Press Office Latest News
20 October 2009
Scottish writing talent showcased in Canada
The Edinburgh International Book Festival confirmed today that, with the support of the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund, 14 Scottish authors will travel to Canada to attend the International Festival of Authors in Toronto this week as part of the Writing Scotland initiative. Writing Scotland is the result of a distinctive partnership between IFOA, North America’s largest literary festival, and the Edinburgh International Book Festival providing a focus on Scottish writers at the heart of the Canadian festival’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
The authors travelling from Scotland are Alan Bissett, Rob Butlin, Margaret Elphinstone, Murray Grigor, Jen Hadfield, Richard Holloway, Quintin Jardine, A.L Kennedy, Martin MacIntyre, James Meek, Denise Mina, Andrew O'Hagan, Ian Rankin and Eleanor Thom. They will be joined by Roland Gulliver, Programme Manager from the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The Scottish authors will be appearing alongside eminent Canadian writers of Scottish descent including Alistair MacLeod, Alice Munro, Ken McGoogan, Jean McNeil, David Byrne and Linden MacIntyre in the highest ever concentration of Scottish writers on the IFOA stage.
A range of events throughout the Festival will feature the Scottish writers including Writing Scotland: Writing Scotland’s Past on 24 October where Richard Holloway, Denise Mina and Andrew O’Hagan will explore Scotland’s literary heritage and New Writing Scotland on October 31 where an Edinburgh International Book Festival panel including Alan Bissett, Margaret Elphinstone, James Meek and Eleanor Thom will examine contemporary Scottish writing.
Culture Minister Michael Russell said: “In the Year of Homecoming it is fitting that so many people in Canada will learn more about Scotland and our literature as a record number of Scottish writers appear at the prestigious IFOA. Writing Scotland will focus even more attention on the tremendous breadth and talent of our writers as well as creating new opportunities and future collaborations for all Scottish authors. The rich partnership between these two leading literary events will ensure that Scottish literature and The Edinburgh International Book Festival remain firmly in the spotlight on the international stage as well as strengthening the cultural ties between our two nations.”
Roland Gulliver, Programme Manager of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said “We are delighted to be working so closely with this prestigious Canadian festival. There are so many historical and modern day links between Canada and Scotland, it seems fitting that in this, the Year of Homecoming, we can showcase the tremendous breadth of Scottish writing to an international audience.”
Geoffrey Taylor, Director of IFOA, said “There are more than four million Canadians who claim heritage ties to Scotland. This partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival enables us to present the highest ever concentration of Scottish writers on the IFOA stage, and ensures that we can continue to present Scotland's most important contemporary authors to Canadian audiences for years to come."
The International Festival of Authors in Toronto will take place from 21 October to 3 November 2009. Full details of the programme, and the involvement of the Scottish writers, can be found at www.readings.org and full details of the Writing Scotland initiative can be found at http://www.scotland.org/writingscotland/.
12 October 2009
New Director for Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Board of the Edinburgh International Book Festival today announced the appointment of Nick Barley as the new Book Festival Director, replacing Catherine Lockerbie who left after a nine-year tenure at the end of August. Barley, who most recently was Executive Director at The Lighthouse in Glasgow, will take up his role with immediate effect.
Barley ran his own publishing company, August Publications, before becoming Editor of The List in 2003. He held this post until 2006 when he took over as Director of The Lighthouse, Scotland’s National Centre for Architecture and Design where he worked with a range of Scottish authors commissioning writing from Anne Donovan, Laura Marney, Pat Kane, Zoe Strachan, Sheila Puri, Alan Bissett and Louise Welsh. Whilst at The List, Barley introduced and developed the List Edinburgh Festival Guide and Map, the quarterly contemporary art magazine. He also set up The List Festival Writing Awards in association with the Writer’s Guild.
Susan Rice, Chairman of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said "I am absolutely delighted to announce Nick Barley’s appointment. The Book Festival is pre-eminent among literary festivals around the world. The size and quality of the events, the number of visitors and authors and the extent of public praise all expanded remarkably under Catherine Lockerbie’s leadership. She leaves a strong legacy. Nick Barley is now just the person to move us forward to the next level altogether – with his literary connections, his experience running arts organisations, his design background and above all his vision for the Book Festival in the future. With one of the strongest and most experienced teams in any arts festival, and with Nick at the helm, we look ahead with confidence and enthusiasm."
