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Edinburgh International Book Festival

2025 Festival:
9-24 August
Edinburgh International Book Festival Edinburgh International Book Festival
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2025 Festival:
9-24 August
Home Photo Gallery

2019 Book Festival Highlights

Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Nafissa Thompson-Spires

© Pako Mera

Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: The R.A.P Party
Robert Skidelsky
Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Doctor Book
Kids' Play Area
Nafissa Thompson-Spires: © Pako Mera
  • Opening | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • First crowds in the Gardens | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Fiddlers on the Ramp | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Unbound | © Robin Mair
  • Naomi Wolf | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Throwing Voices | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Throwing Voices | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Giles Yeo | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Karine Polwart, Ali Smith, Nayrouz Qarmout & Val McDermid | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Signing | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Susan Reynolds & Sara Sheridan | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Jenny Niven, Russ Litten & Chris McQueer | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Tim Winton | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Prue Leith | © Robin Mair
  • Ali Smith | © Robin Mair
  • Karine Polwart & Steven Polwart | © Robin Mair
  • Nayrouz Qarmout & Val McDermid | © Robin Mair
  • Girl reading in the Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Eating ice cream | © Robin Mair
  • Val McDermid | © Pako Mera
  • Katherine Grainger & Ruth Dadvison | © Pako Mera
  • Neil Oliver | © Pako Mera
  • Markus Zusak | © Robin Mair
  • Damian Barr | © Robin Mair
  • DeRay Mckesson | © Robin Mair
  • Harry Hill | © Robin Mair
  • Harry Hill | © Robin Mair
  • George Street | © Robin Mair
  • Entrance | © Robin Mair
  • Info desk staff | © Robin Mair
  • The Garden Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Picnic in the gardens | © Robin Mair
  • Woman reading | © Robin Mair
  • Charlotte Square Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • Edinburgh Gin Bar | © Robin Mair
  • Charlotte Square Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • George Street giant books | © Robin Mair
  • Couple reading in the queue | © Robin Mair
  • Fiddlers on the Ramp | © Robin Mair
  • Baby reading the Explorer's Guide | © Robin Mair
  • Fiddlers on the Ramp | © Robin Mair
  • Woman reading in the queue | © Robin Mair
  • Box Office staff | © Robin Mair
  • Staff | © Robin Mair
  • Shoo Rayner | © Robin Mair
  • Baby and adults playing | © Robin Mair
  • Cathy Newman | © Robin Mair
  • Fatima Bhutto | © Robin Mair
  • Alex Rogers | © Robin Mair
  • Front of House staff | © Robin Mair
  • Alex Rogers | © Robin Mair
  • Aidan O'Rourke | © Robin Mair
  • James Robertson | © Robin Mair
  • 365 Stories installation | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Tim Winton, Laura Watts, Josh Haner & Meaghan Looram | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Caroline Criado Perez | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Louise Doughty, Lee Randall & Stuart Turton | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Audience question | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Ben Okri | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Malorie Blackman | © Simone Padovani
  • Afternoon Tea with Alissa Timoshkina | © Simone Padovani
  • Afternoon Tea with Alissa Timoshkina | © Simone Padovani
  • Afternoon Tea with Alissa Timoshkina | © Simone Padovani
  • DeRay Mckesson & Casey Gerald | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Children's activities | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Eddie Izzard | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Venki Ramakrishnan | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Julia Donaldson & Catherine Rayner | © Suzanne Heffron
  • The Gruffalo & Julia Donalson | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Julia Donalson | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Alexander McCall Smith | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Nayrouz Qarmout | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Dave Cousins | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Cerrie Burnell | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Kids' Corner Sunflowers | © Simone Padovani
  • Kids' Corner | © Simone Padovani
  • Inua Ellams | © Simone Padovani
  • Theresa Lola | © Simone Padovani
  • Tayi Tibble | © Simone Padovani
  • Charly Cox | © Simone Padovani
  • Inua Ellams | © Simone Padovani
  • Petr Horáček | © Simone Padovani
  • Andy Stanton | © Simone Padovani
  • James Tait Black Prize for fiction: Olivia Laing | © Simone Padovani
  • James Tait Black Prize for biography: Lindsay Hilsum | © Simone Padovani
  • Maria Isobel Sanchez Vegara | © Simone Padovani
  • Katie Hale | © Robin Mair
  • Front of House Staff | © Robin Mair
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Bang Said the Gun | © Robin Mair
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Bang Said the Gun | © Robin Mair
