Voices of Hope Edinburgh Book festival 2025

Edinburgh International Book Festival at the Futures Institute

I travel on warm sunny days and with heightened senses and high anticipation for new insights and inspirations. The Edinburgh festivals offer HOPE in a present world often torn apart. A place for shared, diverse voices from across the world. The theme of this years Edinburgh International book festival was ‘How do we Repair’- looking for positives and connections, “to repair and reconcile in culture, politics and environment, through improving balance, resilience and hope”.   

 

The book festival is now hosted behind and on the ground floor of the impressive newly renovated Edinburgh Futures Institute near the Meadows walkway and Edinburgh university. The book festival aims to offer a safe place to challenge and to question – with over 600 writers from 35 countries offered differing perspectives on personal, social and global significance.100+ talks were live streamed. 

EIBF hosted workshops, school events, music and poetry, young adult and children’s talks. The children’s events included over 100 talks and included renowned authors Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson and Cressida Cowell.

Nicola Sturgeon with Kirsty Wark

Jenny Nelson & Mark Kermode

Resilience: Renowned author Hanif Kureishi gave a talk about his recovery from a devastating accident which left him paralysed. Shattered But Unbroken. There were several book talks on books on the war in Gaza, which has turned into such destruction. Israeli writer Ilan Pappe and Israeli historian Avi Shlaim discussed the conflict in the Middle East and whether peace can exist.

Ivo Graham

Alexander McCall Smith

Brian Cox

Kate Dickie

Paula Hawkins

**TALKS

Foreign correspondent Lindsey Hilsum came with her book of war poetry, I Brought the War with me’

And spoke of how we remember poetry more than journalists stories of war. She always carries a book of poems with her to help make sense of the destruction. It’s the spaces between, the forgotten.

 

I enjoyed a talk by larger than life and popular film critic Mark Kermode, along with Radio producer Jenny Niven on their book on film music Surround Sound. This has interviews with film music composers – Johnny Greenwood and many more.  

The festival included prominent Front list talks at McEwan hall -

Former Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon held a positive chat with Kirsty Wark, about her new book Frankly. Mark Kermode talked all things film and acting with well kent Scots actors – Brian Cox, Kate Dickie and Michelle Gomez.

There were protests during a The Front List chat with: Yulia Navalnaya, about her husband the late

Alexei Navalnaya, over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

 

There were Podcasts, live cabaret, and exclusive talks. Young adult program, Children’s program. Something for everyone. Edinburgh book festival is supported by Creative Scotland, Edinburgh city council, Lottery funds. 

The festival promotes vision, resilience and a safe place IN PERSON to debate! To encourage liberal thought – To remind the world of the role of freedom, truth, culture and the arts. We should find out what unites us, and what we have in common rather than what divides us. 

Sam Heughan

Naga Munchetty

Michael Pedersen

Maggie O'Farrell

What can Scots do!

Some talks feel like English voices with a few Scots asking questions. The narrative here is Scotland needs to change – to what can Scots do! And NOT, we have business brought to us! We must do for ourselves. We’ve had 3 big figures of the devolution government. Now the baton needs to pass to a new generation. 

 *An academic from Dublin suggests that “America should never have united," under its centralised control. Trump attempts to take control. The Maga movement for instance, appears to be culture wars between the extreme left and the extreme right. And the toxic online culture, which can’t differentiate between healthy debate and saying I dislike you, because of your views. Many in today politics seem shallow and thin, with no moral backbone or hinterland - the opposite of a an informed debate. We need Citizens Assemblies. Use your time wisely and don’t get sucked into ignorant, sensationalistic echo chambers. Look wider and broader for ideas – for innovation, diverse views and creative freedoms. 

I met a young German book researcher at the talk on film music, who was there at the book festival for the week. She had studied at Edinburgh university (before the Brexit  Scotland did not vote for). We chatted and I asked her whether there must be plenty of excellent book festivals in Germany. To which she replied, oh no, not like the Edinburgh book festival!  I was surprised certainly. 

We should find out what unites us, what we have in common rather than what divides us. Hopefully Edinburgh festivals can continue to be a place for hope, voices form many places, to celebrate all the arts and that cross over. To celebrate the endurance of the human spirit.

