EIBF Challenges us 2026

 

This years EIBF theme is "Changing your Mind"  It’s a profound and wide ranging question – how do we find common ground – commonality? If one side uses banal slogans that will not move any conversation forward.

A positive are festivals, which can bring diverse people together to have explorative, informed conversations. Reading books is one of the best ways to understand different experiences, to learn empathy and expand horizons. 

Some excellent talks this year - Elif Shafak, AC Grayling, Colson Whitehead, Diana Galbaldon,

Plus 'Scotland of the World' –  with leading Scottish writers Ali Smith, Len Pennia, Kathleen Jamie, William Dalrymple along with international musicians, artists and performers. At Greyfriars kirkyard.

 

Expanding horizons matters greatly to changing your mind. Some of us have long held and entrenched views of the world. It can be very challenging to change our views. Some of us older folks view the world through an out-dated lens – stuck in the 80s or 50s. We must listen to younger people, or the wise academic, or pay attention to the arts. Creative people often hold deep insights.

 

Try to look at the world through a wider lens. Ignorance can hold us back and we must be open-minded to new ideas, to new conversations and to new perspectives, and to different cultures.

And on the subject of Scotland’s Self determination – this is about how we can improve democracy and better media for Scotland - and not about nationality or being British or Scottish.

As the sun goes down on the festivals for 2026, I’m always filled with a sense of loss and nostalgia – over the many unforgettable and fun times I’ve enjoyed here Edina over the past twenty years. The performers, press and organisers are all packing up, a little exhausted now but also inspired.

 

HOPE!!

According to a new poll – festivals offer people hope.

Elif Shafak

AC Grayling

Alexander McColl Smith

Almost 600 writers from 41 countries gathered in Edinburgh 15–30 August to present 600 events spanning fiction, politics, science, history, music, and live performance in a 16-day curated programme.

At a time of intense polarisation and entrenched positions, our 2026 theme Changing Your Mind invited audiences to stay open and curious, championing deep listening and celebrating our capacity to evolve our thinking, informed by a range of reliable experts and diverse perspectives. The Book festival curated a programme of voices, experts, and ideas, to create space for informed, nuanced public conversation, and encouraged new and alternative thinking - a much-needed alternative to debate driven by reaction and polarisation.

Major public figures included former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, technology writer Cory Doctorow, best-selling author Michael Pollan, and award-winning poet Claudia Rankine, alongside leading writers from across the world. A landmark event of the bestselling writers of all time, John Grisham, and iconic Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin together on stage, crowning The Front List line-up at the McEwan Hall.

Other renowned fiction writers include Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ali Smith, Jenni Fagan, Colm Toíbín, Matt Haig, Louise Welsh, Nao-Cola Yamazaki, Candice Carty-Williams,Ben Lerner, and 2026 International Booker Prize winner Yáng Shuāng-zi

GrGREYFRIARS Kirk became a Book Festival venue, hosting Scotland to the World - a new series connecting leading Scottish writers Ali Smith, Len Pennie, Kathleen Jamie, and William Dalrymple with international musicians, artists and performers.· 

Diana Gabaldon

**EIBF TALKS 2026

Jimmy Wales   18^th august  -    The Seven Rules of Trust

As trust in billionaire-owned social media platforms continues to plummet, it’s astonishing to see how crowd-sourced knowledge bank, Wikipedia – once a byword for dubious accuracy – has built up its readers’ faith to become one of the internet’s most clear-sighted information sources. Maintaining confidence in a landscape of untruths is important to Wikipedia’s legendary founder Jimmy Wales. We’re thrilled to welcome this key figure of the online age to discuss his book The Seven Rules of Trust. Chaired by Heather Parry. 

 

Colson Whitehead – Forntlist – 21 August  -  Cool Machine

 is one of America’s most skilled and essential storytellers, holding the horrors of history in one hand and big-hearted humanity in the other. After consecutive Pulitzer Prize-winners, The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, he concludes his acclaimed Harlem trilogy with Cool Machine: a portrait of hustle in 1980s New York. Join Whitehead, who is uniquely qualified to parse America’s past and present, for an energising conversation on why we can’t move forward without looking back. Chaired by Samira Ahmed.

 

Oliver Bullough, Everybody Loves our Dollars

24^th August 2026    Venue T   5pm

Following his oligarch-busting Butler to the World, Oliver Bullough returns to hang the world’s dirty money out to dry. In Everybody Loves Our Dollars, Bullough suggests there’s never been a better time to be a criminal in the UK. Moving and hiding money couldn’t be easier, and despite efforts to legislate, it’s estimated as much as 5% of world GDP is on the grubbier side. This revelatory conversation brings a murky underworld into razor-sharp focus. Chaired by Paul French.

