Morefun Book Festival: a four-day celebration of books for children in the Moredun/Gilmerton area. An exciting line-up of authors and storytellers includes Janis Mackay, Sarah Forbes, Annemarie Allan and Simon Radcliffe. There will be the opportunity to create your own book, collage, poetry or comic, plus a chance to bring favourite characters to life with animation screenings in collaboration with Edinburgh College of Art. Today until Thursday 18th June, Moredun Library, 92 Moredun Park Road; contact the library for the full programme.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Adult Book Group: join the group for lively, friendly book chatter about a wide range of books. Currently reading William Boyd’s The Blue Afternoon. (The book for July will be John Steinbeck’s East of Eden). 6-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join please just email your details to events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Picturehouses Culture Shock: bringing you the best in cult and genre films. Today’s film is Ghostbusters (12A): when nightmarish apparitions run amok in the Big Apple, the Ghostbusters charge up their proton packs and send them back where they came from. Starring Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be booked in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Books Always Everywhere: A workshop for 3 and 4 year olds. Join author Jane Blatt to play with books, make books, and act out a story about books! 1.30-2.30pm, Central Children’s Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here: please make sure that you book a place for yourself as well as one for your child. This event forms part of Edinburgh City Libraries’ 125th Anniversary celebrations.
The Servery: coffees, teas, cakes, snacks, soups and a warm welcome at this new cafe opening today 10am-4pm, The Salvation Army, 429 Gorgie Road.
Filmhouse Restored Classics: Cry of the City (12A). A vivid depiction of life in New York’s Little Italy, Robert Siodmak’s fast-paced crime thriller anticipates the films of Martin Scorsese. ‘The movie fields a glorious gallery of shady figures, from a lawyer oozing corruption to a memorably sadistic masseuse’. 3.30pm and 6.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here: prices vary. Also at 6.15pm on Tuesday 16th June and at 3.30pm and 8.40pm on Wednesday 17th June 2015.
Record Breakers Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: join award-winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner at the launch of this year’s challenge, running in libraries all over Scotland throughout the summer. Hear some of Catherine’s stories and get signed up! . This session will focus on stories for children aged 5-8 years, and will be broadcast live online. 3.45pm, Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road. Free but please book your place by contacting the library in advance.
Edinburgh Festival of Cycling continues today! Rides, films, talks, drama, books, photos, workshops and lots more. Today’s events include a Bamboo Bicycle Building Workshop, a Guided Cycle Tour to the Bridges, Monday Mechanics workshop and a Spokes Public Meeting on Bike/Rail. For more information please see the festival’s website here or its Facebook page here, or pick up a programme from many venues across the city and beyond, including libraries, leisure centres and many shops. Ends 21st June 2015.
Leith Festival 2015: Citadel Arts Presents Witch Academy. Come to a new family show set in the heart of enchanted Leith! Colourful characters, magical spells – and at the end of the day, even witches have to get along. A play for children by children. Citadel Arts Youth Drama Team is a dynamic youth theatre with talented children from six local primary schools. Witch Academy was written by Laure C Paterson and is directed by Andrea McKenzie. 6pm, Leith Dockers Club, 17 Academy Street. Tickets cost £6/£3. For more information please email lizhare@blueyonder.co.uk or call 0131 337 8570 or 07770 623 924.
For Crying Out Loud: special screenings for parents and carers and their babies under the age of one year, accompanied by a maximum of two adults. Babychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Cry of the City (12A) (see ‘Filmhouse Restored Classics’ listing above for details), 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets for these screenings cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult (babies admitted free).
Edinburgh College of Art Animation Degree Show: the films at this year’s show from ECA’s award-winning animation department touch on subjects from chewing gum and walking sticks to memories, family bonds, songs, grandfathers and ghosts. There are also films made in a day and films made in 48 hours. 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here: prices vary.
Language Cafe: 7-10pm tonight and every Monday, Victoria, 265 Leith Walk.
Grassmarket Community Project Free Cinema: Pride (15). Realising that they share common foes in Margaret Thatcher, the police and the Tory press, London-based gay activists decide to work to help Welsh miners during their lengthy strike in the summer of 1984. Based on a true story, Pride is an inspiring, entertaining and moving film. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome. Admission is free, but donations from those who are able to make them are much appreciated by the Project, which is a social enterprise taking an innovative approach to creating community and providing sanctuary and support to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable of our citizens.