Nick Barley said "The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a forum for sharing and celebrating ideas. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, literary or genre writing, political or cultural criticism, writing is the means by which we explore and reflect on the world we live in. It is a great honour to be asked to lead the Book Festival into a new era and I am very much looking forward to working with the Festival team to shape the 2010 programme and inviting the authors whose ideas are shaping the way we look at the world to discuss these concepts with our Edinburgh audiences."
31 August 2009
Emotional end to 2009 Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival closed tonight with an emotional event from award winning author Candia McWilliam. McWilliam, who suffers from blepharospasm (a condition which forces her eyelids to close over her otherwise healthy eyes) spoke of the successful operations, the last only five weeks ago, which restored her sight after two years of blindness.
This event was the last of over 750 to have taken place in Charlotte Square Gardens over the 17 days, when the Book Festival has welcomed over 800 authors including Sebastian Barry, David Simon, Cornelia Funke, Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and six of the Booker Long-listed writers including Hilary Mantel, Samantha Harvey, Adam Foulds and Sarah Waters. Writers from 45 different countries, including over 200 Scottish writers, talked, read, discussed and debated in the tented village in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic New Town. As well as internationally renowned writers and poets, the Book Festival this year showcased new Scottish talent from the Creative Writing Schools of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, St Andrews and Aberdeen, and also introduced new, unpublished authors from Sweden, Singapore and Kolkata.
The Book Festival has seen a 7% increase in visitor numbers, and confirmed today that nearly 80% of tickets had been sold – an increase on previous years, particularly as more than 10,000 additional tickets were available this year. With initial results from the Book Festival’s independent bookshops also showing a significant upturn, it seems that the challenging economic climate and mixed weather has not deterred many more thousands of people from turning out for the breadth of programme and unique atmosphere in Charlotte Square.
Andrew Coulton, Administrative Director of the Book Festival said “The Book Festival has had an excellent year, and we are delighted not only by the number of visitors to the Book Festival, but also the quality and range of authors in the programme. With the support of the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund and Homecoming Scotland, we have been able to showcase more of our exceptional home grown talent than ever before, alongside appearances from some of the top international authors, including Alistair MacLeod, Douglas Coupland and Henning Mankell – all of which reinforces the esteem in which this festival is held both in Scotland and worldwide.”
The 2010 Edinburgh International Book Festival will run from Saturday 14 August to Monday 30 August and the programme will be announced in June.
The Edinburgh International Festival continues until Sunday 6th September 2009.
31 August 2009
Mansfield calls for public enquiry into release of Lockerbie bomber
Radical QC Michael Mansfield has called for a public judicial enquiry into the Lockerbie case and the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi asking “What is the point of having a legal system if politicians are going to walk outside it?”
Speaking on the last day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Mansfield said that the 2005 Public Enquiries Act had been deliberated used by the government to stifle investigation, possibly because the Hutton enquiry had got “too close for comfort”, as far as it was concerned. He thought it unlikely that the important questions – what happened, why and who is responsible – were going to be answered in the forthcoming debate at Holyrood.
Mansfield, who has been involved with some of the highest profile cases in recent years, including the Marchioness disaster, The Birmingham Six and more recently Jean Charles de Menezes, spoke of Lockerbie as ‘the case of the century’ and said that it was up to the court to decide whether a conviction was safe and substantive not a politician and the criteria for compassionate release needed to be carefully examined. He believes there are a range of questions that need to be publicly and clearly answered and called for transparency and honesty.
He had serious questions about the substance of the case, not least the identification of al-Megrahi by the Maltese shopkeeper, Tony Gauci, saying that there were substantial discrepancies in the descriptions he gave the court. Mansfield was particularly concerned with the fact that that Gauci picked out al-Megrahi from an identity parade ten years after he sold the clothes which allegedly ended up in the suitcase where the bomb was placed in the plane and is quoted in court transcripts as saying “I am not an expert in age, height and build.”
“What else is there?” asked Mansfield. “Questions need to be answered. How many times did he see photos of al-Megrahi in those ten years, and how much money was he paid?” He called for corroboration in this case, saying the Government has undermined due process and made comparisons with the Stephen Lawrence case in which he was also involved. “We don’t have accountability in our democracy. If voting made a difference, they’d make it illegal.”
