Accessible events

We offer a range of accessible performances, from learning disability friendly events to captioned and British Sign Language supported. We work with experienced BSL interpreters and live captioners to offer a selection of signed and captioned events for both adults and children. If you would like to request a BSL interpreter for an event not listed below, please contact the Box Office. Full details of our BSL On Request service can be found on our Access page.

Showing events that are BSL interpreted, captioned or learning disability friendly.

Use one or more of the search filters below to find events.

Browse this year's themes
 

The Price of Power with Alwyn Hamilton and SF Williamson

Thursday 14 August 18:15 - 19:15

The Price of Power with Alwyn Hamilton and SF Williamson Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Captioned
Power connects the new heart-pounding dark fantasy thrillers from Alwyn Hamilton and S F Williamson…
 

Heather Parry & Nell Stevens: Between the Lines

Thursday 14 August 18:30 - 19:30

Heather Parry & Nell Stevens: Between the Lines Find out more
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Heather Parry and Nell Stevens bring darkly humorous, gothic narratives to the fore in their new books, Carrion Crow and The Original…
 

Samantha Harvey: Writing a Space Pastoral

Thursday 14 August 18:45 - 19:45

Samantha Harvey: Writing a Space Pastoral Find out more
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  • Watch online
  • Captioned
Harvey returns to the Festival to reflect on her year since winning one of literature’s highest honours and what it means to write life in space with the sensibility of a nature writer…
 

Harry Josephine Giles & Malin Lewis: Future Traditions for Queer Scotland

Thursday 14 August 19:15 - 20:15

Harry Josephine Giles & Malin Lewis: Future Traditions for Queer Scotland Find out more
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Join us for a dazzling celebration of Unco, a new LGBT+ Scots lexicon. Harry Josephine Giles and Malin Lewis present a unique spoken word and music performance, blending old and new language and sounds to explore queer identities and histories…
 

Partha Dasgupta: Valuing our World

Thursday 14 August 19:30 - 20:30

Partha Dasgupta: Valuing our World Find out more
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Today, Partha Dasgupta discusses his groundbreaking book On Natural Capital, advocating for why nature should be given the same economic value as the resources we extract from it…
 

Torrey Peters Presents…

Thursday 14 August 20:00 - 21:30

Changed Torrey Peters Presents… Find out more
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In this exclusive Book Festival event, Torrey Peters – PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author of Detransition, Baby and the kaleidoscopic Stag Dance – co-curates performances from some of the most exciting trans writers and artists around…
 

Doug Johnstone: Making Waves in Science Fiction

Thursday 14 August 20:15 - 21:15

Doug Johnstone: Making Waves in Science Fiction Find out more
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Described by The Scotsman as ‘a master of the page-turning, heart-gripping, plot-driven tale’, Doug Johnstone is also remarkably prolific…
 

Chris Brookmyre: Thirty, and Counting

Thursday 14 August 20:30 - 21:30

Chris Brookmyre: Thirty, and Counting Find out more
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Chris Brookmyre’s offbeat brand of Scottish crime has been selling by the millions since his debut in 1996. He joins us now with his 30th novel, The Cracked Mirror, a deeply unusual detective caper that splices the tweedy with the hardboiled…
 

Mairi Kidd & Lesley McDowell: Reimagining History’s (Anti)Heroines

Friday 15 August 10:00 - 11:00

Mairi Kidd & Lesley McDowell: Reimagining History’s (Anti)Heroines Find out more
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  • Watch online
  • Captioned
Join Mairi Kidd and Lesley McDowell for a romp through 19th century Scotland as they discuss the craft of compelling character studies and inventing voices for women lost to time…
 

Reeta Chakrabarti: Finding Belle

Friday 15 August 10:15 - 11:15

Reeta Chakrabarti: Finding Belle Find out more
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Reeta Chakrabarti will be familiar to anyone who has watched BBC news, but now she has made the leap from journalist and chief newsreader to novelist…
Cancelled

First Edition: Behind Investigations

Friday 15 August 10:30 - 11:30

First Edition: Behind Investigations Find out more
Why not try? First Edition: Local News Direct First Edition: Local News Direct Wed 13 Aug 10:05 - 11:05
 

Jen Calleja & Annelise Finegan: Life in Translation

Friday 15 August 11:45 - 12:45

Jen Calleja & Annelise Finegan: Life in Translation Find out more
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Calling all language lovers and word nerds for this conversation on the art of translation and life as a literary translator…
 

Alexander McCall Smith: Here’s the Scoop

Friday 15 August 11:45 - 12:45

Alexander McCall Smith: Here’s the Scoop Find out more
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  • Watch online
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The mighty Alexander McCall Smith brings us all of his latest works including Bertie’s Theory of Ice Cream (the latest in his beloved 44 Scotland Street series) and In the Time of Five Pumpkins (in the perennially adored No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency…
 

Danny Sriskandarajah: People Have the Power

Friday 15 August 12:00 - 13:00

Danny Sriskandarajah: People Have the Power Find out more
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This is an event for people who want to fight back against the unhappy narratives around them, with an author whose life and work emphasises taking action in difficult circumstances…
 

Shani Akilah & Jeda Pearl: Celebrating Andrea Levy

Friday 15 August 12:00 - 13:00

Shani Akilah & Jeda Pearl: Celebrating Andrea Levy Find out more
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Join writers Shani Akilah and Jeda Pearl as they celebrate the enduring legacy of Andrea Levy…
 

2025 International Booker Prize: Meet the Winners

Friday 15 August 12:15 - 13:15

2025 International Booker Prize: Meet the Winners Find out more
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Join 2025 judge Sana Goyal and the International Booker Prize’s administrator Fiammetta Rocco as they speak to the winners of this year’s prize about their work and the art of translation…
 

The Front List: Maggie O’Farrell

Friday 15 August 13:30 - 14:30

The Front List: Maggie O’Farrell Find out more
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Bursting onto the literary scene with her skilful debut, After You’d Gone, Maggie O’Farrell has remained an inimitable creative force ever since. Today’s event celebrates her 25th anniversary as a beloved writer with a lively reflection on her writing…
 

Surekha Davies, Omar El Akkad & Nicola Kelly: Who Counts as Human?

Friday 15 August 13:30 - 14:30

Changed Surekha Davies, Omar El Akkad & Nicola Kelly: Who Counts as Human? Find out more
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Three writers grappling with the toxic rhetoric humans apply to one another explore how the boundaries of humanity are set to exclude certain communities…
 

Adventuremice Draw Along with Sarah McIntyre and Phillip Reeve

Suitable for age 6 - 9

Friday 15 August 13:30 - 14:30

Adventuremice Draw Along with Sarah McIntyre and Phillip Reeve Find out more
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Storytelling superstars Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve return to the Festival to introduce you to a tiny mouse named Pedro…
 

Ambrose Parry: In the Old Town

Friday 15 August 14:15 - 15:15

Ambrose Parry: In the Old Town Find out more
Why not try? Torrey Peters: Dancing with Gender Torrey Peters: Dancing with Gender Sat 16 Aug 17:45 - 18:45