 

**QUOTES from the festival:

Brian Cox, We need good people. 

Kate Dickie, “I love England as a neighbour, but if you’re roof is leaking, you don’t ask your neighbour to fix it.”   Tariq Ali, Fighting the empire

Edinburgh festival cultural icon Richard Demarco - “Reform is a danger to the Edinburgh Festivals”, 

He calls for “a Festival of Thought” to help save liberal democracy - with no politicians.

Some celebrity faces attend EIBF - 

 

**BOOKS & TALKS

Surround Sound – Mark Kermode and Jenny Niven

I Brought the War with me – Lindsey Hilsum

After Gaza – Pankaj Mishra

Frankly – Nicola Sturgeon 

Shattered but Unbroken – Hanif Kureishi 

A Truce that is not Peace – Miriam Toews

 

I would prefer not to see “History” books in the EIBF Bookshop by the archaeologist Neil Oliver or by the Canadian historical fiction writer John Prebble – of the Scotland lost and gone forever. Please stock more of Tom Devine’s well informed and articulate books. Also the excellent critiques of polticla theoristsTom Nairn. 

**Two competing Narratives 

Pakistani author Pankaj Mishra was writing about the two totally opposing narratives in the middle east – one of the Israelis (from the river to the sea) and the other of Palestinians (our Homelands) in his book After Gaza. It all made me think in Scotland we also have two opposing, irreconcilable narratives. In 2025 Scotland is stuck, so how can we move forward in love, in peace and in liberal thought?

 

Indy for Scotland’s self determination and improving democracy. Scots need a say over our own energy resources, immigration, climate, and infrastructure. We can still unite for good trade and security together. Unionism is for strength by being run by London, and being ‘together’ with the high centralization in London. Westminster refuses Scotland another vote.  

 

“Nationalism is both good and bad” wrote politician historian Tom Nairn. All Nationalisms are different. He claims Scotland’s nationalism is unique as Scotland jumped ahead to a modern state 1700s. By contrast European states moved to modern states 1800s, due to the uneven nature of capitalism. Scots nationalism is about our self determination. 

All I hear is depressive negatives and an SNP Bad message by the dominant mainstream unionist media. But indy isn’t all about the SNP. Its about democracy, accountability and how our democracy works or doesn’t work. Is devolution simply a trap? Someone at Westminster said recently – “Oh I forgot you’ve got that pretend government in Scotland.” After decades – the SNP Party was begun in 1934 - I’ve heard many reasons for Scottish indy, but so far I’m still searching for a positive reasons for the union.

STRANDS: Brilliant Fiction. Fascinating Non-Fiction will explore everything from moving memoirs to scientific excavations, family odysseys to travelogues. Good Information brings together a host of trustworthy experts well versed in sifting out hard fact and cutting through murky algorithms to give you an honest account of a diverse range of topics. New World Orders gathers the most authoritative voices across international and domestic politics, conflict, economics, and law to engage with and dissect current affairs, and Brainwaves holds up a magnifying glass to all things cranial, including mental health, neuroscience, and psychology. How to Live a Meaningful Life, guiding audiences new and deeper ways of creating connection, resilience and hope, amongst the chaos, and an expanded Table Talks series, with top chefs and food writers taking to the stage – or rather around the table – in intimate gatherings with audiences to enjoy delicious food and make memories together. Music, Poetry and Performance

 

Edinburgh Festivals Truth 2025

Evening light high street

Arts as hope – as Truth, connection, liberal thought, new horizons.

I travelled on warm sunny days and with high anticipation for new inspirations. The high street was extra buzzing with the festival crowds – as was the station!

 

**The festivals theme for 2025 was THE TRUTH WE SEEK**

Its about searching for truth – to remind the world of the role of culture and the arts. And of the Freedoms needed to Create.

The Festival Fringe began in the 80s, to compliment the main international festival and to offer platforms for all kinds of artists. The Fringe festival is the place to be seen, and to get exposure. 

This year with 400 shows, 1.2 million in ticket sales, thousands of visitors and with provocative bold shows. To question yourself. From the mainstream musicals shows, the ever popular comedy, to experimental new work. There are questions over who is investing and the domination of the big venues?

*AWARD, Fringe First Scotsman, good drama - Jean Frank, "Eat the Rich, Maybe not your Mates!"

