Black & White PHOTOs Edinburgh Book festival 2019

Inua Ellams

Edinburgh International Book festival, celebrates diversity and many different voices and backgrounds from across the globe. It is always good to see young, new voices given a platform to be heard.. 

Elizabeth Acevedo

Heida Ásgeirsdóttir

Isabella Hammad

Denise Mina

Rachel Long

Tania Nwachukwu

Hibaq Osman

Edinburgh International book festival blog 2019

We Need new Stories 

THREADS FOR 2019 INCLUDE – 

Fragile Planet, Indigenous Voices, Her Story, Stories that make Scotland. Amnesty International Imprisoned writers series, music and more.

Contributors in 2019 – Val McDermid, Deray McKesson, Eilidh Muldoon, 

Famous names attending EIBF 2019 – Salman Rushdie, Elif Shafak, Naomi Wolf, Kevin Barry, Ian Rankin, Ben Okri, Cathy Newman, Kirsty Wark, Fintan O’Toole. Alexander McCall Smith. 

Through understanding our past stories: and as Rab Noakes says, "a future with no past has no future." New stories can emerge through the exchange of ideas, new stories may emerge.

Karl-Ove-Knausgaard

Brian May

Chelsea Clinton

Murray-Lachlan-Young

Ruby Wax

BOOKS are the keys to empathy, understanding, otherness, journeys of imagination, we could never otherwise take. A love of books begins before a child can walk or talk, by the joy of bedtime stories.

EIBF welcomes children authors, illustrators, academics, politicians, novelists, scientists, journalists, travel writers, musicians, artists, poets,

Famous names attending EIBF 2019 – Salman Rushdie, Elif Shafak, Naomi Wolf, Kevin Barry, Ian Rankin, Ben Okri, Cathy Newman, Kirsty Wark, Fintan O’Toole. Alexander Macoll Smith. Roddy Doyle, Kate Atkinson, Joanne Harris, DelRay McKessan (black lives matter) 

Sporting heroes – Chris Hoy, Katherine Graniger, Doddie Weir, 

A talk on homes for Migrants and Refugees – with Val McDermid, singer songwriter Karine Polwart, author Ali Smith, and Nayrouz Qarmour, (will speak of a Damascus refugee camp) who will discuss why people have to leave their homelands. The UK is a nation of immigrants (as is the US). What do we really mean by fear of immigrants? Is it a result of Blair’s uncontrolled influx of secret huge numbers of migrants. 

This year as well as main sponsor Baillie Gifford, the book festival has teamed up with the New York Times,with several of their journalist’s and writers – Naomi Wolf, Laura Watts, Yanan Yang, Adam Satariano, Josh Haner, 

*Music – Beerjacket, Tracy Thorn, Stuart Cosgrove, James MacMillan. 

More than ever we need ‘open spaces’ to discuss new worlds, adaptability, progress, to build bridges and for accountability. How do we encourage healthy, informed debates. 

**The joy and love of books in central, and EIBF also has a large Children’s book festival. 

EIBF celebrates the written and spoken word in the perfect setting of Charlotte square Edinburgh. EIBF is a celebration of books, written words ideas, spaces to collaborate and exchange views, inspiring stories. retrieving and renewing. 

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL - 11th to 27th August 2018

TICKETS - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk

How do new stories evolve? 

Through understanding our past stories: and as Rab Noakes says, a future with no past has no future. New stories can emerge through the exchange of ideas, new stories may emerge.

Professor Tom Devine writes, in his latest book, The Scottish Clearance: A History of the Dispossessed, that until the 1960s, there were few academic studies on Scotland’s history after the Union of 1707.((there were more on Yorkshire)

Is democracy failing today, with the rise of populism, and as people seem to have lost all trust and faith in the system? Military expert now say its all about counterintelligence – Russia and China are experts in this field. Its no longer about huge warships and its about who controls information flows. With the rise of cyber warfare and online propaganda, how can we protect our freedoms and democracies. How can we regain trust?

We in Europe must remember we do have the rule of law, some accountability measures of free press, vibrant arts and quality universities. Knowledge is the key – reading stories, creativity, collaborations and understanding our past.  

**I am encouraged that Scotland’s first minster is a keen reader. But equally dismayed to read that neither Trump or Corbyn are readers. In fact Trump has fake book covers lining his walls. Says it all really. 

