Edinburgh International Book Festival
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Edinburgh was named as the first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004.
[1] There are various literary events throughout the year in the city, culminating in the annual Edinburgh International Book Festival, a book festival that takes place in the last three weeks of August every year (in the midst of the general Edinburgh Festival) in Charlotte Square, in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital.
Calling itself the largest festival of its kind in the world, the Book Festival hosts a concentrated flurry of cultural and political talks and debates, along with its well-established children’s events programme.
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[edit] History
The Book Festival originally took place in a tent in Edinburgh in 1983. At first a biannual event, the Festival became yearly in 1997. It is now a large (ever-growing) international event, central to Edinburgh's acclaimed August arts celebrations. The EIBF runs for three weeks in August, coinciding with the Edinburgh International Festivaland the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
[edit] Programme
There are over 700 events for both adults and children in the three weeks that the Book Festival runs. They range from writing workshops, education events, panel discussions, to talks and performances by international writers, poets, musicians and thinkers.
Recent festivals have featured the likes of:
• Margaret Atwood
• Alan Bennet
• Douglas Coupland
• Sebastian Faulks
• Franz Ferdinand
• Al Gore
• Germaine Greer
• Alexander McCall Smith
• Yann Martell
• George Monbiot
• Toni Morrison
• Harold Pinter
• Ian Rankin
• Salman Rushdie
• Susan Sontag
• Zadie Smith
Running alongside the general programme is the Children's programme. Incorporating workshops, storytelling, panel discussions, author events and book signings, the Children's programme is popular with both the public and schools alike and now ranks as the world's premier books and reading event for young people. It regularly attracts authors like Jacqueline Wilson, Joan Lingard, Charlie Higson and Anne Fine.
[edit] Venue
The Book Festival Takes place in Charlotte Square Garden, Edinburgh, at the West End of Princes Street.
[edit] Criticism
The book festival is not without its critics. In particular, there has also arisen a "Book Festival Fringe", inspired by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which runs concurrently. Amongst other things, in 2006, they ran a series of daily events called "Thirsty Lunch", which promoted itself as a cheap non-establishment alternative.
[edit] See also
- City Of Literature
- The Scottish Poetry Library
- Scottish Publishers Association
- The Man Booker Prize Winner announced at the Festival
- James Tait Black Memorial Prize
- The List The comprehensive listings and reviews guide to Edinburgh events
- Fest Magazine - Free guide to Edinburgh Festivals, including the Book Festival
- ThreeWeeks Listings for the Edinburgh Festival
[edit] Official website
[edit] References
- ^ In October 2004, a delegation from Edinburgh, led by Patricia Ferguson, Scottish Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, presented the city's case at UNESCO's Executive Board. Within hours of the formal submission of the bid, the proposal was given absolute approval and praised enthusiastically by more than 100 ambassadors in attendance. This marked the beginnings of a global enterprise, a network of cities of literature celebrating, sharing and developing their literary culture.
http://www.cityofliterature.com/ecol.aspx?sec=2&pid=3&item=1
