John O'Donoghue

Emmanuel Jal Forced to become a child soldier for the rebel army in Sudan's bloody civil war, Emmanuel Jal was put into battle in Ethiopia. He finally escaped, told his story in War Child (an incredible and moving memoir-cum-story) and now spreads messages of peace an… Philippe Sands (2016 Event) There is no lawyer quite like Philippe Sands QC. Outspoken on a range of human rights issues, from the illegality of the Iraq war to torture in the Bush administration, the Professor of Law at University College London is also a highly respected barrister… Julian Barnes Julian Barnes, one of Britain's most singular and talented novelists, talks to Richard Holloway about his new 2008 book Nothing to Be Frightened Of – it is a deeply personal, moving and exhilarating autobiography-of-sorts: a mediation on death, art, God… Matt Haig at the Edinburgh International Book Festival The modern world can make us feel like the walls are closing in, but a vanguard of writers are here to help us cope – and none more so than Matt Haig. After the storming success of Reasons to Stay Alive comes Notes on a Nervous Planet, a wise and wi… Ben Mezrich (2011 Event) His last book was adapted to become The Social Network, one of the most successful movies of 2010. Mezrich then turned his attention to another strange-but-true American tale in his novel Sex on the Moon… David Hare (2015 Event) One of the most celebrated writers of his generation, David Hare’s notable plays include Plenty, Skylight and The Absence of War. In this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Hare discusses his powerful and often very f… Claire MacDonald - with John Dickie  … Rupert Everett (2013 event) It’s taken the entertainment world six years to recover from Rupert Everett’s first memoir Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins and now he’s back on raucously top form with Vanished Years… Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Bidisha (2015 Event) Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is one of Britain’s most important commentators on multiculturalism: in Exotic England she describes ‘a curious nation’ that has developed thanks to its long history of immigration. Bidisha is a writer and human righ… David Millar (2016 Event) Those lucky enough to witness David Millar’s spellbinding Book Festival event in 2011 will recall the athlete’s forthright admissions about calorie counting, secret doping and quirky camaraderie on the pro cycling circuit. Now he's back with The Racer…