When asked about the cost of public enquiries, particularly the Saville enquiry into Bloody Sunday, Mansfield said “Justice doesn’t come cheap” and the cost should not be an excuse to avoid giving the victims and the families of the victims answers.
27 August 2009
Obama favourite at Book Festival
A favourite author of US President, Barak Obama, will be appearing in Edinburgh this week. Richard Price will be at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Friday speaking about his book, Lush Life, which President Obama has chosen as one of the five books he will be reading on his Martha’s Vineyard vacation this week.
Price’s book Clockers, about the culture of drug dealers, was an important influence on David Simon, (also at the Book Festival this weekend), creator of cult TV series The Wire on which Price is a writer. His screenplays include The Colour of Money (for which he was Oscar nominated) Ransom and Shaft and he also wrote the 15 minute film surrounding Michael Jackson’s Bad video, which was directed by Martin Scorcese.
Price will be at the Book Festival to talk about his most recent novel, Lush Life, which explores the cracks and shady underground networks beneath the glamorous façade of New York City’s Lower East Side. Tickets are still available to hear this hugely influential author and screenwriter at 8.00pm on Friday 28 August.
23 August 2009
Cable calls MP's Pension scheme "scandalous"
Vince Cable today described the 28% contribution to the Westminster MP’s Pension scheme by taxpayers "particularly scandalous" and in need of reform. In answer to a question asked in a debate at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this afternoon, Cable described the issue of public sector pensions as a good acid test in restoring faith in the British political system and politicians following recent scandals and called for fundamental reform with civil servants and quangocrats making larger contributions to their own pension schemes.
In a lively debate entitled Rebuilding Trust: Britain in the Aftermath of the Crash, politicians Vince Cable and Roy Hattersley, historian Michael Fry and Scottish editor of The Times, Magnus Linklater discussed the economy, the lack of public trust in British politicians and the recent release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
All the speakers agreed that the lack of trust in politicians was a longstanding issue and had merely been exacerbated by the recent revelations in the Daily Telegraph, which confirmed public suspicions. Roy Hattersley said that “Politicians are at best impotent and at worst self-seeking and the public assume, with some justification that politicians are more influenced by public opinion polls than their own beliefs” and called for a return to ideological politics and confrontational democracy. Cable went on to say that he was appalled that banks were going back to business as usual and it appeared that no lessons had been learnt from the recent collapses, particularly of the Scottish banks.
On the Lockerbie bomber, Vince Cable and Roy Hattersley agreed that the conspiracy theories circulating over the release of al-Megrahi were unfounded, Cable saying that he was baffled by this – it was like a plot of a bad novel and he didn’t believe a word of it. He went on to say that "MacAskill’s decision was either naïve and he didn’t think through the consequences, or foolish and he did think through the consequences but ignored them. It was a bad decision but his decision to make.” Hattersley added “The conspiracy seems to stem from Peter Mandleson going to an expensive party – if we had a crisis every time Mandleson went to an expensive party, we would be in a state of complete collapse.” However, he disagreed with Cable and supported MacAskill’s decision to come down on the side of compassion.
Rebuilding Trust: Britain in the Aftermath of the Crash was sponsored by The Times and chaired by Magnus Linklater, Editor of The Times in Scotland.
22 August 2009
Sarah Coyle, aged 8, takes to the stage at the Book Festival
Sarah Coyle took to the stage in front of a capacity audience of 570 at the Edinburgh International Book Festival yesterday to introduce world renowned, award-winning author and former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. Sarah, aged 8 from Hampshire, won a competition organised by the Book Festival to travel to Edinburgh, meet Morpurgo, introduce him on stage and to then enjoy the event from a seat in the front row. Sarah also had a ‘golden ticket’ to be first in the queue following the event to get her book signed.
Sara Grady, who read Sarah’s shortlisted entry on stage said “Sarah was such a deserving winner. She is obviously a huge fan of Michael and his work, and wasn’t fazed at all by standing up on stage and speaking in front of a huge crowd. Who knows, we may be seeing her back at the Book Festival with her own books in the future.”
