See page 74 / 75 for booking details

Edinburgh International Book Festival
Charlotte Square Gardens, 9 – 25 August 2008
Entry to our garden is FREE
Celebrate with us
25 years ago this summer, a few tents popped up among the trees in Charlotte Square
Gardens and the Book Festival was born. The last quarter century has seen incredible
growth. We now defy the laws of space, physics and botany (the trees have grown along
with the festival) to create a magical, pan-global cornucopia of words and ideas in our
gorgeous garden each year. This is the biggest, most international, most gloriously
stimulating celebration of its kind, anywhere in the world. We rejoice in being the
beating literary heart of Edinburgh, the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, the
greatest of all festival cities.
Want to see Sean Connery exclusively launching his long-awaited autobiography
Come on in! Fancy dressing up as a Flower Fairy Be our guest! Interested in politics,
ethics, world affairs, the environment Our programme is bursting with major thinkers,
ready to share their thoughts and hear yours. Hungry to discover other cultures We
are bringing writers from over 40 different countries, to open our eyes and minds – and
nearly 200 Scottish authors too, our own land in its full, proud, international place.
Eager that offspring of all ages should have imagination-firing fun Our RBS Children’s
Programme offers endless delight, an open invitation to fall in love with reading forever.
Our 25th anniversary festival is both intimate and abundant. Here is where you will
have meetings and moments you will never forget. Choose from over 700 events, each
one unique, chosen and created to spark something special. Come and celebrate!
Catherine Lockerbie, Director
Contents
2 – 68 Events for adults, teens
and children
Listed in date order to help
you get the most out of your
visit. Please use our website
search to see events listed by
theme, content and / or author.
69 Useful information for
those visiting with children
70 Bookshops, food and drink
71 A greener festival,
Art in the Garden
72 Site map, venue details,
facilities for disabled visitors
73 Getting around Edinburgh
and the festivals
74 – 75 Booking information
and booking form
76 – 77 Index
Search our programme
by author here.
Over 700 events and creative workshops take place in
Charlotte Square Gardens (just off the West End of Princes Street).
Lively debates on political and ethical issues of every kind – war,
the environment, medicine and more. Join in and have your say!
Children’s events to engage and inspire all ages from tots to teens,
plus the RBS Children’s Bookshop, a space dedicated to children’s
literature.
A large independent bookshop for adults selling a huge selection of
fiction and non-fiction – all proceeds from both of our bookshops are
put straight back into the Book Festival.
Food and drink – fairtrade coffees and teas, homemade cakes,
ice-cream, light meals, wines, whiskies and beer are available
throughout the festival from our three cafés.
Free live music in the Highland Park Spiegeltent every night
(from Sun 10 Aug) and most lunchtimes.
Book tickets:
www.edbookfest.co.uk 0845 373 5888
(calls from a BT landline charged at the local rate, rates may vary from other phone providers)
See page 74 for full booking information
Look out for:
A selection of events that older teens
(over 16s) and younger adults may
particularly enjoy
Broad event categories
literature
fiction
poetry
world writing
crime
biography
culture
history
workshop
politics
nations
science
society
environment
travel
food & drink
philosophy
masterclass
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