 

There are classy performances on the main EIF stages. I went to several challenging EIBF talks on film, politics, and poetry. 

This year I attended the excellent ‘Make it Happen’ with Dundee Rep and Brian Cox at the Festival theatre: the Festival Chorus performed an overwhelming Mendelssohn’s Elijah at the Usher Hall. Palestinian festival at Portobello. All that joy of IN PERSON events.  

**QUOTES from the festival:

*Search for the Truth rather than impartiality” Joyce Macmillan, Scotsman 15^th August, BBC impartiality risks being complicit in the spread of misinformation

“Brexit, Trump, Gaza, have all made journalists impartiality a barrier to uncovering the truth.”

Nicola Sturgeon, Fearful of the rise of the far right during a chat at EIBF with journalist Kirsty Wark

Brian Cox, We need good people. 

Kate Dickie, “I love England as a neighbour, but if you’re roof is leaking, you don’t ask your neighbour to fix it.”   Tariq Ali, fighting the empire. 

 

*Richard Demarco - “Reform is a danger to the Edinburgh Festivals”, he claims.

The rise of the Far Right is trying to shut down freedom of thought for creativity. How much does the media reflect truth today, and not simply Soundbites and Clickbaits - and the lack of informed debate. How is impartiality possible when one side peddle obvious lies.

 

* Martin Roche writes, “‘They fear the author, writer, poet, dancer, playwright, composer, musician, and great performer – because great art requires freedom. Where culture is dictated by strong men, it is produced not by free minds but by people in fear.” 

 

Encourage the global majority, There is healthy competiveness, but also questions around whether the festival has become too much a flashy theme park, dominated by the big venues and expensive shows? Next year will be Edinburgh’s 80^th one!

 

Crowds high street

**Demarco’s Festival of Thought

Freedom to find truth

Freedom to Create

Scottish Festival cultural icon, Richard Demarco calls for “a Festival of Thought” 

to help save liberal democracy and with no politicians.

“..to bring to the city the world’s finest liberal thinkers from the humanities, from the Arts and culture, from all the sciences and technologies. “There should be no separation between science and the Arts. Leonardo Da Vinci, perhaps the greatest artist ever to live, was a great scientist, an engineer and artist.”…..Edinburgh’s history as the home of the Scottish Enlightenment. He envisages a flowering of ideas and, eventually, a new kind of university of all the disciplines and all the talents.”  

Demarco calls for his friend Robert Sturus to come of Scotland for the EIFs 80the birthday. Sturus is Director of Rustaveli State Theatre of Georgia and he brought Shakespeare’s Richard II to Edinburgh. Political debate today is thin, ill-informed and ignorant and uses “immigration” as a scapegoat from the real failings that are facing us – the cost of living, the widening inequalities, the rich elites getting ever richer. Economist Richard Murphy, claims the neoliberal economic policies are failing us, pretending there can be uniformity across the board…….

 An academic from Dublin suggests that “America should never have united, under its centralised control.” The Maga movement for instance, appears to be culture wars between the extreme left and the extreme right. And the toxic online culture, which can’t differentiate between healthy debate and saying I dislike you, because of your views……Trump attempts to shut down free debate and take control of hugely respected American universities. Could we trust Putin or Trump to allow unfettered publishing of poetry or novels? Trump marginalizes the media over anyone who challenges him. And tells the Smithsonian museum how to tell the 'American story'. 

All Nationalisms are different. By contrast Scots Nationalism is about our self determination, and according to political theory expert Tom Nairn, Scotland’s nationalism is unique – as Scotland jumped ahead to a modern state 1700s. By contrast European states moved to a modern state 1800s, due to the uneven nature of capitalism. We should find out what unites us, what we have in common rather than what divides us. 

Evening crowds Edina High street

Cultural History Disconnects

Cultural History Disconnects

 

I had a big disconnect between my primary school and secondary school. At primary we had Scottish dancing, Scots poetry and song. Then at secondary we had no Scottish history, culture or music at all. Only English literature, history and music. Quite a strange disconnect. We used to go to the military tattoo at the castle every year. 

 

Then I attended college down the cobbled royal mile Edinburgh, and wondered about all the history here – the Canongate Kirkyard, John Knox house, St Giles, Holyrood, the Grassmarket – and the castle. 