Most Scots have pride in their Scottish culture: from our highland glens, ballads and poetry, Edinburgh enlightenment, border hills, western isles, imposing historic castles and ever changing skies. We’ve had turbulent histories: William Wallace, John Knox, Mary Queen of Scots, Bannockburn, Reformation, Jacobites. We are known for our whisky, Clyde ships, fish, oil, tweed, tartan, golf, poetry and song.

We’ve given the world the great songs of Robert Burns and other great writers. And innovations such as Penicillin, steam engines and more. The traditions are continued by powerful troubadours of folk music with popular live acoustic music and world scale festivals such as Celtic connections and Edinburgh festivals – the world’s biggest arts festival. 

I am encouraged that Scotland’s first minster is a keen reader. But equally dismayed to read that neither Trump or Corbyn are readers. In fact Trump has fake book covers lining his walls. Says it all really.  

Our national poet Robert Burns was a ferocious reader and read at the dinner table. He enjoyed his aunts stories, his mothers songs and his fathers reading and conversations. Famous fashion designer, Karl Lagerfield, valued his vast library of books above all else. Francoise Frenkel, fled the Nazis  (author of No Place to Rest my Head) - and it was her books and poems that kept her hope alive. When the Communist regime in Russia wanted to control arts and thought, they exiled any free thinkers, writers and artists on the Philosophy steamer. 

Edinburgh Festivals 2018!

The worlds largest arts festival has invited the world and the world came……

One of the highlights of my year is visiting the Edinburgh festivals in Augusts –  the Fringe, the Arts festival, the Edinburgh Book festival, as well as the main International festival. 

My main focus is always the Edinburgh International book festival, where I attend talks and do photography. Many famous faces attend from across the world of literature, politicians, sports, music the arts, science. I have photos of Scottish and authors worldwide on my website – 

Seamus Heaney, John Byrne, Ian Rankin, Iain Banks, Alex Salmond Liz Lochhead, Mark Baaumont, Neil Gaiman, Elif Shafak, Ruth Rendell, Maggie O’Farrell, Joanne Harris, Martin Amis, Nile Rodgers, Alan Cummings, Simon Callow, John Byrne - http://pkimage.co.uk/edinburghbookfestival

In the perfect setting of Charlotte square Edinburgh. EIBF is a celebration of books, written words ideas, spaces to collaborate and exchange views, inspiring stories. retrieving and renewing. I am looking outward to common interests, shared values, an informed country, and to renew the Scottish arts. The book festival will celebrate 'freedom' as their theme this year. 

Last year I was proud my son took part in the Edinburgh Fringewith the Aberdeen Aperpella group at Surgeons hall – the always popular harmony singing groups – and performed on the high street.  

The biggest part of the fringe is comedy – as well as musicals, drama, dance, music, 

The Edinburgh Arts festival is hosting a show on Scottish photography at the Arts Centre, As well as a show on Rembrandt at the Scottish National galleries. 

LINKS - 
EDINBURGH ARTS FESTIVALS -  https://edinburghartfestival.com/scottish-photography

EDINBURGH FRINGE-   https://www.edfringe.com

EDINBURGH BOOK FESTIVAL -  https://www.edbookfest.co.uk

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL - https://www.eif.co.uk

This year will see a high street revamp, I look forward to that!  The high street is always a must see. There will be nearly a thousand performers over the vast array of 3,500 varied venues. To provide the biggest platform for creative and for freedom of expression 

"All the arts involve writing and reading, in the widest sense, writing as in composition, creation, production, publication and reading as in attentive analysis, interpretation, conversation, comparisons and contrasts." Alan Raich

Theatre show Leo

Skating minster by Henry Raeburn

Edinburgh International Book festival 2018!

Freedom & Equality

This year the Edinburgh International book festival 2018 will explore our freedoms.  

EIBF provides open minded and challenging platforms to explore new ideas. Each year I attend the Edinburgh festival in the perfect setting of Charlottes Square August for photos and to enjoy some talks and to be inspired.  

Themes will include: - Freedom and Equality, Politics of Change, Sport and Society, Our Planet, Scottish Ideas, Music Makers, Mind and Body, Muriel Spark, Spoken Word. 

The year EIBF will host many writers who challenge the norms and encourage informed debate. *Famous names who will give talks this year – Clinton, Corbyn, Gina Miller, Yanis Veronfakes, Karl Ove Khausgaad, Ali Smith, Ian Rankind. Musicians, scientism, artists, historian and more are represented. Edinburgh was made the first Unesco City of Literature. 

