Crime novelist, John Grisham, has been announced as a special guest at the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) in August.
The festival in the Edinburgh Futures Institute from 15–30 August has the theme of “Changing Your Mind”, and almost 600 writers from 41 countries will take part. The EIBF will also include nearly 600 events spanning fiction, politics, science, history, music, and live performance in a 16-day curated programme.
The 2026 programme has something for everyone with contemporary writing in fiction and non-fiction, food, poetry, and live performance, as well as a programme for children and young people.
Front List headliners Grisham and Rankin will take part in a special joint event in McEwan Hall, with the two best-selling crime writers “celebrating the accessibility of books and highlighting this year’s status as a National Year of Reading.” It is John Grisham’s first time attending the festival. It is a rare chance to see the godfather of the legal thriller genre with one of the biggest names in contemporary crime writing together on stage, celebrating the accessibility of books and highlighting this year’s status as a National Year of Reading. A limited number of VIP tickets will offer audiences the chance to enjoy a pre-event drinks reception with Ian Rankin, with proceeds supporting the Festival’s charitable aims, including its communities and Schools programmes.
The Front List roster also includes Tom Holland, David Olusoga, Diana Gabaldon, Kiran Desai and Kae Tempest.
Other fiction writers appearing include Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ali Smith, Jenni Fagan, Colm Toíbín, Matt Haig, Louise Welsh, Nao-Cola Yamazaki, Candice McCarty-Williams, Ben Lerner, and 2026 International Booker Prize winner Yáng Shuāng-zi
Greyfriars Kirk becomes a Book Festival venue for the first time, hosting Scotland to the World – a new series connecting Scottish writers Ali Smith, Len Pennie, Kathleen Jamie, and William Dalrymple with international musicians, artists and performers.
Three “thematic strands” will include events with various thinkers discussing issues impacting the modern world such as politics, neuroscience, and cognition.
Political figures including former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and former chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will discuss modern politics, with former Finnish prime minister, Sanne Marin, also announced for the event.
Former President of the UK Supreme Court, Lady Brenda Hale, will host a discussion on the recent Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance on single-sex spaces – such as changing rooms and toilets. Lawyers who fought on both sides of the argument will take part in the discussion.
A multi-year creative partnership with Celtic Connections continues, with The Golden Road – inspired by William Dalrymple’s award-winning book – which premiered at Celtic Connections in January 2026developing into an expanded Festival performance in August.
This year, the BBC will use the Spiegeltent as a base for wider Festival coverage, curating its own selection of content and voices for broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, bringing the atmosphere of theFestival to national and international audiences.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh international Book Festival, said: “Our theme ‘Changing Your Mind’ speaks to the moment we’re in. At a time when opinions seem increasingly polarised and online debate is so divisive, we’re creating space for thoughtful, nuanced conversations – exploring the reasons for our increasing social and political divides, and how we might change each others’ minds, or at least agree to disagree, more agreeably. We’re also looking at the potential of the human brain to adapt and relearn, and at the unparalleled power of stories to change our thinking.
“Changing your mind is a lifelong process of staying open to new ideas. By bringing amazing speakers and curious audiences together, around knowledge and perspectives that help us challenge our assumptions and see the world differently, we hope the Festival programme this year will help us gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and each other.”
Tickets are on sale on 25 June 2026 to the public here.
