Showing posts with label edinburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edinburgh. Show all posts

Friday, 19 September 2025

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 FictionFascinating 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

 


Thursday, 18 September 2025

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 15th 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 80th 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

Saturday, 30 August 2025

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. 


Thursday, 31 July 2025

Black & White festival images


 Black and white festival images from last year. #edfest






Edinburgh festival 2025 Opens

 


 

The whirr of excitement to be back on the celebrated cobbled streets of Edinburgh festival in August – as it comes to life with the world's biggest Arts gathering together. To encourage innovation and creative thinking in the world of books, art, music, drama and dance. Also to offer the cross over between the Arts. 

 

The searching to hold a spotlight on the world of today, with many wars and climate crisis. The festival was begun after the great war to offer hope of reconciliations and our shared humanity through the arts.  

There’s a dark shadow today: we live in a world of crises – from the destruction of Gaza and people starving – with people turning to simplistic answers. 



The festival opens this weekend with Dougie MacLean’s Singalong of Caledonia, and a family ceilidh and a family concert. The Hub with Kathryn Joseph and the Usher Hall will host a variety of musical concerts, with Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Puccinni’s opera. The Festival theatre, Mary Queen of Scots ballet and Brian Cox in a new theatre production Make It Happen. Cox will play the ghost of Adam Smith and Sandy Grierson will play Fred, the Shred, Goodwin - 17 years since the banking crisis has led to our present cost of living crisis.




With new theatre productions at the Traverse theatre, the festival theatre, and the Lyceum.  

Consumed at the Traverse, July 31 to Aug 24

The Nature of Forgetting at the Pleasance, Aug 9 to Aug 25


https://www.eif.co.uk

 

It encompasses several festivals – Edinburgh Arts festival, Edinburgh International book festival, Edinburgh film festival and The Fringe. 

THE TRUTH WE SEEK



Monday, 30 June 2025

Repair at Edinburgh book festival 2025


EIBF at Futures Institute

'Together We Repair' at Edinburgh International book festival EIBF 2025. The question now is – to repair what path must we follow. We are mostly confused. 


**EIBF 2025

Edinburgh international book festival 2025 program has been announced, 

Runs from 9th August to 24th August. This year our program features over 600 writers and artists from 35 countries, who have a wide range of perspectives on topics of personal, social and global importance.

 

And will included famous names such as Nicola Sturgeon, Irvine Welsh and Diane Abbott

Authors Maggie O’Farrell and Alexander McCall Smith, actors Brian Cox, Viggo Mortensen, Sam Heughan, and Vanessa Redgrave. The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers band will perform, with novelists Chris Brookmyre and Val McDermid. 

Sturgeon will launch her memoir, Frankly, and will be in conversation with journalist Kirsty Wark as part of the Front List series. While Welsh will discuss his new novel Men In Love, which features the characters from Trainspotting as they experience the heyday of rave culture in the late 80s and early 90s.


*Plus workshops. Bookbinder Rachel Hazell will lead a workshop, Junk Journals Workshop, where old books will be re-fashioned into journals.

This year’s children’s program will include more than 100 events for young readers, including from renowned authors Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson and Cressida Cowell. 

*Words from the Wards - With Illustrations by art students

We believe that everyone has a story to tell and that stories help us make sense of our world. We’ve challenged local writers and poets, this year, to respond to 2025’s Festival theme: Repair. Join us as we bring them together to perform their work: a patchwork of ideas on how to make the world a better place.

 

“We invite you to come and learn something new, feed your curiosity and to broaden your horizons.”

PLUS illustrations for Words from the Wards, the festivals Children’s program. 



Festival director Jenny Niven said: “This year’s key theme of Repair starts from the belief that the brilliant ideas of writers and thinkers can help us repair a host of seemingly ‘broken’ things in our society, from the cycle of fast fashion and our relationship with the environment, to cultural reparations and the state of our politics. It’s a statement of hope and resilience, and an invitation for our audiences to think about what ‘repair’ might mean for them.

“At a time when important conversations can feel impossible to have without igniting conflict and anger, we want the Edinburgh International Book Festival to provide a safe place for challenging but considered discussions. This year our program features over 600 writers and artists from 35 countries, who have a wide range of perspectives on topics of personal, social and global importance. We invite you to come and learn something new, feed your curiosity and to broaden your horizons.”

 

Ian McEwan – Sunday August 13:30 – 14:30 

 

Sam Haeughan: on the Rocks – Saturday 23 August 18:15 – 19:15

 

AC Grayling: Disagreeing Agreeably – Friday 22 August 17:00 – 18:00

 

Sometimes it feels like we can’t talk about anything without further polarising opinions. Join author and philosopher A C Grayling as he seeks the middle-ground in an incendiary debate. Drawing from his new book, Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars, Grayling shares a fresh take on how we might navigate the messy politics of cultural conflict by recognising the nuance between competing rights and interests.

Some famous names – speak up!  The People Speak – Sunday 24 August 17:00- 18:00

Acclaimed writers and actors, including Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings, Captain Fantastic) and iconic Vanessa Redgrave (The Devils, Atonement, Mrs Dalloway), for powerful performances of stories, speeches, and songs of protest and rebellion from around the world, and across history. Inspired by the work of people’s historian Howard Zinn and directed by Anthony Arnove (co-editor with Colin Firth of The People Speak), their words shimmer with strength, inspiration, and a vision for a better future. Hosted by Anthony Arnove.

 



*Together We repair Edinburgh International book festival EIBF 2025 

The question now is – to repair what path must we follow.

Half of Scots want independence. Would federalism work? Does Labour work? A big white hope their limited business plan. While Reeves believes in tight reins and her fiscal rules. Scotland is stuck under City of London rules.

 

An economic policy for best outcomes for the people of Scotland. 

'Scotland is a land laden with opportunity,' writes economist Richard Murphy.

We are not small at all – Why are Scots politicians afraid when there is only fear of fear itself.

 

I hear a Drunk man looks at a Thistle,

Parcel of Rogues bought and sold

I hear freedoms sword will strongly draw. 

I hear Scotland is stuck, 


Certainly we must Repair - The big question is -

How much disrepair, crisis, emergency is Britain in?

It seems to be a lot. We can’t ignore. Years of a tough austerity and lack of investment – 

followed by Covid, the damage of Brexit, cost of living crisis, 

with crumbling infrastructure and lack of funding. 

New Labour offer a few crumbs.

 

Repair? Is it possible, in our stuck, fake, out-dated systems here in Britain? Stuck in its 1688 British Constitution?

We must ask how serious is Britain’s crisis? Political debate has become like a meaningless ping pong ball that no one believes anymore. We’re all lied to. But when Consultants feel disillusioned we must surely worry. And when politicians these days are not serious people.