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Bang Said the Gun | © Robin Mair
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Bang Said the Gun | © Robin Mair
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Bang Said the Gun | © Robin Mair
  • Sofie Hagen | © Robin Mair
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Bang Said the Gun | © Robin Mair
  • Sofie Hagen | © Robin Mair
  • Over a Gin With Theresa Lola | © Robin Mair
  • Relaxing in the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • Benjamin Zephaniah | © Robin Mair
  • Throwing Voices: Tayi Tibble | © Robin Mair
  • Benjamin Zephaniah | © Robin Mair
  • Throwing Voices: Bigg Taj | © Robin Mair
  • Throwing Voices | © Robin Mair
  • Christopher Brookmyre & Roddy Doyle | © Robin Mair
  • Book Festival Village at night | © Robin Mair
  • The Garden Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • The Edinburgh Gin Bar | © Robin Mair
  • Sunny Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • The Cafe | © Robin Mair
  • Browsing the Garden Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Playing in the Kids' Corner | © Robin Mair
  • Shopping for Childrens' Books | © Robin Mair
  • Iain Morrison | © Robin Mair
  • Jay Bernard | © Robin Mair
  • A L Kennedy | © Robin Mair
  • Gordon Brown & John Sexton | © Robin Mair
  • The Cafe on George Street | © Robin Mair
  • Elmer the Elephant | © Robin Mair
  • Kids' Corner | © Robin Mair
  • The Super Power Agency Bus | © Robin Mair
  • Eunice Olumide | © Robin Mair
  • Joelle Taylor | © Robin Mair
  • Val McDermid | © Robin Mair
  • Chigozie Obioma | © Robin Mair
  • New Daughters of Africa: Bernardine Evaristo & Leila Aboulela | © Robin Mair
  • New Daughters of Africa | © Robin Mair
  • New Daughters of Africa in the Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Browsing the Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Outriders Africa | © Robin Mair
  • Playing in the Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Chris Mullen | © Robin Mair
  • Branko Milanovic & Paul Collier | © Robin Mair
  • Cartwheels in the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • Enjoying the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • The Edinburgh Gin Bar | © Robin Mair
  • The Edinburgh Gin Bar | © Robin Mair
  • The Super Power Agency Bus | © Robin Mair
  • Scottish Authors in the Bookshop on George Street | © Robin Mair
  • The Super Power Agency Bus | © Robin Mair
  • The Super Power Agency Bus | © Robin Mair
  • Reading in the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • The Super Power Agency Bus | © Robin Mair
  • Jokha Alharthi | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Jokha Alharthi | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Sophie Hughes & Jen Calleja | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Ian Rankin | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: The R.A.P Party | © Pako Mera
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: The R.A.P Party | © Pako Mera
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: The R.A.P Party | © Pako Mera
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: The R.A.P Party | © Pako Mera
  • Robert Skidelsky | © Pako Mera
  • Nafissa Thompson-Spires | © Pako Mera
  • Doctor Book | © Pako Mera
  • Kids' Play Area | © Pako Mera
  • Doctor Book | © Pako Mera
  • David Cannadine | © Pako Mera
  • Jan Wagner & Robin Robertson | © Pako Mera
  • Narguess Farzad | © Pako Mera
  • Serhii Plokhy | © Pako Mera
  • Mother Courage and her Children | © Pako Mera
  • Mother Courage and her Children | © Pako Mera
  • Audience | © Pako Mera
  • Alberto Manguel | © Pako Mera
  • Roger McGough | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Roger McGough | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Tracey Thorn | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Afternoon Tea with Ghillie Basan | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Afternoon Tea with Ghillie Basan | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Afternoon Tea with Ghillie Basan | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Brian Bilston, Luke Wright & Martin Rowson | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Under Another Sky | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Simon Armitage | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Francesca Simon | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Nadine Aisha Jassat & Mariam Khan | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Francesca Simon | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Jessie Greengrass | © Suzanne Heffron
  • SUZANNJames Crawford, Kate Hamer & Doug Johnstone | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Jack Monroe | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Jack Monroe | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Gina Martin | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Alan Rusbridger | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Outriders Africa | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Outriders Africa | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Outriders Africa, Donna Obaseki-Ogunnaike | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Robin Knox Johnston | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Mary Portas | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Gordon Brown | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Branko Milanovic | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Alexander McCall Smith | © Suzanne Heffron
