All events are at Charlotte Square Gardens, unless
specified. Phone 0131 624 5050 for ticket availability.
A Future for the Book? 25’ Aug. .t’..\’()/mi. The Scottish Publishers Association bring some experts together to chat abottt the future of publishing and new technology.
Yasmin Alibhai- Brown 2.? Aug. 12.50pm. Mixed race relationships. gtiilt. identity and the absence of social policy to deal witlt it all are among the themes explored by Alibhai-Brown iit this event chaired by comic Simon l-"anshaw'e. Yasmin Alibhai- Brown 8. Hugh Brody 2.1’ Aug. 8pm. Alibliai-Brown is joined here by classy anthropologist Brody wlto once hung out in the Arctic (’ircle with some hunters. l-‘or research purposes. you understand.
Kate Atkinson 27 Aug. ll._t'()unt. Atkinson returns to liven tip the l-‘estival‘s final morning and regale us with her dark. philosophical wit.
0 Margaret Atwood 25 Aug. ll..1’()um. See preview.
Beryl Bainbridge 24 Aug. //._t’()mn. Being shortlisted for the Booker Prize on five separate occasions but not winning it once smacks of a surfeit of taleitt aitd a short supply of luck. Bainbridge‘s forthcoming novel. Aeennling 'Iii (_)ueent{v. delves into the last years of Samuel Johnson. which may be a good sign. considering that the most celebrated instance of someone bringing Johnson to lidinburgh saw his friend and biographer James Boswell ltave an unexpectedly good time. Bainbridge has spoken in interviews as seeiitg her most recent work as the completion of an inforittal trilogy that begait with the Titanic (lively Man For I/i'tns'elf) and the ('rimean War (Muster (it’ol‘gie). but don't expect closure to be on the cards. If you're after sharp. concise historical fiction. though. prepare for a feast. (James Smart)
Simon Blackburn, Jostein Gaarder & Alain de Botton with Richard Holloway 25 Aug, 8pm. The big issues tackled in a philosophical yet oddly humorous way by some deep thinkers. .\'o questions about their favourite colours, ()K'.’
Alain de Botton 25 Aug. I2..i’t),mi. ('an l’rotist alter the way you live your lil‘e'.’ How does philosophy hpr tis think about the siitiple things‘.’ .\lr de B shall answer tltose queries.
Hugh Brody 29’ Aug. 12.30pm. 'l‘ravcllcr attd anthropologist extraordinaire Brody explores how a nomadic lifesty |e catt be a good thing. (‘an be pass on his wisdom to Posh and Becks. please'.’
Maggie Campbell-Culver 25 Aug. 6.45pm. This leadiitg gardening historian traces ottr botanical heritage. For those into that sort of thing.
Children’s Book Festival l.'ntil 27 Aug. See Kids section for a round-up. Jonathan Coe & Terence Blacker 21’ Aug. 2pm. How far would you go to write a successful book'.’ Blackmail'.’ Or even murder'.’ .\lc neitlter. btit this is the plot of'let‘enee [Hacker’s Kill Your I)itr/t'ngs. He is joined by tile man who
w role the 70s classic. The Rullt'ry ' ( ‘lu/i. Creating Characters 25 Aug. ()pm. liileen Ramsay divulges the big secrets on how you. well. create characters. lit books. Isla Dewar & Alexander McCall Smith 24 Aug, /()._i’()unt. lltnnanitarian detective novels are not really tlte sort of thing one would expect a respected l’rofessor Of Law to be knocking tip in his spare titne. There is however. nothing
nights
He'll take you on a trip that leaves you wasted but happy; just like all the best
Kevin Sampson
normal about this prolific lidinbttrgh- based writer. Along with a virtuain endless list of legal and ntedical ethics manuals. Alexander Me('all Smith has penned tltree brilliant thrillers all featuring Precious Ramotswe. the Botswanan .\liss Marple. If you haven't read The .\'u./ l.1ltllt'.\' I)i'lt't‘llt't' xlgt’ttt‘y‘. li’ut's ()f‘lltt’ Giraffe or .llum/tty I-iir Beautiful (fir/s- yet. you shotild be asltattted of yourself. They are rich. touching. well-plotted and lovingly characterised mystery thrillers the type of which you didn't think existed anymore. Your chance for redemptiott will come at the Book l’estival where he will be joining Isla l)cwar for a cltat over the \Veetabix. tl’aul Dale) Carol Ann Duffy 8: Robert Crawford 20 Aug. l/uni. Acclaittted Scottish rhymers team tip for an ant. spot of perfect poetry.
Helen Dunmore 8. Elaine Feinstein 2!) Aug. 12.30pm. Two very different writers from similar fields team tip. ()range-winncr Dtmmore's latest recreates the Siege ()f Leningrad while lieinstein muses over the darker sides of Italian polities.
Douglas Dunn, Andrew Greig 8: Alan Riach 25 Aug. lU..i’(lum. Another fren/y of early morning poetry as these acclaitned scribes wipe the cobwcbs away with sparkling renditions of their verse. GJostein Gaarder 25 Aug. .i’._~’t),mi. The fact that the day of this event has changed because the author is attending tlte Norwegian royal wedding tells you something about how well Jostein (iaarder is thought of in his honte country. atid with good reason. (iaarder wrote Sop/tie 's World in 1901. a philosophical yet clear and concise novel which surprised everyone. itot least the author. when it went on to sell millions of copies in 40 languages around the world. as well as being adapch for stage and screen. Now the author of eight novels. the 49-year-old ex-philosophy lecturer takes complex philosophical ideas and distils them through his fiction to bring tlte ideas of the world‘s great thinkers to a mass audience of adults and children alike. (Doug Johnstonet
Janice Galloway 27Aug. /t)..tt)uni.