 

Going to secondary school Edina, I travelled across the town by bus via princes street. I passed a statue to the Scotch Bard Robert Burns at the bottom of Leith walk each day. On the top deck there were many teenagers in brightly coloured blazers who spoke with posh English accents and I wondered where they came from. In Edina around 25% of children attend private schools. 

 

No it wasn’t and isn’t an integrated melting pot at all but a stiff social hierarchy here. Back in the 60s though, young people had more options to go to study. Houses were built to offer greater social mixing, but that often hasn't succeeded. When people don't feel they have things in common, many put up defensive barriers. 

 

Visiting Holyrood palace I once picked up a small blue book on the Stuart kings of Scotland. I became fascinated by the Scots history and stories. I visited the Scottish national galleries, with their many portraits of Scottish royalty. My parents were from Northern Ireland, so I was very confused, as no doubt they were too. 

Scots & 250 Years of Founding American Independence

 

The general ignorance of Scots history and contributions worldwide. How many Scots have heard of the “Scottish Enlightenment” – or have any idea what it was about? I’d guess only a few Scots have any idea at all. I’d never heard of the Scottish enlightenment until I attended at talk by historian Tom Devine. And I studied for higher History at school – which was all English history. 

 

Ian Houston from Global Scots network - discussed the direct part Scots played in the foundations of American independence. The linkages and the connections. 

 

Many Key Philosophical ideas came from the Scottish Enlightenment from 1740s onward and - " The social contract that government derives its power from the consent of the governed." And from the Declaration of Arbroath 1320.

Declaration of Arbroath 1320

Professor Small was teaching in Virginia, and one of the pupils was Thomas Jefferson, one of America's founding fathers. While Benjamin Franklin visited Scotland and met the Scottish philosophers – David Hume and Adam Smith.

There are many opportunities for modern Scotland – with its progressive universities and social enterprise. To embrace opportunities, to be aspirational. 

Houston said there is lots to be celebrated and all the diversity that exists in Scotland. He also said there ’has also been difficulties over the years in America with – the Bill of Rights, civil war, slavery.

 

https://www.globalscot.com/

 

 

Peggy Seeger centre stage: Have we lost our Protest songs

Peggy Seeger

Is back on tour at 91, still on top of her game. She is a member of the musical Seeger family. 

Seeger’s father Charles Seeger was a folklorist and her mother Ruth Porter Crawford is a respected composer. Pete Seeger is her half brother. She was married to English/Scots folk singer Ewan MacColl, who wrote the famous song “The First Time Ever I saw your face” for Peggy.

She was part of the folk revival of the 50s and 60s. She writes songs from a feminist point of view and has recorded 25 albums. 

 

She was blacklisted by America back in the 60s, after her trips to Russia and China. Seeger was later Invited over to the UK by the folklorist Alan Lomax to join the folk group the Ramblers. She was part of the union movement and blazed a trail for women in folk music. 

Seeger was asked by broadcaster Anna Massie, what has happened  to the Protest song – to which she replied she understood the issues as today people would get arrested. She sings Wedge songs, which are about one thing but are really about something else. Much as Burns songs did in his day. 

After Ewan died Peggy returned to America. She returned to the UK in 2010 and has recorded her first ever solo album which marks a musical rebirth after she suffered from serious ill health. 

In 2015 Peggy released Everything Changes. She has said that she enjoyed greatly working with a full session band for the album, which was produced by her son Calum MacColl and features musicians Simon Edwards (Talk Talk, Kirsty MacColl), James Hallawell (The Waterboys, David Gray), Martyn Barker (Shriekback, Goldfrapp) and Kate St John (Dream Academy, Nick Drake). 

I took photos ta the 2015 gig Oran Mor Glasgow. I was pleased with my photos and hope they tell the story of the gig - it is always a challenge and at a classy gig like this full of dedicated folk fans I don’t like to disturb the set and I always aim to be discreet.  I take photos either seated or at the side. This was a family affair with her sister-in-law managing the tour.