  • What is Gender in the 21st Century? | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Sue Perkins | © Simone Padovani
  • Sue Perkins | © Simone Padovani
  • Sue Perkins | © Simone Padovani
  • Peter Hitchens | © Simone Padovani
  • Euan's Guide Accesible Festival Award announced | © Simone Padovani
  • Raja Shehadeh | © Simone Padovani
  • Roger Robinson, Linton Kwesi Johnson & Anthony Wall | © Simone Padovani
  • Linton Kwesi Johnson | © Simone Padovani
  • Jeanette Winterson | © Simone Padovani
  • Festival Director Nick Barley | © Robin Mair
  • Max Porter | © Robin Mair
  • Jason Reynolds | © Robin Mair
  • Ian Rankin | © Robin Mair
  • Jason Reynolds | © Robin Mair
  • Ian Rankin | © Robin Mair
  • Staff and audience | © Robin Mair
  • Enjoying ice cream | © Robin Mair
  • The Bookshop Cafe | © Robin Mair
  • The Bookshop Cafe | © Robin Mair
  • The Garden Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Browsing the Entrance Tent | © Robin Mair
  • Citizen Drop-in | © Robin Mair
  • Citizen Drop-in | © Robin Mair
  • Citizen Drop-in | © Robin Mair
  • Citizen Drop-in | © Robin Mair
  • Citizen Drop-in | © Robin Mair
  • Whisky and Words | © Robin Mair
  • Whisky and Words | © Robin Mair
  • Whisky and Words | © Robin Mair
  • Kwame Alexander | © Robin Mair
  • Whisky and Words | © Robin Mair
  • Relaxing in the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • Reading in the Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • Relaxing in the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • George Street | © Robin Mair
  • The New York Times Main Theatre | © Robin Mair
  • Reading in the Gardens | © Robin Mair
  • The Garden Bookshop | © Robin Mair
  • The Writers' Retreat | © Robin Mair
  • Giuseppe Caputo & Ariana Harwicz | © Robin Mair
  • Philip Long & Joanna Norman | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Don Paterson | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Michael Pedersen | DonPaterson © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The signing tent | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Nicola Sturgeon & Arundhati Roy | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Arundhati Roy | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Nicola Sturgeon & Arundhati Roy | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Tongue Fu with Chris Redmond | © Pako Mera
  • Philip Long & Joanna Norman | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Tongue Fu | © Pako Mera
  • Audience applauding | © Pako Mera
  • Mariella Frostrup | © Pako Mera
  • Lois Pryce | © Pako Mera
  • Alexander McCall Smith | © Pako Mera
  • Paul Mason | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Tracy Chevalier | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Audience | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Throwing Voices | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Jess Kidd & E S Thomson | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Gin Tasting and True Crime | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Tongue Fu | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Unbound with Edinburgh Gin: Tongue Fu | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • David Nicholls | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Citizen | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Citizen: Janet Smyth | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • 30 Years of Elmer the Elephant | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • 30 Years of Elmer the Elephant | ® Suzanne Heffron
  • Mathias Énard with Ece Temelkuran | ® Simone Padovani
  • John Lanchester | ® Simone Padovani
  • Reading in the Gardens | ® Simone Padovani
  • Goenawan Mohamad | ® Simone Padovani
  • 25 Years of Rotten Romans with Martin Brown | ® Simone Padovani
  • Tim Waterstone | ® Simone Padovani
  • Shaun Bythell & Tim Waterstone | ® Simone Padovani
  • Robert MacFarlane | ® Simone Padovani
  • Open Book with Mariella Frostrup | ® Simone Padovani
  • Allan Little's Big Interview with Elif Shafak | ® Simone Padovani
  • Elif Shafak | ® Simone Padovani
  • Whiti Hereaka & Tina Makereti | ® Robin Mair
  • Book shopping | ® Robin Mair
  • Browsing the brochure | ® Robin Mair
  • Reading in the Gardens | ® Robin Mair
  • The Garden Bookshop | ® Robin Mair
  • The Bookshop on George Street | ® Robin Mair
  • Imagination Lab | ® Robin Mair
  • The Entrance Tent | ® Robin Mair
  • Reading in the Gardens | ® Robin Mair
  • Tasty treats | ® Robin Mair
  • Carrie Gracie | ® Robin Mair
  • Lilja Sigurdardottir | ® Robin Mair
  • Matt Haig | ® Robin Mair
  • Matt Haig | ® Robin Mair
  • John Burnside | ® Robin Mair
  • Associate Director Roland Gulliver | ® Robin Mair
  • Typewriter in the Bookshop | ® Robin Mair
  • Executive Director Sophie Moxon | ® Robin Mair
  • Marina Warner | ® Robin Mair
  • James Acaster | ® Robin Mair
  • Rob Auton | ® Robin Mair
  • Doddie Weir | ® Robin Mair