Michael Morpurgo said “Sarah stood up and said her piece with huge conviction and open hearted enthusiasm. It’s a joy to have someone like her who seems to like my books so much.”
Sarah Coyle said “His way of writing books is amazing, the best in the world I think! Not only do I think his books are brilliant, but he also helps me get higher marks at school. I am never going to stop reading his books because I think they are Super Trooper.”
You can watch Sarah’s winning video entry here.
16 August 2009
Book Festival welcomes 18,000 visitors on the first day
The 2009 Edinburgh International Book Festival opened its doors yesterday to the sound of the Soweto Gospel choir and welcomed a record number of people into Charlotte Square Gardens. 18,000 visitors enjoyed readings, discussions, debates, the cafes and bookshops – and the invention of a new character for the Beano comic.
The opening day saw Sue Lawrence launching her book on Scottish food Taste Ye Back, Ruth Padel reading her poetic memoir of her great, great grandfather Charles Darwin and the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy reading a range of her work, including her haunting Last Post, written last month to commemorate the death of the last British veteran of the first world war. Josh Wilson, aged 10, from Edinburgh, won a ballot to have a new character in the Beano named after him. Posh Josh, created during an event at the Book Festival, will appear as Minnie the Minx’s arch enemy in future stories.
Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier from Sudan, read from his memoir, War Child, and encouraged his audience to dance in the aisles of the theatre as he sang from his collection of songs of the same name and American author Garrison Keillor enthralled a capacity audience with his tales of mid-west America – and the trials of his journey from Kilkenny in Ireland earlier in the day.
Today, capacity audiences enjoyed Roderick Graham, Edwin Moore and Harry Reid discussing the lives and work of David Hume and John Calvin; Dan Atkinson and Larry Elliott on the global economy and wildlife photographer Simon King talking about his life and career.
Ticket sales for the Festival are ahead of 2009 and over 250 events have already sold out. However with over 700 events in the programme over the next two weeks, there are still plenty of tickets available including David Peace, Raj Persaud with Menzies Campbell, Nicholson Baker, Anthony Holden, George Dawes Green and Sharon Olds.
3 August 2009
Alistair MacLeod and Michael Buckley - exciting new additions to Book Festival programme
The Edinburgh International Book Festival announced today that one of the world’s foremost novelists and short story writers, Alistair MacLeod, will be appearing in Charlotte Square in a new addition to the 2009 programme. Author of The Lost Salt Gift of Blood and No Great Mischief, the Canadian writer will be exploring exile, ancestry and the ties that bind across generations and geographies, as he discusses his work, his life and the importance of his Scottish heritage. MacLeod will be appearing at the Book Festival on Friday 28 August at 6.30pm.
In the Children’s Programme, US author Michael Buckley will be appearing in an exclusive visit to Edinburgh. Formerly a punk rock star and a stand up comedian, Buckley will be talking about his internationally bestselling Sisters Grimm, a quirky mystery series full of fairytale heroes and villains, to an audience of 8 – 12 year olds on Saturday 15 August at 6.30pm. He is also expected to give a sneak preview of his new series N.E.R.D.S (National Espionage, Rescue and Defence Society).
Tickets for two topical political debates became available today. Rebuilding Trust: Britain in the Aftermath of the Crash on Sunday 23 August at 1.30pm welcomes Roy Hattersley, Michael Gove and Vince Cable to discuss the future of Britain’s political system. On Saturday 29 August at 3.00pm Menzies Campbell, Fiona Hyslop, George Foulkes and Michael Forsyth will consider Scotland’s Future.
Audiences now have another opportunity to hear Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, speak at the Book Festival. Following the early sell-out of her first event, a second has been added to the programme on Tuesday 18 August at 6.30pm offering a magical celebration of her poetry accompanied by the music of John Sampson. Writer and broadcaster Libby Purves is another addition to the programme, talking about her new novel, Shadow Child, which centres on a couple trying to come to terms with the loss of their only child, on Thursday 27 August at 4.30pm.
14 July 2009
Catherine Lockerbie to stand down as Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival
It was announced today that, after nine highly successful years, Catherine Lockerbie is to step down as Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in order to move on to an international consultancy role in culture and literature.