The festival, in collaboration with the Scottish Government Expo fund, has commissioned essays - The Freedom Papers – which consider which freedoms we must protect and which ones give up for the good of society. 

The freedoms of the individual must not impede the necessary structures of a healthy society. A free democracy and free press. In an era of fake news and online click baits, we need professional gatekeepers and investigative journalism more than ever. With the break down of many religions  we need moral guidance. How do we than achieve a healthy balance, along with strong and stable family structures. Education and family are crucial for the core of an informed democracy,  

Alexander McCall Smith

Neil Gaiman

Hera Lindsay Bird

Jake Wallace Simmons 

Simon Callow

Lura Waddell

Paul Muldoon

More than ever we need ‘open spaces’ to discuss new worlds, adaptability, progress, to build bridges and for accountability. How do we encourage healthy, informed debates. 

To question the nature of our freedoms and the nature and health of our democracies.

Freedom can mean the right to vote, or the right of every nation for self determination. 

**The joy and love of books in central, and EIBF also has a large Childrens book festival. 

EIBF celebrate the written and spoken word in the perfect setting of Charlotte square Edinburgh. EIBF is a celebration of books, written words ideas, spaces to collaborate and exchange views, inspiring stories. retrieving and renewing. 

EDINBURGH INTERNAITONAL BOOK FESTIVAL - 11th to 27th August 2018

TICKETS - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk

Statue of poet Robert Fergusson, muse of Robert Burns

Edina skyline from Calton hill

Edinburgh book festival 2017: Brave new words

Journalist Ian Bell

“Brave New Words’
In times of turmoil words are a safety net, help us to shared understandings.

Edinburgh International Book festival 2017, 12th - 28th August - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk
The festival, begun in 1983 and is one of the world's biggest, will have 1000 authors from 50 countries and will host Illustrators, musicians, scientists, politicians, scientists, children authors and more.

Some famous authors this year will include - Zadie Smith, Judy Murray, Chris Hoy Jeremy Paxman, Patrick Ness, Chinnamanda Ngozi Adiccline.

**MUSIC – this year - Fiddler Aidan O’Rourke; Scott Hutchison, The Frightened Rabbit frontman; composer Sally Beamish. Music previously has included Alfred Brendel, Nile Rogers and more.

Lesley Riddoch

Liz Lochend

Iain MacWhirter

Words and stories are our passports to a better fairer world. Imagination is Free! Whether the words are carried in song, in poetry, in political ideas, in images, fairy tales, history, theories, journalism, truth or in stories.

Recently, In Grenfell Tower block Kensington, we all witnessed the most horrific fire, where probably hundreds must have died! (yet the first reports claimed only 6 – was this all a cover up?)

Ben Okria

Writer Ben Okria visited the site and wrote his poem – Grenfell Tower

How this tall burnt out blackened shell is a metaphor for our failings – our failings to recognise the CLADDING on our very discourse. He says - We need to tear down this cladding and open our eyes to what is around us. 

There are signs of hope – more people are reaching for investigative journalism where they can find it!

The young especially are now disregarding traditional news media and searching for answers elsewhere. Macron started a new political party only one year ago – and won the vote. Things are changing fast in our fast interconnected world. 

Enlightened discourse is always about diversity! And the book festival encourages open questioning and debate. Robert Burns ran his own Debating clubs at Tarbolton.

We must question opposite viewpoints. We live in complex times but there are gate keepers out here. We must question opposite viewpoints. Its worrying Theresa May actively dislikes 'division!' It is our very diversity that makes us stronger.

Words and ideas. TICKETS NOW ON SALE - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk

**Bohemians and Renaissance

In Edinburgh old town, the grand, the ordinary, the eccentric – all rubbed shoulders. It was this inconvenient bumping against each other that helped to make the Scottish Enlightenment happen.

Another factor that brought in fresh air, was after the union of the crowns, the royal court left for London! Which meant a breath of fresh air – as all he hangers on left too.

Poet Robert Burns experienced the flourishing Edinburgh in its last days (1786 – 1787)

They built the Georgian Edinburgh new town in the 1780s – finishing with the elegant Charlottes Square. The largest and most impressive Georgian development in the world. In Glasgow the marble staircased Town hall is vastly impressive – built over this period, when the tobacco and slave trade brought great benefit. There was also great expectations. 
The well to do no longer mixed …. and the Enlightenment withered.