 

I wrote at the time -  Folk artists sing with a realism and true heart and never over sing or over do the emotions. There are no pretensions or airs or graces around Peggy. She stood for several songs and for others she clutched her instruments. Occasionally she waved her hands and arms wide. Peggy beamed and showered little pearls of wisdom.  It was heartening to see Peggy still full of joie de vivre and ready to command the stage! At 80, not only is she wise and like the highest quality red wine, she is still challenging herself to be fresh and relevant.  

Scotland’s Lost Mandates

 

Quebec often comes up, even the newly formed UK Supreme court comparing our ancient Scotland nation to the Canadian state. 

 

If you look up ‘secession’ – it takes many forms – from quietly agreed separations or federal governance to fierce tribal warfare, for example in Africa. So following on from the keenness to compare Scotland to the state of Quebec, (rather than other small nations such as Iceland or Finland) Its interesting to note that after Quebec’s independence referendum, Canada agreed to more self determination for Quebec. 

 

Unlike the British state or UK, which immediately turned to English votes for English laws and Brexit - and to restricting Scotland’s self determination even more. So the British state attempted to pull even tighter with muscular unionism! – leading to all the “stresses and strains” across the UK, and the calls of reform, which are all akin to a parent refusing to allow their fifteen year old to grow up!

 

Looking back to the calls for both Scotland’s and Ireland’s home rule before the great war 1914 – the British state across the 1900s became ever more centralised. This has held the UK back, no longer able to exploit its lost empire, most of the wealth has been held in the south east while the rest of the UK declines. Of course Scottish secession, as a threat to the British state, will be keenly on MI5s radar.

 

Nicola Sturgeon, was she too managerial? The SNP had large mandates, with 56 of the 59 Scottish MPs in 2015…why was this not enough – what more of a mandate is required? We really must wonder. Did she get bogged down in detail rather than seeing the bigger picture?

 

Journalist Ian MacWhirter wondered why the two biggest political figures of Scotland’s 25 years of devolution, have ended their political careers mired in police investigations – and that Scottish politics is far too intertwined with the Scottish justice system. 

 

But surely the Big Debate across the UK is between a centralized state and a more federal one? If we compare to say Spain or other European nations, in Spain each state collects their own taxes. Quebec collects its own taxes and VAT, immigration policies, laws, trade etc. etc. 

 

Independence is a journey – as Scotland already has it own law system, Parliament, central bank, civil servants – it is partly on its way. Scotland only has control of 20% of its welfare, expenditure and 40% of tax. 

 

The happiest and most successful countries are those based on fairness of opportunities where private schools have been abolished and there’s not a two tier system – that is the small nation of Finland. 

 

“Economic Growth”, the favourite slogan of Starmer’s Labour, is not the successful formula for a happy nation. Would federalism work here UK, with so much power centralised in Westminster? Probably not. The debate is therefore between – where does sovereignty lie – with Westminster or the people?

 

Change Forward Scotland Needs for 2025

 

Education is the key and foundation. Without a solid, well educated workforce how can any country move forward? Many new independent countries recognised this – specifically Ireland and Estonia. Apart from funding, there are several ways to achieve solid education for all

1. All teachers should have a masters degree.

2. Teach to the higher average, not the lower average, to raise standards. Yes slower learners and late starters need to be encouraged and a good start at kindergarten or pre-schools is the key to giving ALL children the right start in education - with a focus on personal development and structural play. 

With many 4 year olds now held back to start P1 until they are ta least five and a half - this can make the more formal learning of reading books mean children are more emotionally and developmentally ready to learn having developed concentration skills, an interest in books, number and size skills, oral language etc. 

 

3. Eliminate private schools. Private schools mean a secure network and privileged bubble. They mean a two tier society. Those educated privately have only limited understanding of the rest of society that they have often never met or worked with. They believe they are a “cut above” the rest. 

 

4. A good start. Without a good start to education, the rest of the 10 years of school can be wasted.

The focus must be on quality early years. 

 

 ‘The Age of disruption needs a different kind of Scotland’ Gerry Hassan writes we needs radical ideas to move Scotland forward with independence, Sunday National 29^th December 2024. He writes of the unequal opportunities and expectations. While I agree we need new ideas – why vote for independence if it will only be more of the same failing economic models. He doesn’t offer concrete details of priorities, but mostly theoretical views. 