Lockerbie, whose work has been recognised by five honorary doctorates amongst many other accolades, became Director in 2000 and has presided over a period of remarkable expansion and transformation. The Edinburgh International Book Festival has become the largest and most pre-eminent event of its kind in the world, with 200,000 people attending over 750 events each year, and with authors, both world-renowned and brand new, invited from over 45 different nations. Under Lockerbie’s directorship, the Book Festival has become an internationally acclaimed platform for audiences to debate with leading thinkers from the worlds of politics, science, economics and the media as well as literature.
Catherine Lockerbie said “It has been an unbelievable privilege to lead, nurture and build a festival dedicated to the power of words, ideas and challenging discussion. I am incredibly proud of our world-class team and what we have all achieved. The Book Festival has been a personal mission of mine, and I have poured every ounce of my energy, passion and thought into what has been an all-consuming role. Following a period of medical leave, I believe this to be a propitious moment to move on to new challenges and opportunities.
“Obviously I will be leaving with considerable sadness, but also with intense pride and optimism. I’m handing on the Festival at a point where it is artistically and organisationally in the most robust health. It is a dynamic and changing time in the literary and cultural life of the land and the consultancy role will allow me to retain my links with the writers and organisations to which I am dedicated, but also to explore many exciting new possibilities.”
Susan Rice, Chair of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said “Catherine has taken the Book Festival into the major leagues, expanding the size and quality of its programme, the number of visitors and the praise it earns in the public eye. She has even seemingly expanded Charlotte Square Gardens because, though no one thought we could fit any more in, she has managed to do that as well. Catherine moves on from an outstanding term as Director of the Book Festival. She leaves us in good heart and in good hands and she goes with our gratitude, our pride in what she has achieved and our love.”
Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate said “Catherine Lockerbie has established the Edinburgh International Book Festival as the finest of its kind in the world. Her achievement shines like a beacon throughout the global world of literature. She has been a literary director of integrity, vision, compassion and inspiration and writers and readers everywhere are forever in her debt. She leaves the post with the deep love and gratitude of every man, woman and child who ever attended her festivals.”
Margaret Atwood, who will be launching her new novel, Year of the Flood, at the Book Festival in August said “The incomparable Catherine Lockerbie is — well, incomparable. Such passion and dedication and wild Scottish fervour welded to such a nit-picking eye for detail — these qualities are seldom found together. Hooray for her, and may the wind be always at her back.”
The strength of the 2009 Edinburgh International Book Festival programme, conceived by Lockerbie and developed by the Book Festival team, is reflected in the first three weeks of ticket sales which have seen an increase of 35% over the same period last year. Richard Holloway is Guest Director for this year’s festival, preparations for which are well underway. The search for a successor to carry on the development of the Festival will now begin and it is hoped that the new Director will take up their role in time to shape the 2010 programme.
25 June 2009
Get Morpurgoed! Book Festival announce the chance to win a day with Michael Morpurgo
The Book Festival announced details today of an exciting competition for 7 - 14 year old children involving world renowned, award-winning author and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo.
The winning entrant will spend the day at the Book Festival on Saturday 22 August. They will meet Michael Morpurgo backstage and have the honour of introducing him, on stage, to a capacity audience of over 500 people, and then enjoy the event from a seat in the front row. The winner will also have a ‘golden ticket' to be first in the queue following the event to get their book signed by the author.
Morpurgo is the author of over 100 books for children of all ages, including Kensuke's Kingdom, Private Peaceful, The Amazing Story of Adolphous Tips, and War Horse, which has been turned into a hugely successful stage production.
Children across the UK are invited to submit up to 200 words on why they love Michael Morpurgo's stories. From this a shortlist of 20 will be drawn up and all shortlisted entrants will be invited to submit a 1 minute video explaining why they would love to come to the Book Festival. The winning entrant will be chosen by Michael Morpurgo and Sara Grady, Director of the RBS Children's Programme at the Book Festival.
Sara Grady said “We are in the business of bringing readers and writers together. This summer, we are scouring the country for one enthusiastic, passionate child to celebrate a special day with Michael Morpurgo - Could it be you? If you have been inspired or excited by Michael's wonderful stories, this is your chance to shout about it. We can't wait to hear from children across the country and to welcome one lucky child to Edinburgh for a once in a lifetime experience, so get your entries in today!"
