Samantha Power with Allan Little: What One Person Can Do

Captioned

As a war correspondent in the Balkans, through to her time as senior policy advisor to Barack Obama, and her appointment in 2013 as US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power has spent her career committed to resolving international conflict and protecting human dignity.

In her intimate and candid memoir, Education of an Idealist, Power offers an urgent response to the pressing question of our times, ‘What can one person do?’.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Professor of Human Rights talks with Allan Little in our annual Frederick Hood Memorial Lecture.

This is a live event, with an author Q&A.

Book Festival News

Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival
Monday 26 August

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Watch more

Jura Unbound: Literary Death Match (2013 event) Jura Unbound: Literary Death Match (2013 event) Four talented author-illustrator teams pit their live storytelling skills against one another in this all-star cartoon caper version of the legendary Literary Death Match… Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmye & Marisa Haetzman) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmye & Marisa Haetzman) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Crime-writing duo Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman introduced the shadowy streets of 1840s Edinburgh in The Way of All Flesh last year. In this event filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival they launch the sequel, The Art of Dying… Leah Cowan, Julián Fuks & Abbas Nazari: Surviving Hostile Environments Leah Cowan, Julián Fuks & Abbas Nazari: Surviving Hostile Environments Detained, fingerprinted, treated with hostility. These are some of the words used recently by EU citizens seeking entry into the UK. How do Britain’s borders reflect the government’s Hostile Environment policy, and how does its border regime link with… George The Poet (2015 Event) George The Poet (2015 Event) George Mpanga is the 24 year old Cambridge-educated wordsmith who has attracted attention and accolades with his socio-political verse and urban beats, including a nomination for the BBC Music Sound of 2015. Born to Ugandan parents and brought up in… Marian Keyes: Family Matters Marian Keyes: Family Matters Marian Keyes didn’t start writing until her twenties, she felt that she was ‘all washed up at 30.’ But readers have had a love affair with Keyes that has lasted over two decades now. It’s hard to imagine a greater, more reliable comfort than a new book by… The Evolution of Young Adult Literature The Evolution of Young Adult Literature What are the limits and boundaries of writing difficult themes in books for young adults? Join award-winning young adult authors Juno Dawson and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé alongside literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch and social media consultant Jean Menzies… James Kelman (2016 Event) James Kelman (2016 Event) With the publication of Dirt Road, Scotland’s only Booker Prize winner James Kelman joins a Scottish publisher for the first time in decades. This brilliantly accessible road movie of a novel arrives with Canongate’s typical panache, alongside a film… David Cannadine at the Edinburgh International Book Festival David Cannadine at the Edinburgh International Book Festival It’s easy to feel fatigued by continual political crises and the nation’s uncertain future. In a world of chaotic news headlines, how can we find understanding and perspective on what is happening? Hear one of Britain’s most renowned historians and… Benjamin Labatut & Adrian Nathan West with Jay G Ying Benjamin Labatut & Adrian Nathan West with Jay G Ying Anyone who studied physics at school might remember the mysterious way in which light is said to hover somewhere between wave and particle. In a similar way, according to Philip Pullman, the thrilling new work by Benjamin Labatut hovers somewhere between… Interview - Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015) Interview - Jussi Adler-Olsen (2015) Bestselling Danish crime writer and creator of the Department Q novels Jussi Adler-Olsen joined us for a quick chat in Charlotte Square Gardens before his event. We also asked some of his fans what they thought about what he had to say. You can see Jussi&#…