  • Reding Mary Robinson | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Salman Rushdie | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Rory Stewart | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Meena Kandasamy | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Nitasha Kaul, Meena Kandasamy & Talat Ahmed | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Talat Ahmed | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Thomas Keneally | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Audience asking questions | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Mary Robinson | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Kerry Hudson & Sarah Smarsh | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Sarah Smarsh | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Audience | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Heir of the Cursed, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Clara Farmer, Margaret Busby & Lennie Goodings | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Frank Gardner | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Frank Gardner | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Anita Anand | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Nadine Aisha Jassat & Anita Anand | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Audience | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • A C Grayling | ® Roberto Ricciuti
  • Schools Gala Day: high fives! | © Robin Mair
  • Schools Gala Day | © Robin Mair
  • Madcap Storytelling with Steve Cole | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day: Intergalactic Alpacas | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day: Little Mole | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day: The Gruffalo | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day: face painting | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day: Intergalactic Alpacas | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day | © Pako Mera
  • Schools Gala Day | © Pako Mera
  • Schools audience | © Pako Mera
  • Adam Baron Making a Splash | © Pako Mera
  • Weave Your Way to the Moon | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Weave Your Way to the Moon | © Pako Mera
  • Weave Your Way to the Moon | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Radical Practice: The Fifth Social Revolution | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Radical Practice: Hilary Cottam | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Mike Berners-Lee | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Mike Berners-Lee | © Suzanne Heffron
  • James Morton & Tom Morton | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Mark Urban | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Kirsty Wark | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Kirsty Wark | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Keith Hartley | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Keith Hartley & Typex | © Suzanne Heffron
  • Browsing the Bookshop | © Simone Padovani
  • The Bookshop on George Street | © Simone Padovani
  • Spark Theatre on George Street | © Simone Padovani
  • Reading in the Gardens | © Simone Padovani
  • The kids' corner | © Simone Padovani
  • The Garden Bookshop cafe | © Simone Padovani
  • The Garden Bookshop cafe | © Simone Padovani
  • Charlotte Square Gardens in the sunshine | © Simone Padovani
  • Last Lines | © Robin Mair
  • Last Lines | © Robin Mair
  • Gordon Brown | © Robin Mair
  • Geovani Martins | © Robin Mair
  • Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi | © Robin Mair
  • Lemn Sissay | © Robin Mair
  • George Alagiah | © Robin Mair
  • Colson Whitehead | © Robin Mair
  • Colson Whitehead | © Robin Mair
  • Women Talking by Miriam Toews | © Robin Mair
  • Women Talking by Miriam Toews | © Robin Mair
  • Ece Temelkuran | © Robin Mair
  • Carrie Gracie | © Robin Mair
  • Yuan Yang | © Robin Mair
  • Steven Erlanger | © Robin Mair
  • Little Mole | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The Info Desk and team | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The Children's Bookshop | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Enjoying an evening drink | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Chatting in the Gardens | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Reading in the Gardens | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Author portraits on the walkways | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Browsing the Bookshop | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The New York Times team | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Little girl reading in the Bookshop | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Enjoying a beer in the Gardens | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The kids' corner | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Giant books on George Street | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The signings board | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Chris Close | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • The Gruffalo | © Roberto Ricciuti
  • Sharing stories | © Pako Mera
  • Sharing stories | © Pako Mera
  • The children's area in the Garden Bookshop | © Pako Mera
  • Playing in the kids' corner | © Pako Mera
  • The Bookshop on George Street | © Pako Mera
  • Reading in the queue | © Pako Mera
  • Spiegeltent staff | © Suzanne Heffron
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© The Edinburgh International Book Festival Ltd 2025. The Edinburgh International Book Festival has its registered office at 121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN and is a company limited by guarantee (no SC 79939) with charitable status (SC 010120).