25^th August 2026, Kirsty Gunn, Alan Riach, and James Robertson: Scotland 1926

100 years ago, Scottish literature was crackling with new energy. In this lively panel chat, Kirsty Gunn, Alan Riach, and James Robertson revisit the Scottish Renaissance through landmark works including Hugh MacDiarmid’s A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle, the early work of Neil M Gunn (newly reissued this year), and other under-sung voices including Willa Muir and Helen Cruickshank. Deep dive into a remarkable literary moment and the writers who helped reshape Scotland’s imaginative life. Chaired by Linden Bicket. 

 

AC Grayling: For the People - 25^th August 

The great British philosopher and academic A C Grayling’s appearances are always an intellectual highlight of the Book Festival, as he turns his forensic, yet empathetic, gaze upon defining issues of our time. This year, Grayling addresses the urgent theme of his new book, For the People, exploring how the forces of authoritarianism, election interference, and loss of faith in our institutions threaten the collapse of democracy, while offering bold suggestions for its survival.

 

Jeremy Hunt: Can we be great again

A major figure in the previous Conservative UK Government, Jeremy Hunt has served as Chancellor and Foreign Secretary, and led the Culture and (controversial) Health briefs. His Can We Be Great Again? is a timely read in a world of shifting geopolitical faultlines. Rebutting the idea that the UK is in inevitable decline on the international stage, join Hunt as he sets out a new take on how our influence can be used to positively affect global democracy, migration, trade, and climate. Chaired by Peter MacMahon. 

 

28^th August 2026 – 3.15

Colm Tóibín – author of 12 books including the multi-award-winning Brooklyn – is one of modern Ireland’s greatest writers. He talks with Chris Power about his breathtaking new story collection, The News from Dublin, exploring the lives of those living far from home: from Galway to Barcelona, Enniscorthy to San Francisco, and beyond. This promises to be an illuminating conversation with a true master of the craft.

 “Our theme 'Changing Your Mind' speaks to the moment we're in. At a time when opinions seem increasingly polarised and online debate is so divisive, we're creating space for thoughtful, nuanced conversations - exploring the reasons for our increasing social and political divides, and how we might change each others' minds, or at least agree to disagree, more agreeably. We're also looking at the potential of the human brain to adapt and relearn, and at the unparalleled power of stories to change our thinking.    Changing your mind is a lifelong process of staying open to new ideas. By bringing amazing speakers and curious audiences together, around knowledge and perspectives that help us challenge our assumptions and see the world differently, we hope the Festival programme this year will help us gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and each other.”   Director, Jenny Niven

Nile Rodgers

I have a great memory back in 2012, American legend musician of disco and awesome riffs – who has worked on songs for David Bowie, Diana Ross and more – 'Nile Rodgers' gave such an entertaining impromptu talk at the EIBF Spiegel tent one evening, after his book festival talk that day.  

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 9^th August to 24^th 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. 

 

Keeping the Celtic Traditions Alive

 

A decade ago I spent a few days in Montrose. My partner said there’s not a lot to do here. I went a walk to the library and to my surprise discovered that Montrose had been the centre of a Scottish Renaissance in the 1930s, led by the poet Hugh MacDiarmid. 

Nearly a century ago there was the Scottish Cultural Renaissance from Montrose – with figures such as poets Hugh MacDiarmid, Willaim Soutar, Edwin and Willa Muir, Plus novelists Neil Gunn, Lewis Grassic Gibbons, Catherine Carswell, Nan shepherd, Sorely Maclean, Iain Crichton Smith, RB Cunningham Graham, George Douglas Brown.

RB Cunningham Graham

Later in the 1960s there was the Scottish Folk Revival -  with poets, musicians and song collectors such as Hamish Henderson, Margaret Bennet, and Dick Gaughan - who worked to keep the Scots traditions alive.... Just as poets back in the 1700s – Allan Ramsey, Robert Fergusson, Robert Burns - wrote to keep the Scots language, culture, ballads and heritage alive after the union 1707 (and the suppressions of Scots musical instruments and highland dress after Culloden)

Twisted Pine

Julie Fowlis

Celtic Connections music festival has brought folk music (and indie, world, roots, Americana) onto the bigger stage. Back in the 70s I had little idea when I attended Sandy Bells bar Edinburgh, and folk festivals – that there was a revival happening. I feel so fortunate to have enjoyed this experiences of the wonderful live music. So odd looking back!  

Today there are Celtic musicians keeping Scotland’s musical traditions alive such as – Julie Fowlis, Kris Drever, Karine Polwart, Manran, Braebach, Capercaillie, Duncan Chisholm, Ross Ainslie, Glasgow Trad Collective and many more. My impression is that many younger musicians are highly aware of the traditions. 

Sadly troubadours such as the folk legends Dick Gaughan, Rab Noakes, Michael Marra, Gerry Rafferty, are no longer with us and performing. I remember Noakes saying – ‘A present with no past has no future.’ Scotland has a centuries old tradition of believing in the rights of all people. From the clan system, Declaration of Arbroath, scholars such a George Buchanan, Enlightenment, and Robert Burns humanity. 

