Wednesday in Edinburgh – What’s On Today

Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair starts today at 6pm! See The Edinburgh Reporter’s article for more details; for full programme visit Word Power Books‘ or Out of the Blue’s websites. Tonight: journalist and author Owen Jones on The Establishment:and How They Get Away With It. 7pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 35 Dalmeny Street. All events free: donations very welcome.

Free the Technics Two: vinyl session. ‘Not only do we demand a revolution we can dance to, we want to dance to our own tunes.’ 4-7pm, Forest Cafe, Lauriston Place.

Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh Toddler Group: free for Mums and under-5s. Story and song time, art activities, educational toys and much more, all in an Islamic environment. Great for meeting new people – even if you don’t have a toddler! 10am-12 noon today and every Wednesday, Function Hall, Edinburgh Central Mosque, 50 Potterow.

Play Poland 2014 Film Festival: Krakow Film Foundation Special Screenings. The Krakow Film Foundation manages and develops the Krakow Film Festival and helps filmmakers and producers make their first appearances at international festivals. Tonight’s short films are Left Side of the Face, Seven Men at Different Ages, Darling, Baths, Toto and Mother. Red Lecture Theatre, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets £4.50/£3.50 bookable via Summerhall box office or on website

Dyslexia-Friendly Services for Adults: an informal guide to the accessible services available from Edinburgh City Libraries, with input from the local Dyslexia Scotland group. The meeting will look at online services, including eBooks, as well as more traditional materials, and will discuss what else might be offered. 6.30-8pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking required via eventbrite. 

Music and Poetry Evening: poetry and haiku performances, and announcement of the poetry and haiku competition winners. Performance by local folk group Home Groan (Ferry Blend.) For all ages, refreshments served. 6-8pm, South Queensferry Library, 9 Shore Road.

Quiz Night: prizes for the winning teams! 6.30-7.45pm, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drumbrae Drive. For adults only: call 0131 529 5244 or email drumbrae.library@edinburgh.gov.uk to register your team.

Regi Claire at Corstorphine Library: local crime writer Regi Claire discusses her novel The Waiting. 6.45-7.45pm, Corstorphine Library, 12 Kirk Loan. To book your place call 0131 529 5506 or email corstorphine.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Grow Your Own Garden Workshops: a course of six structured ‘grow your own’ workshops for beginners. Each week’s workshop will be offered twice, once on Wednesday evenings and again on Saturday mornings, so you should only attend one or the other. Workshops are for those aged 16+. A creche is available for the Wednesday evening workshops; this should be booked in advance. This week: Introduction to ‘growing your own’, what grows in Scotland – how to get growing. Next week: Getting growing, sowing seeds and creating new plants from cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts. 6-8pm, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. No booking required, but you are asked to stay for the full 2 hours of each session, as the workshops are structured.

The Welcoming: Scots Language Workshop: learn about the language, dialects and literature of Scotland, with an opportunity to practice speaking and writing Scots. 2.15-4.15pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street. The Welcoming Association brings together refugees, asylum seekers and people from Scottish and local ethnic minority communities. It aims to welcome newcomers, learn together, and improve English language and literacy skills. Those wishing to participate should complete the online registration form and/or come along to any of the classes and groups listed on the website, where help will be available to complete the form. All classes and groups are free and drop-in (subject to availability), no booking required.

Picturing Jewellery in Renaissance Scotland: Portrait Gallery Senior Curator Kate Anderson will discuss the development and significance of 16th and 17th century jewellery in Scotland by examining portraits from the NGS collection. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Annual SSHoP Lecture: Paul Seawright, Professor of Photography and Head of Belfast School of Art at the University of Ulster, will deliver this year’s SSHoP lecture. Professor Seawright has exhibited and published frequently and internationally and his work is held in major collections worldwide. In 2002 he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to undertake a war art commission in Afghanistan and his images of battle sites and minefields have since been exhibited worldwide. Tonight Professor Seagrave will talk about his career. 6-7.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Exhibition Tour for people with a visual impairment: an audio-described tour of the Behind The Lines exhibition. 2-3.30pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is essential, either online or by calling 0131 623 3734.

La Vie Domestique: Juliette wasn’t sure about coming to live in the residential suburbs of Paris: she doesn’t want to become another middle-aged woman with a predictable life. She is waiting to hear whether she has been picked for an important job in a publishing house, a job that will change her life. ‘An immersive quasi-satire featuring a brilliant female cast and fascinating characters.’ Based on Rachel Cusk’s novel Arlington Park, this film will be shown in French with English subtitles. 1-2.30pm, French Institute, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free.

Free Cooking with Canny Families: Edinburgh Community Food and Changeworks offer free six-week affordable cooking courses for all families with a child under 16 – improve your cooking skills with quick and easy recipes to take away each week, learn about nutrition and healthy eating, and reduce your food waste. 9.30-11.30am, Viewforth Early Years Centre, 18/22 Viewforth Terrace. For more information and to register contact Stephanie at Edinburgh Community Food on 0131 467 7326 or email sscott@edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk. A new course will also start at Valley Park Community Centre on Friday 24th October 2014.

Lantern Making at Beecraigs Country Park: get crafty and make paper lanterns for Halloween. For families and children 8 +. All materials provided. 2-3.30pm, Sutherland Building/Visitor Centre, Beecraigs Country Park, near Linlithgow, EH49 6PL. £4.65 per lantern: prior booking essential, email mail@beecraigs.com or call 01506 844516 between 10am and 4pm.

Morningside Justice and Peace Group: Graham Carnie, the Representative for Romania at Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, speaks on Romania and Scotland – recent history and current priorities; the talk will be followed by questions and discussion. 10.30-11.30am,  Open Door, 420 Morningside Road. All welcome. Contribution of £1 per person requested to cover costs.