Edinburgh International Book Festival

9 - 25 August 2008

The world's biggest public celebration of the written word. We are offering 750 events featuring over 800 authors this year, from the profound to the light-hearted there truly is something for every taste and age.

Come and visit us!

You can buy tickets online, by phone, by post or in person. See booking information for full details. Of course with over 750 events to choose from you may want to search the programme or alternatively download a pdf of the brochure. You can of course just drop by to Charlotte Square Gardens if you are in Edinburgh, have a coffee or a beer or browse the bookshops.

The Book Festival launches a special publication of Scottish writing

A new book of specially commissioned work from four of Scotland’s most internationally acclaimed and award-winning authors was launched at the Book Festival on Saturday 16 August. John Burnside, Janice Galloway, A L Kennedy and Don Paterson – who have won a remarkable array of Scottish, UK and international literary awards – have created new stories and poems for the publication, Lights Off The Quay, which was produced thanks to support from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. In the autumn, the authors will tour to Norway where they will be part of the programme of Stavanger 2008 European Capital of Culture. Come and buy your copy of Lights Off The Quay exclusively from the Book Festival Bookshop in Charlotte Square Gardens.

What to see this Wednesday...

Click on the links below to book tickets.

Personal stories from the Northern Irish Troubles at 10.30am on Wednesday 20 August. Kevin Myers recalls working as a young journalist in 1970s Belfast, while Susan McKay explores the legacy for the families and friends of those killed, giving a voice to people overlooked in political histories.
Newly-arrived in Egypt, Hugh Miles became the confidante of women in a card circle. Join him at 12pm on Wednesday 20 August as he takes a sideways look at what it means to be a young Muslim woman dating, dieting and divorcing in Egypt today.
Two new Canadian authors burst onto the scene at 4.30pm on Wednesday 20 August. Steven Galloway's novel is a tense and heart-wrenching tale of humanity's transcendence in war-torn Sarajevo. While Dan Vyleta’s unique, breathtaking noir – peopled with pimps, prostitutes, Russian and English spies – tells of the beginnings of an epic Cold War conspiracy. Catch them first at the Book Festival!
After decades of striving to eradicate gender barriers, why do men still dominate business, politics and the most highly paid jobs? Do men and women literally speak different languages? Language expert Deborah Cameron explores these issues at 7.00pm on Wednesday 20 August.

Programme updates

Check out brand new events, cancellations and updates here

See which events have sold out (live list updated automatically)

RBS Schools Programme

Highlights this year include Julia Donaldson's Songbirds show, an exclusive preview of David Almond's new book and Michael Rosen's A to Z of Poetry. Hot teen authors talk about catching the writing bug and the relationship between song and story writing and we have events specially designed for teachers, lead by top experts in the field of education. Download a copy of the 2008 RBS Schools Programme and check our Schools pages for more details.

Watch and listen to events online

Just go to the Audio/Video section of the website where you'll find our festival podcasts as well as edited video recordings and audio recordings along with an archive of audio recordings. We'll be adding plenty of material from the 2008 Book Festival - just keep checking the pages for updates. Currently you can hear Bill Paterson, Eoin Colfer, Louis de Bernières, Tariq Ali, Gavin Esler, Steven Berkoff, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Jonathan Dimbleby - as well as podcasts with Richard Holloway, Val McDermid, Tony Parsons and others.