Nicola Sturgeon and Irvine Welsh feature in Edinburgh book festival line-up
The programme for the Edinburgh International Book Festival has been revealed, with speakers including former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, author Irvine Welsh and MP Diane Abbott.
Authors Maggie O'Farrell and Alexander McCall Smith are also on the line-up, along with comedian Julian Clary and actors Viggo Mortensen, Sam Heughan and Dame Vanessa Redgrave.
Performances at the festival, which runs from August 9 to 24, include Fun Lovin' Crime Writers – a band which involves novelists Chris Brookmyre and Val McDermid.
Ms Sturgeon will launch her memoir, Frankly, and will be in conversation with journalist Kirsty Wark as part of the Front List series.
Sports commentator Ally McCoist will give a talk on his career, and former first minister Henry McLeish will join academic James Mitchell for a discussion on Scottish devolution and how it has progressed.
The core theme of this year's festival is Repair, and organisers said it will be 'seeking to explore the many things around us which feel broken, and how we might seek to fix them'.
Others on the line-up include historian David Starkey, while former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable will give a talk about shifting economic powers, and commentator Ash Sarkar will 'tear into the morals of identity politics'.
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 programme features over 600 writers and artists from 35 countries, who have a wide range of perspectives on topics of personal, social and global importance.
🎟️The Front List 2025 is now on sale! 🎟️
Our first events of 2025 are now on sale! Brimming with iconic authors, international voices, critical commentators, and figures from sports and entertainment, tickets for The Front List are available now at https://t.co/I0OLb3BQnr pic.twitter.com/L39WTmjxZE
— Edinburgh International Book Festival (@edbookfest) May 6, 2025
'We invite you to come and learn something new, feed your curiosity and to broaden your horizons.'
Welsh will give 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.
The talk Second Summer of Love will ask if love is the drug all men need, according to the festival programme.
Renowned author Hanif Kureishi will give a talk remotely about his recovery from a devastating accident which left him paralysed.
Shattered But Unbroken will discuss how he dictated his thoughts to his family following the fall on Boxing Day 2022.
Palestinian writer Ilan Pappe and Israeli historian Avi Shlaim will discuss the conflict in the Middle East and whether peace can exist.
Bookbinder Rachel Hazell will lead a workshop, Junk Journals Workshop, where old books will be re-fashioned into journals.
This year's children's programme will include more than 100 events for young readers, including from renowned authors Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson and Cressida Cowell.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
32 minutes ago
- STV News
Free school meals rolled out to secondary pupils for first time, Swinney says
Free school lunches will be provided to some youngsters in Scotland's secondary schools for the first time in August – although First Minister John Swinney has said making the meals available to all would be 'desirable'. The First Minister said that 'in principle' the Scottish Government supported universal free school meals, saying he would 'prefer that to be the case'. But he added: 'I have got to live within the resources available to me.' Swinney said: 'Of course universal provision is desirable, but I have to deliver policy proposals within the resources the government has got available to it.' His comments came as the Scottish Government confirmed that from August a number of S1 to S3 pupils will be eligible for free school meals – with the First Minister saying that while there is already 'extensive free school meal provision' for primary school children 'this is the first time we have gone into the secondary sector'. The Scottish Government is investing £3 million in a trial project, which will see lunches provided for more than 6,000 high school students – taking the total of youngsters who can claim a free lunch to more than 360,000. The latest phase of the project will see lunches being provided for those students eligible for the Scottish Child Payment in almost 60 schools in eight local authority areas – Aberdeen, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Western Isles), Fife, Glasgow, Moray, North Ayrshire, Shetland, and South Lanarkshire. Swinney said the measure was about 'making sure that poverty is not an impediment to the achievement and the performance of young people'. The trial project will be independently reviewed, with the First Minister saying uptake would be considered, along with the 'beneficial impact of free school meals on the learning opportunities for young people'. The First Minister spoke about the 'targeted intervention' as he visited Springburn Academy in Glasgow, where he ate lunch with some of the students. About 140 pupils at the school could benefit from the free lunches when the trial project comes into being from August. Speaking about the scheme, Swinney said: 'It's a measure designed to tackle the cost-of-living challenges families face, to tackle child poverty and to make sure that children have good health, nutritious food to strengthen their ability to learn in school.' The First Minister added: 'The free school meals programme is key in our national mission to eradicate child poverty, which saves families who take up the offer around £450 per eligible child per year. 'This next phase of the rollout will ensure that this offer is available to more families across the country. 'We know the positive impact that access to a healthy and nutritious meal can have on a pupil's learning and achievement in school. 'This demonstrates how important the programme is in our efforts to close the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland, ensuring that every child is given an opportunity to succeed in education regardless of their background.' He continued: 'The Scottish Government will also continue its broader support to tackle the cost of the school day, including our £14.2 million School Uniform Clothing Grant and our investment in the £1 billion Scottish Attainment Challenge.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Bluetongue: MPs warn rules will be 'catastrophic' for trade
