Fortieth anniversary of Edinburgh International Book Festival – programme announced
The 2023 Edinburgh International Book Festival will celebrate The Joy of Words from 12 to 28 August 2023 with more than 600 events all held in the garden and buildings at the Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place.
More than 470 writers artists and thinkers will be in the city to create positive conversations all about books, fiction, non-fiction and the spoken word. There will be in person events and some will also be streamed. Late Nights will be back for the first time in three years with special salons hosted by Damian Barr who will run a kind of “late night chat show” and also Gemma Cairney.
With seven Booker Prize winners in the line up this is a year when Scottish authors feature among world wide names.
The current First Minister Humza Yousaf will take part in the festival continuing a long standing tradition of our political leaders being involved in the festival, and the former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon remains booked for an event to talk about Salman Rushdie and the freedom to write. Director Nick Barley was emphatic that the booking of Ms Sturgeon was made prior to her resignation. He said: “I agree that people are innocent until proven guilty in law, and I see no reason why one should uninvite somebody who’s helping the police with their enquiries.”
From events that take audiences outside on excursions led by stars of endurance sport including Emily Chappell, to a climate positive strand featuring the climate activist Greta Thunberg – or from deep dives into comedian Sara Pascoe’s first novel, and the memoirs of Judy Murray, Rob Delaney and Munroe Bergdorf, to Festival Late Nights featuring Damian Barr, there is something for everyone this August.
Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said: “Without words there would be no books so the theme for this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival is well chosen. With the world’s greatest writers and thinkers gathered in Edinburgh, there really is something for everyone.
“The Scottish Government is proud to support the festival as it celebrates its 40thanniversary with £182,500 from our Expo and PLACE Funds.”
Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, said: “This year’s Book Festival programme is called The Joy of Words, and it’s been truly a joy to bring it together. My team and I have aimed to build an uplifting festival that is packed with exceptional thinkers from all over the world. At a time of polarised opinion and deep divisions, we hope to rediscover the pleasure of conversation; the satisfaction of spending time with people who can offer positive insights into the world today. This is my fourteenth and final programme for the Book Festival and I’m very excited by the prospect of 18 days in August with such a cornucopia of brilliant writers.”
The Book Festival takes place at the Edinburgh College of Art from 12 to 28 August 2023.
© 2022 J.L. Preece
© 2022 J.L. Preece