 

The voices of the ordinary folks. In 1960s Hamish Henderson wrote, ‘Freedom Come All Ye’

 

Rab Noakes & Barbara Dickson

The Importance of Culture on our Lives and Keeping the Traditions Alive - Some might wonder, does all this matter, in a globalized world of mono culture, online social network algorithms, fast food outlets global chain stores, and even one track politics of click bait conspiracy theories and right wing closed off thinking. As empty rhetoric sweeps through online media – and its more important than ever before to retain our diversity, freedom of thought, to study our sense of place, culture and history. For diverse, informed thinking. Have we lost the craft of informed debates? 

 

I agree with George Kerevan in the National newspaper about the significance of culture over live, in his article, ‘Do not lose sight of the Scotland that we are all fighting for’. 

I believe people vote with their hearts not their heads. Then again there’s Bill Clintons quote, it’s the economy stupid. At least we’re persuaded by the press that we vote with our back pockets. The trouble is there’s not much to choose between the political parties right now – except the British ones are aim to protect the status quo that has been failing Scotland for decades. 

(I was sorry to read it was Kerevan’s last weekly column and hope he continues to contribute. I’ve enjoyed reading his articles in the national. The National has been one of the biggest positives to come our of the 2014 referendum.)

 

Concerts such as Transatlantic Sessions proves the size of the audience for this kind of traditional, acoustic music. Celtic Connections music festival has taken the closed off live local pub sessions on to the bigger stage. And also taken Celtic music forward, while respecting the traditions. In particular certain folk musicians aim to keep carrying the stream. 

 

In 1922 Lenin expelled the free thinkers, artists, poets on the Philosophy steamer from Russia. He was afraid of their creativity. The one thing free thinkers believe in is ‘uncertainty. ‘In the world of science or philosophy, nothing can be  proved totally, the only thing that is certain is that things change. (The Philosophy Steamer, Lesley Chamberlain)

Sometimes (if not often) culture leads the way for new visions. And new collaborations of how to view the world today and how our futures might be. Celtic Connections shines a light on this vision, after all music is the universal language. 

People remember best the songs, books, art and film that moved them or touched our hearts and not political leaders. Only a few politicians are even remembered. And often not in a good way!

Edinburgh Book Festival 2024

 

EIBF 2024

Since 2006 I have attended the EIBF. I would enjoy the fun, exuberance and festivities of the high street and after the walk down the mound and along George street to the relative calm and seclusion of the tree shaded book festival. A restorative juxtaposition.

 

Here I found a place of quiet reflection, big debate, colourful diversity, spontaneous conversations, intellectual challenge, famous faces, questioning politics. A place to anaylse or be informed. Intellectual freedoms and debates. There is also art, science, sport, history, economic and music and much more besides. It’s a place to refresh and for new ideas and interactions. .

 

EIBF was begun in 1983

EIBF is both national and international – with many well known Scottish authors – Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Alexander McCall Smith, Liz Lochhead, Christopher Brookmyre. Richard Holloway -  and also big names international names such as Elif Shakaf, Joseph Stiglitz, Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky and many more.

 

Neil Gaiman

Rachel Long

Simon Callow

This year the world leading book festival anticipates its brand new venue at the historic building next to the meadows  - with an expanded new outdoor Courtyard, the return of the Speigel tent and the Children’s tent in the courtyard, with lots of events and free activities to spark ideas and creativity.

Plus major events at the McEwan hall and food events at Elliott’s studio, Sciennes rd. 

 

My Top memories - One evening the Speigel tent was packed to hear an impromptu set by the Nile Rodgers! I felt so lucky to be there. He told stories of starting in Sesame street – and in-between played his songs with those very well kent riffs!

Another time was being mistaken for the famous Irish poet Seamus Heaney;s wife, on entering the book festival café, when Heaney we just ahead of me! 

 

I attend EIBF each year and its an unmatched place for informed debate, intellectual collaboration and creative thinking. Why are green activists targeting a place of free and open ideas for our future? When there are so many fake, ignorant click baits on so much of online media?

Ocean Vuong

This years theme is 'Future Tense' with a new venue at the Futures Institute – where Edinburgh’s famous Royal Infirmary once stood. And a new Scots festival director, Jenny Niven

 

Niven describes the Edinburgh festival as, “One of high octane and venerable, raucous and transformative, thoughtful and spontaneous….Is what brings the city to life, creating a playground for anyone who curiosity get the better of them. For ideas to take centre stage.”

“In a moment of such divisions and opposition – democracy thrives on good information, sanguine exchange  - the art of really listening and your voice deserves to be heard.”

TICKETS EIBF 2024 - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

 

**There will be several book festival themes - 

 

Future Tense - A toast to the future/ brilliant fiction/ future library/ generations/ data/ future politics/ imaginative realm.

How to live a meaningful life

Voterarma

Justified sinner