Welcome to the Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place from 10-25 August 2024. Below you'll find details of 'The Front List' - a series of stellar events we're cheekily announcing in advance of the rest of our 2024 programme. Jam-packed with bestsellers, prize-winners and some of the most iconic names in literature, The Front List events will take place at McEwan Hall, in partnership with Underbelly.

These are just the first of our 2024 events, with a further incredible 500-plus still to be announced 4 June. Our main programme will take place at our new home at Edinburgh Futures Institute, Lauriston Place. Sign up for our ebulletins or follow us on social media to be first to hear announcements and updates.

 

The Front List: Alan Cumming & Forbes Masson in conversation with Jackie Kay

Saturday 10 August 19:20 - 20:35

The Front List: Alan Cumming & Forbes Masson in conversation with Jackie Kay Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
  • Captioned
One of Scotland’s most beloved comedy double acts of all time, Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, are delving back into their comedy past, to present ‘Victor and Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium’, a riotous romp through their formative years treading...
 

The Front List: James O'Brien

Monday 12 August 13:30 - 14:30

The Front List: James O'Brien Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
  • Captioned
With the General Election looming (or at least the possibility of its announcement), the political news cycle is in overdrive. James O’Brien, one of Britain’s leading broadcasters, is among the fiercest critics of contemporary Britain's management...
 

The Front List: Alice Oseman in conversation with Wren James

14+

Tuesday 13 August 13:30 - 14:30

The Front List: Alice Oseman in conversation with Wren James Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
  • Captioned
Join Alice Oseman, the creator of global smash-hit coming-of-age romance Heartstopper, for a very special in conversation event with Wren James.
 

The Front List: Dolly Alderton

Wednesday 14 August 15:30 - 16:30

The Front List: Dolly Alderton Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Captioned
Dolly Alderton is a self-confessed over-sharer. ‘All I want to do is tell everyone everything. I connect with people through the details of life.’ This sharing – of the good, the bad, and the messy bits of living – has become Alderton’s...
 

The Front List: Salman Rushdie in conversation with Mishal Husain

Saturday 17 August 17:30 - 18:30

The Front List: Salman Rushdie in conversation with Mishal Husain Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
  • BSL interpreted
  • Captioned
In August 2022, literary luminary Salman Rushdie was stabbed on stage as he delivered a talk on artistic freedom and writers in exile. In a very rare interview, as part of our McEwan series of events, we are honoured to present Knife: Meditations After...
 

The Front List: Philippa Gregory in conversation with Val McDermid

Thursday 22 August 13:30 - 14:30

The Front List: Philippa Gregory in conversation with Val McDermid Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
  • Captioned
While researching her more than 30 bestselling novels on Tudor history, Philippa Gregory learned that it was only when women did something properly outrageous or above her station that they made it into the history books. So, she sought to change it:...
 

The Front List: Richard Osman in conversation with Ian Rankin

Saturday 24 August 13:30 - 14:30

The Front List: Richard Osman in conversation with Ian Rankin Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • BSL interpreted
  • Captioned
A new Richard Osman book is an event, so the announcement that there would be a brand-new series set millions of readers into a frenzy. And in a worldwide exclusive, he’s choosing to launch that new series at this year’s Edinburgh International Book...
 

The Front List: Matt Haig in conversation with Chitra Ramaswamy

Sunday 25 August 13:30 - 14:30

The Front List: Matt Haig in conversation with Chitra Ramaswamy Find out more
  • Attend in person
  • Watch online
  • BSL interpreted
  • Captioned
Through his memoir and fiction, Matt Haig has changed the way we talk about mental health. Matt presents his new novel, The Life Impossible, in this very special event as part of our key festival strand, How to Live a Meaningful Life. In conversation...