Find your way through the Book Festivth bulging line-up with this week planner. We haven’t had space to include every event - see the Book Festival programme or www.cdbooktestcomk for more information. All events are at Charlotte Square Gardens, unless otherwise stated. The box office can be reached at 0131 624 5050.
Thursday 18
Jon Snow The man of many ties talks to Magnus Linklater about the media and the world‘s current instability and explains why the West is spoiling for a light.
I I .3()am. £7 (£5).
Nicolas a. Alexandra: Behind the Scenes at an Exhibition The curators of the major exhibition at the Royal Museum give an insight into the Romanov dynasty and explain how the priceless objects on display have been collected. See caption. page l6. 4.30pm. £7 (£5). Climate Change Global warming is an inescapably real and terrifying problem. This is an open debate session led by Fred Pearce and Mayer Hillman. 7.30pm. £8 (£6).
Sandi Toksvig You may have seen her cracking quips on ll’hose Line Is It Anyway? or (‘all My Bluff. Here for us in Edinburgh. the popular author. comedian and presenter gives an hour of quick- witted comedy. 8pm. £8 (£6 ).
Peter Lamont An expert in parapsychology and fortner president of the Edinburgh Magic Circle. Lamont tells the tale of the first great psychic. a Scot about whom opinion was greatly divided due to his apparently inexplicable abilities. See preview. page 12. 8pm. £8 (£6).
Friday 19
Simon Fanshawe Following his recently published The Done Thing — Negotiating the Minefield of Modern Manners. broadcaster. comedian and author Simon Fanshawe offers a guide to contemporary social conduct. 10am. £7 (£5).
Carlos Fuentes Mexico‘s greatest living author Carlos Fuentes presents In This I Believe. his recent work of non- fiction. His forthcoming novel The Sea! of the Eagle is a futuristic tale set in 2020 which imagines Mexico without satellite communications. A major literary event. See preview. page l6. 11.30am, £7 (£5). Joel Bakan Author of The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power and co-ereator of the outstanding film of the same name. Bakan has been lauded by Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore. Here he offers a terrifying insight into the power and influence of global corporations. See preview. page l4. [9 Aug, l.3()pm. £7 (£5).
Richard Dawkins DaWkins' book The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life follows the evolutionary path of humans backwards through time. ln this talk. the modern~day Darwin discusses his work with journalist Muriel Gray. See preview. page I3. I 9 Aug. 6.30pm. £8 ( £6).
lain Banks Described as Eng Lit for the age of the intemet. lain Banks is a shining star of contemporary fiction and has recently released science fiction novel The Algeliraist. Alternating between writing
mainstream fiction and science fiction. Banks has a devilish way with words. See sidebar. page 14. 8pm, £8 (£6).
Saturday 20
Andre Brink South African writer Brink has been one of the finest voices of South African post-colonial literature since the Apartheid years. Praying .llantis. which sets to explore the interweaving of historical and mythical origins of racial tension in Africa. is his latest masterpiece. See preview. page 14. 20 Aug, I I.3()a)n. £7 (£5). 2/ Aug, 7.30pm. £8 (£6).
Steve Bell Joyously savage satire from the best political cartoonist in Britain. Bell‘s drawings are the perfect antidote to the nonsense emanating from governtnents on both sides of the Atlantic. Apes ofll’rath shows George W Bttsh in all his glory —~ the stance. the statements. the pet prime minister. the banana . . . See caption. page 9. 3pm. £7 (£5).
John Berger CANCELLED
Joan Bakewell Insightful contemporary thinker Bakewell. whose book Belief has recently been published. discusses with Richard Holloway the eternally relevant issue of belief: what we believe in and how it shapes our identity in numerous ways. 6.30pm. £8 (£6).
Sunday 21
Bon Butlin and Stewart Conn International attention and the heart of Edinburgh come together in this morning session. Conn was Edinburgh‘s Poet Laureate and Butlin’s prose has won a major French prize. 2/ Aug. Ill/5am. £7 (£5).
John Irving The world-famed. ()scar- winning American writer returns to the Festival to present his new book Until I Find You. an epic. semi-autobiographical novel. Il..l()am. £7 (£5).