Entrants should submit their entry (up to 200 words) on why they love Morpurgo's books to the Book Festival by midnight on Friday 10 July 2009. Entries will be judged on their creativity and originality. The shortlisted entrants will be notified by 15 July, and asked to submit a 1 minute video by midnight on 24 July 2009. The winner will be notified by telephone by 31 July 2009.
The competition is open to 7 - 14 year olds in the UK. The prize includes return train travel to Edinburgh from anywhere in mainland UK for one adult and one child, accommodation for one night in a four star hotel in Edinburgh, and two tickets for the Michael Morpurgo event at the Book Festival on Saturday 22 August at 1.30pm. In addition the winner will receive a free book and tote bag and have their photograph taken with the author.
Check here for full details of the competition, entry forms and terms and conditions.
23 June 2009
Margaret Atwood & Very Hungry Caterpillar top sellling events at Book Festival
The Book Festival experienced a phenomenal demand for tickets when they opened sales yesterday. Among the first events to sell out were Margaret Atwood's special event at St John's Church, Princes Street, as well as The Very Hungry Caterpillar in the RBS Children's Programme. Over 50 events from 700 across the adult and children's programmes sold out by 3.00pm yesterday including Vince Cable, Antony Beevor, Garrison Keillor, the Writing a Novel Workshop, Tom Kitchin, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, the Drawing Manga workshop, Richard Dawkins and David Sedaris.
The quality of the programme this year and the special nature of the events - each event is a one-off and takes place in a relatively intimate venue - combined with comparatively low ticket prices has meant that the demand for tickets has been greater than in previous years with ticket sales at 3.00pm yesterday afternoon exceeding the first full day of sales in 2008.
300 customers were queuing outside the specially created Box Office at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre at 8.30am when bookings opened yesterday. Iain Hunter and Marc Capapanni from Edinburgh were first in the queue having waited outside the EICC from 4.20am in the morning! They were hoping for tickets for Richard Dawkins, Tom Devine, Jeremy Paxman and Neil Gaiman and were delighted to be able to purchase all their choices.
Richard Holloway, the 2009 Guest Director, said “Once again, we are delighted that the Book Festival programme has proved so popular. It is a great reflection on the breadth of our audience and the strength of our programme that events across every genre are selling out so quickly.”
“The Festival has invested a significant amount of time, staff and financial resource to develop a system to cope with the demand and we are delighted that we have been able to deal with so many customers satisfactorily today. All our systems are working well and we have been taking ticket sales over the telephone, the internet, by post and at the EICC consistently since 8.30am. We know that due to the extraordinary demand a large number of potential customers were finding it difficult to get through on the phone or via the internet, however they were patient and kept trying and ticket sales have reflected this. With over 700 events in the programme, there are still thousands of tickets available to see world class authors - both internationally renowned and relatively unknown.”
11 June 2009
Book Festival offers a feast of talent
The Edinburgh International Book Festival today launched a packed programme conceived by Festival Director, Catherine Lockerbie. The Festival will bring writers, poets, thinkers, politicians, photographers and artists from 45 different countries to debate, discuss, argue and inspire from 15 to 31 August in the wonderful setting of Charlotte Square Gardens in the historic heart of Edinburgh, the world's first UNESCO City of Literature.
The UK's first female - and Scottish - Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, will appear on the opening day of the Festival and will be joined by a host of literary talent from around the world. From the USA Garrison Keillor will bring the latest instalment of his immensely popular Lake Wobegon series, George Dawes Green will speak about his first novel for 13 years following the extraordinary success of The Juror - and he will also present his cult storytelling event, The Moth, for the first time in Europe. David Simon and Richard Price, writers of the hit TV series The Wire, will be speaking as will Valerie Martin, Nicholson Baker and poet Sharon Olds. Charlotte Square Gardens will also welcome the winner of the first Arabic Booker Prize, Bahaa Taher from Egypt; Ma Jian from China and Zoya Phan from Burma.
Another international element of the programme welcomes a dozen of Sweden's best contemporary authors, including internationally renowned crime writer Henning Mankell. Some well known, some unknown, and some translated and presented in English for the first time will be in unique dialogue with their UK counterparts.