It should be no surprise to fans of Janice (iallow'ay‘s that her latest project is an adaptation of (‘urtnen fora forthcottting Scottish Ballet production. .\'o surprise eitlter that her latest short story. previewed exclusively on lter w ebsite. is entitled ‘sex and drugs and rock and roll'. There has always been something musical about (izilltiys';ty"s work; be it the fretting, dramatic bursts of poetry in her earlier short stories or the multi-textured symphonic sequences of the novels The 'I‘ru‘k Is '1}: Keep Brent/ting and Foreign I’urts. Nltisic is just one facet til-(ialloway 's innovative style however; theatrical. visual aitd poetic devices all feature heavily. ('oitibined with her challenging ideas which make her one of the iitost innovative writers in Scotland. ('l'iin Abrahamst Lesley Glaister 8. Helen Simpson 25 Aug. ll..i’()ttni. (ilaister ltas written a fine novel about a young crim on tlte rttn while Simpson is dealing with women looking for more ottt of life with her latest collection. Maggie Graham, Dilys Rose 8- Mary Morrissy 26 Aug. If)..i(}(lnt. Mature students have a ltclluva time if you think about it. what with making ends meet on tuppettce ha'pcnny a week. and being forced to sit iii a classroom lull of w et- behind—tlte-ears teenagers whose life experience extends to halls ()l‘ residence food and nights ottt in the student‘s tmion. Yet. crabbed age and wisdom triumplted iii the case of ( ilasgow' writer Maggie (iraham. who successfully turned her espet‘iences as a mature student at (ilasgow l'niyersity into a tto\el. Sitting Among The [ask/nuts. The book won plaudits and
Richard Holloway 27 Aug, 5pm. No stranger to controversy. Richard Holloway. the former Bishop of Edinburgh. will be airing his views at two separate events at this year’s Festival. The first of these. ( 'ufe’ I’lii/uwpliique. is a panel discussion featuring Alain de Botton. Jostein Gaarder and Simon Blackburn. all of whom are highly regarded philosophers. ‘What I thought I'd do is have a discussion about how you do ethics in a post-religious
world.‘ he says.
This is a subject very close to his heart; 1999‘s (nu/less- Mm‘ult’ty was a guide to ethics without religion. aitd his latest book. Doubts And Love. which he will be discussing in his second appearance. follows its predecessor with an attempt to salvage an ethical code from Christianity without relying on the stagnant attitudes that so often lead to hate and bigotry. For this. he has been branded a disbeliever and an anti-Christ figure but among intelligent. rational aitd contemporary thinkers. his ideas are lauded.
Although the personal attacks are obviously distressing. Holloway is aware that in order to create a paradigm shift. there must be a few dissidents willing to put themselves on the line. ‘I don‘t want to sound grandiose but I know enough about history to know that chattge always comes from a few awkward customers. who point to the fact that the emperor really
is naked.‘ (Kirsty Knaggs)
awards and is now being deycloped iiito a teley ision drama. (iraltam w ill be appearing alongside veteran nos elist arid short story writer I)ilys Rose and new Irish writer .\lary .\lorrissy. (Allan Radcliffe)
Guiaii Griffiths 8. Kevin Sampson 24 Aug. Ittmlt. Author of some of the greatest contemporary fiction of recent years including l’mu/er. a fantastic tale of rock ‘n~ roll. drugs. ses aitd spending your money as fast as you make it. Kevin Sampson is here with leisure (and fellow Scotiscr Niall (iriflithst. his cutting appraisal of the (‘osta del Sol package holiday scene. Bursting on to the scene iii early 1905’ with .‘llltlH/(HL his brilliant btit terrifying look at the terrace violence of the time through the eyes of the 'l‘raniitere l’ack. his new book. ()ut/ttuxv, sees him return to the l.i\erpudlian underworld he knows suspiciously w ell. The man who once managed The [arm is a brilliant speaker. lakiitg you oit a trip that leayes you wasted btit happy. Jtist like all the best nights. tAly Burt)
Murray Grigor 24 Aug. Spin. In this RSA lecture. we hear how the image of Scotland may change in this freshly born century. Ditch the kitsch. we say.
Clare Harman 2-! Aug. Jpni. Harman tells tis about the life and times of one l-‘anny llllt'lte}. w ho had a huge influence on Jane Atisten. you know.
Isabel Hilton 25 Aug. 4pm. This iottrno and broadcaster offers the rather bleak opinion that 'l‘ibet‘s independence may be about to disappear entirely.
QRichard Holloway 27Aug. 5pm. See prey iew.
0 Nick Hornby 25‘ Aug. ll..\’(}tttn. See pt‘ey iew.
How Men and Women Read
2.? Aug. (MW/mi. lt's striking that in this tintc of comparatiye equality between the sexes. the gender diyide shottld he so consistently talked tip in fiction. There are currently /i|lions of ‘books for boys' by ageing hipsters like Nick llornby and Tony l’arsoits. while the boom iit glossy women's fiction kicked off by Bridget Jones show s no sign of abatitig. This special ey eiit is based on art experiittent carried out by this years ()range l’ri/e for l-‘iction. in which all-male and all-fetttale juries were comittissioited to independently appraise the short list. Their findings are open to debate. so if you‘re interested in the ways that books appeal to different genders. or eyen if you think it's a load of balderdash aitd fiction should aim to have cross—gender appeal. this is the one for you.
(Allan Radcliffe)
G Imprisoned Writers 24 Aug. ."._\'()/tn1. liach day. a selection of the l't'stiyttl‘s top authors w ill be reading from works by scribes incarcerated purely for tlteir heliels
For hour by hour daily listings see
Listings Supplement.
JLS Aug; 23 Slot? .’t7t7‘s THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 15