Joan Bakewell
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Telephone Booking Book Festival 0131 624 5050
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Don McCullin Driven by a desire to raise AIDS awareness. the respected photographer presents his latest photographs and diary entries from recent travels to Africa. See preview. page 12. 1.30pm. £7 (£5).
Ian Rankin ()ne of the best loved crime writers in Britain. local hero Ian Rankin returns to the Book Festival to give new insight into the future of Inspector Rebus. ()._i’()pm. £8 ( £6 ).
Ali Smith and Kjell Westo Winner of numerous Scottish literary awards ~- she‘s also on this year‘s Booker longlist -- Ali Smith discusses her latest novel The Accidental while new Finnish talent Kjell Westo presents his tale of love. hatred and obsession Lang. These two authors also discuss the challenges of translating literature. 8.30pm. £6 (£6).
Monday 22
Saul David Saul David weaves a gripping tale of the brutal invasion of Zululand by British colonial forces in his latest work. Zulu. l‘le accessed new sources to give insights into an embarrassing period of colonial history. llam. £7 (£5).
Jonathan Falla and Henry Shukman These two novelists have both written recently on the reality of life in the African desert. lialla was himself an international aid worker and Poor Merev is set in Darfur in Sudan. Shukman's novel Sum/storm follows a foreign correspondant in the Sahara. See preview. page I]. 2.30pm. £7 (£5).
Dan Cruishank Expect an illustrated tour around the world‘s greatest cultural riches. Popular TV face Dan (‘ruishank relates his thoughts on his travels. from Peru to Russia. 6.30pm. £8 (£6). Corinne Maier She's a former senior economist. and her new book Hello laziness! encourages those in the hard world of work to throw away their laptops. See panel. page 13. for a cynical view of working life. 7pm. £8
( £6).
Tuesday 23
Michael Fry and Allan Massie Fry‘s new work analyses the Highland (,‘learances and controversially concludes that the damage was hugely exaggerated. Massie looks at Scotland and England in his latest. The Thistle and the Rose. See preview. page lo. Il)..i’()am. £7 (£5).
Julian Baggini and Steve Fuller Baggini has just released The Pig That Wants to he Ifaten: I ()0 [iv/)eriments in Philosophy. at presentation of l()() scenarios designed to provide an engage readers with philosophical quandries of identity. art and ethics. Steve Fuller looks more broadly at what defines an intellectual figure and how to become one. l/am. £7 (£5).
James Naughtie The lot/av programme anchor is a knowledgeable political commentator. Here he discusses his most recent work The Accidental American. an investigation into the love affair between Tony Blair and the [7 S. 6.30pm. £8 ( £6).
The Writing Business Do you really have a book in you“? Leading expert Alison Baverstock offers up ten foolproof ways to lind out. 6.45pm. £5 (£3).
Xinran Xue ln the 1990s Xinran hosted a radio phone-in show which invited (‘hinese women to talk about their lives. In The (iood ll’omen of (‘hina she talks about these stories. 8pm. £8 ( £6).
Geoff Dyer The engaging polymath's follow-up to the popular Yoga for I’mp/e Who (‘an 'I Be Bothered 7}) [)0 It is an exploration of photography. 8.30pm. £8 ( £6 ).
Wednesday 24
Michel Faber and Mick Jackson l-‘aber reads short stories from his line new collection The l’tlltt't’It/tt’l! 'Iirins. He is joined by Jackson. whose dark and surreal 72'): Sorry 'Iales revives the art of storytelling. See feature on Michel Faber. page H). l()./5u)n. £7 (£5).
Koji Suzuki Japan's biggest horror writer has been adapted by Hollywood and is read around the world. See preview. page. I3. 24 Aug. l/Jllam. £7 (£5).
David Bodanis Illuminating a wondrous tale of the force that charges our universe. Bodanis‘ new book The Electric (.~’Itit'e)'.s'e offers a comprehensible and ftm guide to electricity and other physical phenomena. 3.30pm. £7 (£5). Andrew Marr Former political editor of the BBC. Andrew Marr has become an increasingly respected cultural commentator. Today. he talks about his rise through the media and gives the inside view on politics. 6.30pm. £8 (£6).
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