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| Russell Kane |
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| NooSara-Wiwa |
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| Elaine Proctor |
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| Karl Miller |
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| Tom Benn |
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Will Brooker
|
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| Elif Şafak |
The Big
names at the festival this year were – Michael Palin (new novel The Truth),
Seamus Heaney, Roy Hattersley, Alex Salmon, Ian McEwan, Ruth Rendall, Irvine
Welsh, Ian Banks, Nile Rodgers (writer/producer), Russell Kane (comedian) and
many more.
Debate,
Poetry, Novels, Autobiography, Stage, theatre, sport, film, more..
What is so
refreshing in our shallow world of
celebrity at this thought provoking event, is the fact that the EBF is a
melting pot of ideas, creativity and energy and is all about substance,
character and stories. In a culture dominated by tweeting sound
bites and facebook ‘likes’ – an opportunity for writers and readers to participate in
the passionate and serious discussion that good writing still generates.
One of the
main events this year was the Writers Conference organised by the British
Council. John Calder and Jim Haynes discussed their memories of the first
Writers Conference held in 1962 in the
McEwan Hall Edinburgh and writers worldwide attended.
The
festivals popular Debates were on Europe,
democracy, Scottish Independence and growth. Should writing be political? – perhaps
unavoidable? Is change always a good
thing? Change is neither for better or
worse it is simply about the inevitability of change itself.
I walked
past great minds such as - Seamus Heaney, Irvine Welsh, Tony Benn, Ian McEwan, Lazlo
Krasznahorkai and more, Fireworks end each night over the castle ramparts to
mark the finale of the Edinburgh Tattoo.
