shafak (2017 Event) From Dickens to Vermeer and psychoanalysis to neuroscience, Siri Hustvedt is a writer of remarkable range and insight. In this event, recorded live at the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, she talks to acclaimed Turkish novelist and writer Elif … William Fotheringham (2014 event) William Fotheringham (2014 event) Long before Bradley Wiggins took the world by storm, British cycling already had a hero. Tom Simpson was world champion and the first Briton to wear yellow in the Tour de France. In 1967 he died during a stage of the Tour while climbing the monstrous Mont… The Voices in Our Heads: Creating Characters in Fiction (2014 event) The Voices in Our Heads: Creating Characters in Fiction (2014 event) The first sign that a book works is when the characters talk back to their author, and books can represent our internal voices unlike any other art form. A panel of award-winning novelists, Nathan Filer, Edward Carey and Matthew Quick talk about their rel… Frans Timmermans with Gordon Brown: The Way Forward for Europe (2020 Event) Frans Timmermans with Gordon Brown: The Way Forward for Europe (2020 Event) In this special conversation recorded live at the 2020 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Timmermans sits down with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the politics of environmental change. How much action is needed for meaningful change?…