Monday 18 August 11:30 - 12:30
- Attend in person
- Captioned
From foraging to seed saving, and the joy of rediscovering nature, Adam Alexander, Andy Hamilton, and Mo Wilde offer practical wisdom and philosophical insights. Join them for a wide-ranging discussion about how cultivating a deeper connection with…
Suitable for age 0 - 2
Monday 18 August 12:00 - 12:30
Join Dog, T-Rex, Mermaid, Penguin, and lots of That’s Not My… friends for this sensory storytelling adventure for little ones. Led by Usborne’s incredible professional storyteller, Vanessa Woolf, with great songs, bubbles, and more – it will be SO MUCH…
Monday 18 August 12:00 - 13:00
- Attend in person
- Captioned
As more writers discover their work has been 'scraped', can AI ever be harnessed positively, or is it destined to damage both storytellers and the art of writing itself? After a year of public consultations and pushback on issues around copyright and…
Monday 18 August 12:00 - 13:00
- Attend in person
- Captioned
America has two powerfully competing stories: the home of Liberty which welcomes all, and the isolationist nation which fears difference. Join New Yorker staff writer, PEN Award-winner, and daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Alexis Okeowo, to discuss…
Monday 18 August 12:15 - 13:15
- Attend in person
- Captioned
The remarkable, dramatic story of Maggie Dickson ('Half Hangit Maggie') has intrigued and horrified Grassmarket drinkers for decades. In The Mourning Necklace, Kate Foster breathes new life into her story…
Monday 18 August 12:45 - 13:45
- Attend in person
- Watch online
- Captioned
Steph McGovern is no stranger to television; as an award-winning broadcaster, podcaster, and host of her own live daily show, she has seen her fair share of sets. But none as terrifying as the backdrop to her debut novel Deadline. Go behind the scenes of…
Suitable for age 0 - 2
Monday 18 August 13:00 - 13:30
Join Dog, T-Rex, Mermaid, Penguin, and lots of That’s Not My… friends for this sensory storytelling adventure for little ones. Led by Usborne’s incredible professional storyteller, Vanessa Woolf, with great songs, bubbles, and more – it will be SO MUCH…
All ages
Monday 18 August 13:00 - 14:00
In the Children’s Tent today you’ll find Dads Rock with activities to keep your wee ones busy, just drop in between 13:00 and 14:00 to see what’s going on!…
Monday 18 August 13:15 - 14:15
- Attend in person
- Captioned
Political fiction helps us to make sense of, interrogate, and criticise the realities of enforced political systems on our daily lives. Today, we meet two eminent authors, Richard Lloyd Parry and Andrey Kurkov, to question - resistance at what cost?…
Monday 18 August 13:30 - 14:30
- Attend in person
- Captioned
Known to many simply as ‘Super Ally’, Ally McCoist is one of Scotland's best-known sportspeople. Today he’ll take audiences on an unforgettable journey through his sporting career, reflect on the highs (and lows) of following Scotland, and share some of…
Full 2025 Book Festival programme is announced with key theme of Repair 