 

Its important to set priorities to move forward. But a sound economy needs to underpin this – otherwise where is the money to fund public service? While Scotland is rich in resources, we also need to harness our potential for innovation, business education, opportunities for all, immigration (we need young workers), and prioritise education for all. Finland decided to abolish private education, as they felt this system was holding the country back. 

 

British Peerages and Titles

 

The British House of Lords is the second biggest unelected second chamber in the world – after China! Britain’s archaic constitution of 1690. Britain is an outlier in Europe – the only nation that continues to give nobility privileges such as tax avoidance. 

 

Is Britain the only nation that continues to revere and believe in a hierarchy with the monarch at the top? In Great Britain, nobility and titles are part of the peerage, which is a social class of titled people who share in the responsibility of government. The five ranks of British nobility, in descending order of precedence, are:

 

·       Duke: The highest and most exclusive rank

·       Marquess: The second most senior rank

·       Earl: The third rank

·       Viscount: The fourth rank

·       Baron: The lowest rank 

Titles can be hereditary or granted. Until 1999, peers were exempt from jury duty and entitled to sit in the House of Lords. Some things to know about British nobility and titles include

French Revolution!

 

**France – There is no nobility, its legal status was abolished 1789, while there are titles with no privileges.

There is no such thing as nobility in France today. French courts have held that the concept of nobility is incompatible with the equality of all citizens before the law proclaimed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, part of the Constitution of 1958. There are titles, which are considered part of the legal name, and entitled to the same protections in French civil and criminal courts, even though they give no privilege or precedence (the way they do in Great Britain). Regulation of titles is carried out by a bureau of the Ministry of Justice. The President has ceased to confer or confirm titles, but the French state still verifies them,  civil courts can protect them, criminal courts can prosecute their abuse.

 

History - 

1.     the abolition of feudalism and privileges in 1789, which did away with the legal status of nobility,

2.     the restoration of titles in 1808 by Napoleon, and their confirmation by the successive monarchical regimes until 1870

3.     the fact that the successive republican regimes have never passed any laws on the subject of titles.

The Revolution did away with nobility and titles, titles were restored (not nobility), and the Republic has not done anything about titles. French nobiliary law is mostly based on court cases. At present, titles have not been abolished. The final establishment of a Republic in 1875 left them in a kind of limbo, and it took a succession of court cases to define the jurisprudence, which is now well established. 

 

 

*Germany  - Abolished the legal recognition of nobility in 1919, while titles are still used. The Weimar Constitution of 1919 removed legal privileges and disadvantages of birth or rank. Current status - Titles of nobility are only valid as part of a name and may no longer be conferred.

 

August 1919, at the beginning of Weimer Republic (1918 – 1933) Germany's new constitution abolished royalty and nobility, and the respective legal privileges and immunities appertaining to an individual, a family or any heirs. Today, German nobility is no longer conferred by the Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present), and constitutionally the descendants of German noble families do not enjoy legal privileges.The Nobility of the German Empire was similar to nobility of the Austrian empire developed during the Holy Roman Empire and both ended in 1919 when they were abolished, and legal status and privileges were revoked.

 

*Austria - In 1919, Austrian nobility was abolished under the First Austrian Republic (1919–1934) and the and legal recognition of hereditary titles and aristocratic particles and use as part of surnames was banned. Today, Austrian nobility is no longer conferred by the Republic of Austria (1945–present), and the official use of noble titles, is a minor offence under Austrian law for Austrian citizens

 

* Denmark - The Danish constitution of 1849 stripped the nobility of its privileges, though the titles remained.

History - The Danish nobility was granted social, economic, and political privileges in the 16th century in exchange for their military service to the king. Some of the families still own and reside in castles or country houses. A minority of nobles still belong to the elite and they can be guests at royal events, are objects of media coverage, for example Kanal 4s TV hostess Caroline Fleming née Baroness Luel-Brockdorff. Some of them own and manage companies or have leading positions within business, banking, diplomacy and NGOs

 

 

*Holland – After Constitutional reform 1848 the privileges of the Dutch nobility were abolished and they lost their constitutional roles. The only privileges they were alllowed were titles and coats of arms. They became civilians with a noble title. Nobility became a small elite class consisting of families recognized as noble, and with or without a title in the Kingdome of the Netherlands