MPs on both sides of the border have warned that new bluetongue rules will be 'catastrophic' for trade that many local farmers rely on. David Chadwick and Helen Morgan - Liberal Democrat MPs for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, and North Shropshire, respectively – have joined forces to call on the UK and Welsh governments to work together to implement 'consistent, common-sense policies that protect the welfare of animals and the livelihood of farmers'. It comes after the Welsh Government announced changes from July 1 that will force any sheep and goats to test negative for the bluetongue virus before being transported from England into Wales. Even fully vaccinated sheep will be blocked from crossing into Wales due to the Welsh Government not accepting the most common type of vaccine. Farmers will be forced to fork as much as £70 per test for sheep crossing the border. This is despite the virus being carried by midges and so there being no visible border between England and Wales. Meanwhile, hundreds of farms are operating across both sides of the border. David Chadwick, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said: 'Thousands of farms along the England-Wales border are reliant on cross-border trade. 'Farmers simply cannot afford the costs this policy will inflict on them. They are fed up of being taken for granted by governments in London and Wales. 'It's time we saw solutions and support from ministers instead of blow after blow to agricultural businesses.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Both raised the issue with the Government in the House of Commons on Thursday (June 19) and have now written to DEFRA Secretary Steve Reed calling on him to work at pace with the Welsh Government to develop a co-ordinated approach 'so that farmers can be given the clarity and consistency they need'. They also highlighted concerns that the Animal and Plant Health Agency lacks the capacity to test every animal crossing the border and that livestock markets on both sides of the border including Oswestry, Welshpool, Builth Wells, Presteigne and Hereford, would suffer as a result. Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said: 'Farmers in Shropshire are already under intense pressure and now they are being forced to fork out because two Labour Governments are not working together. 'Leaders in Westminster and Cardiff must work together to support farmers on both sides of the border and give them the clarity and consistency they need.'
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
ADHD, disability and working-class life: Tom Newlands wins prize for breakout Scottish debut
Scottish author Tom Newlands has won the 2025 Society of Authors McKitterick Prize for Only Here, Only Now, a bold, funny and moving debut novel about a teenage girl with undiagnosed ADHD growing up in a 1990s Fife council estate. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The book was also named runner-up for the ADCI Literary Prize, which celebrates fiction by disabled and neurodivergent writers. Newlands, 45, born in Perth and now based in London, is emerging as one of the most distinctive new voices in contemporary fiction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad His debut is a vivid coming-of-age story featuring Cora Mowat, a sharp, sparky teenager navigating grief, friendship and identity — all while trying to make sense of a world that often doesn't make room for her. Tom Newlands The novel is rooted in Newlands' own experience of growing up neurodivergent in a working-class community and shines a light on a life rarely depicted in British fiction. 'For many readers, Cora is just a funny, outspoken, impulsive teenager,' Newlands says. 'But to others — those with autism and ADHD — she represents a way of being that is rarely seen in literature.' Newlands only began writing seriously at 40, during the COVID-19 lockdown, after being furloughed from his job in a warehouse. With no formal training, he completed the first draft in just three months — a feat he credits to his ADHD hyperfocus. Before that, he hadn't written creatively since high school. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Growing up disabled in a working-class Scottish community, there were no role models for someone like me,' he says. 'I didn't believe someone with my brain could write a novel, let alone publish one. It turns out my brain is why I could do it.' Only Here Only Now A hit with book clubs and booksellers, Only Here Only Now has been praised for its wit, emotional force and sharp observation, earning a spot as a Guardian Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize. 'I wrote Only Here, Only Now because I couldn't find the book I needed — a warm, funny story that talked about poverty, disability and belonging without flinching,' says Newlands. 'To see it now recognised like this is overwhelming. I hope it shows other neurodivergent writers that their voices matter too — and that it's never too late to start.'