Margaret Atwood will launch her new novel at the Festival, as will Mathias Malzieu from France and Andrey Kurkov from the Ukraine. From closer to home, Charlotte Square Gardens will also showcase brand new work from Richard Dawkins, William Boyd, Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin, stage legend Joss Ackland, A L Kennedy, Irvine Welsh, John Burnside, Michael Mansfield and David Peace among others.
Richard Holloway, Chair of the Scottish Arts Council and 2009 Guest Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, has created and will chair a special series of evening debates in the Spiegeltent, bringing together Festival authors with thinkers and experts from across Edinburgh to debate subjects from the economic crisis, childhood, social equality, Islam to the true meaning of happiness.
Holloway said “‘Scots are an argumentative race, but it is not all contrariness. We have learned during our turbulent history that ideas are dangerous things that need to be tested again and again in debate if they are to enhance rather than enchain the human community. We are proud of the fact that, once again, the EIBF will provide an arena for proposing and challenging ideas on science, religion, politics, and just about anything else that matters to the health of society.”
In this, Scotland's Year of Homecoming, the Festival welcomes over 200 Scottish authors, and a Celebrating Scotland strand will examine Scottish history, literature, culture, society, and exploration and of course, celebrate our National Bard - Robert Burns. In addition the Festival will explore Scotland's most exciting creative talent, and introduce some of the finest unpublished fiction and poetry writers from across the creative writing schools of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews, supported by the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.
Mike Russell, Minister for Culture, said “The line up for this year's Book Festival is truly impressive with Edinburgh yet again playing host to a plethora of literary talent from home and abroad. In this Year of Homecoming, when we aim to reconnect with millions of people with an affinity to Scotland, I am particularly pleased to see this programme embracing Homecoming by celebrating Scotland's National Bard and examining our history, culture and society.
“I am delighted today to announce £55,000 Expo funding for the Book Festival's Scotland's Writing - an exciting and vibrant project which showcases the best of Scotland's leading and new writers, and celebrates the Scottish diaspora including the strong literary links between Scotland and Canada. Through a series of high quality events, Scotland's Writing will celebrate and actively promote Scottish literature and focus new attention on the tremendous wealth and talent of our creative writers.”
11 June 2009
RBS Children's Programme: world of discovery awaits kids of all ages
Exploration, adventure and discovery are at the heart of the 2009 RBS Children's Programme of the Edinburgh International Book Festival which was launched today. Interactive events and activities celebrating mankind's greatest scientific achievements allow all age groups, from toddlers to teenagers, to blast off into outer space, tramp through the land of the dinosaurs, solve forensic mysteries or explore the far reaches of our planet. The programme will run as an integral part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Charlotte Square Gardens from 15 to 31 August.
Highlights of the programme this year include exclusive peeks at new books from Nick Butterworth, Jeremy Strong, Julia Donaldson, Steve Cole, Michelle Paver and Jenny Nimmo. Ian Rankin will launch his latest venture - Dark Entries - his first graphic novel and will be joined by Sandman author, Neil Gaiman. Jacqueline Wilson returns as do Terry Deary, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen and Darren Shan, while the Festival welcomes for the first time John Burningham, Oliver Jeffers, Patrick Ness, and Judith Kerr.
2009 sees the inaugural Illustrator in Residence join the Book Festival. Catherine Rayner, a Scottish illustrator, nominated twice for the Greenaway Award and winner of the Best New Illustrator, will be involved in a wide range of events throughout the programme, and chair a series of illustration masterclasses. She will also be launching her new book, Ernest. She said “I am delighted to be appointed Illustrator in Residence at this year's Book Festival. I see this post as a great opportunity to raise the profile of illustrators (and to emphasise the value of quality illustration) by celebrating the role of children's books, and the visual arts, within literature.”
Sara Grady, Director of the RBS Children's Programme said “Voyages and adventures of all sorts will take place in the heart of Edinburgh this summer. Children will trek across the globe, travel back in time and lose themselves in outstanding stories at this year's Book Festival. Families can discover a vast array of exceptional international, UK and Scottish children's authors and illustrators. Whether it's football or forensics, poetry or graphic novels, we are committed to celebrating stories and ideas with children of all ages. We'll soon be announcing a very special competition in our RBS Children's Programme, so watch this space. Edinburgh is undoubtedly the place for families this August.”
