Journalists Ash Sarkar (Contributing Editor at Novara Media, author of Minority Rule) and Douglas Fraser (outgoing Business and Economy Editor at BBC Scotland) unpack the changing face of mainstream news, and the role audiences play in holding these organisations, both new and established, to account.
Poets, personalities, and powerhouse pairings 🌟
Hello there! As we inch another week closer to the start of this year’s Festival (15-30 August in case you need reminding 😉), we’re back, pulling out more hints and suggestions to make your Book Festival extra special this year. With a Programme of over 600 events, there’s so much to discover, including new favourites and maybe even some unexpected pairings of familiar faces… so read on!
Congratulations to all the authors on this year’s Booker Prize for Fiction longlist, announced earlier this week! Did you know that five authors from the ‘Booker dozen’ are appearing at the Festival next month? Click the names below to find out more about each author’s event/s:
We’re also joined by previous winner of the prize Kiran Desai(who won in 2006 with The Inheritance of Loss) and winners of this year’s International Booker Prize for Fiction Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King (author and translator of Taiwan Travelogue).
Hot tickets: Powerhouse pairings (and panels)
In our ‘hot tickets’ spotlight this week (i.e. events that are incredible and selling fast), we’re highlighting some of the pairings (and panels) we’re excited about: conversations between brilliant minds that you’ll leave feeling inspired and energised. ✨
How does a book survive a journey between languages? Three exciting literary translators and writers join forces for a lively chat about their craft, why human translation still matters in an age of AI, and how translation is more than a bridge between cultures: it’s a creative act in its own right.
Meg Mason (author of the poetically funny Sorrow and Bliss and Sophie, Standing There) and Ann Patchett (author of Bel Canto, The Dutch House, and this year’s Whistler) come together for a beautiful conversation about how a deep friendship blossomed between them when a professional email turned into daily voice notes about life, death, and creativity.
Journalists Ash Sarkar (Contributing Editor at Novara Media, author of Minority Rule) and Douglas Fraser (outgoing Business and Economy Editor at BBC Scotland) unpack the changing face of mainstream news, and the role audiences play in holding these organisations, both new and established, to account.
Leading online safety campaigner, legislator, and filmmaker Baroness Beeban Kidron reveals how unchecked tech giants are exploiting young minds in Users: How Big Tech Took Control and How to Fight Back. She chats with Sarah Wynn-Williams in what’s set to be a fascinating, necessary conversation.
Famous faces at the Book Festival
Tucked inside the giganta-programme, there are loads of famous faces you might recognise from the worlds of TV, film, comedy, and music. We’ve pulled out just a bundle of them here (click on their names to find out what events you can see them in):
From left to right at the top of the image we’ve got:
⭐ Nish Kumar: stand-up comedian, TV presenter, and Taskmaster contestant.
⭐Paterson Joseph: one of Britain’s best-loved actors, known for his starring roles in Peep Show, Noughts & Crosses, and Vigil.
⭐ Himesh Patel: star of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (he plays Odysseus’ second-in-command, Eurylochus), Patel’s also had other major roles in Yesterday and Station Eleven.
⭐ Janina Ramirez: you’ve probably spotted her as a presenter on one of many BBC history shows like Raiders of the Lost Past.
⭐ Russell Tovey:perhaps best known for his role in the BBC’s Being Human, actor Tovey has featured in shows including Him & Her, The History Boys, and Looking.
And from left to right at the bottom of the image there’s:
⭐ Lorraine Kelly: a true Scottish national treasure, Kelly needs no introduction.
⭐ Corrine Bailey Rae: you’ll know Bailey Rae from her multi-platinum hit song ‘Girl Put Your Records On’.
⭐ Alan Davies: one of the UK’s best loved comedy figures,a QI staple, and star of Jonathan Creek.
⭐ Mel Giedroyc: a beloved face on our screens including a stint as co-presenter on the Great British Bake Off alongside long-time comedy partner (and event chair) Sue Perkins.
⭐ Darren McGarvey: aka Loki, McGarvey’s a rapper, Orwell Prize-winning author of Poverty Safari, and documentarian of shows including The State We’re In.
Poet Nikita Gill’s novel Hekate breathes new life into the Greek goddess of witchcraft through heart-thudding verse. Gill joins Saara el-Arifi, the Faebound author turning her hand to historical fiction with Cleopatra – a re-imagining of the iconic queen’s life through a Black woman’s lens. Strap in for an unapologetically feminist meeting of minds.
GUBSMACKED: Flyte Nyte 2026
Tue 25 Aug, 20:30-22:30
This dazzlingly rude and boisterous evening has all the vibes of an ‘epic rap battle of historyyy’ (iykyk) – witness poets, rappers, and spoken word artists all fighting to become the evening’s Flyting Champion using nothing but wit, verse, extravagant verbal abuse, and name-calling – bring it on! (Featuring performances from Iona Lee, Billy Letford, Sean Wai Keung, Medha Singh, Elvis MacGonagoll, and more!)
A moving conversation about grief, hope, and holding space for what comes next. No.1 Sunday Times bestselling poet Donna Ashworth brings her book, Loss, to the Festival – a specially selected collection of her poems for the bereaved – in conversation with Hannah Richell who’ll be talking about her stunning memoir, An Ocean and a Day.
Makar Peter Mackay brings together contemporary poets working in Scotland (including Marjorie Lotfi, Helena Fornells Nadal, and Harry Josephine Giles) who showcase the range of languages being spoken and written across the country. This special event will weave together a tapestry of multi-language poetry (including performances in Orcadian, Tamil, Catalan, and more); don’t miss it!
Joelle Taylor – the T. S. Eliot and Polari Prize-winning author of C+nto & Othered Poems – brings riotous, raucous energy as she chats with Caro Clarke, delving into her remarkable new collection, Maryville: an innovative history-in-poems of lesbian culture told through the lens of an imagined dyke bar.
Lucas Jones has inspired millions with poems that capture moments to hold on to in the darkness of a divided world. Hear him chat to Leyla Josephine about his collection I Still Believe in Miracles (and perform from it too) in an event about what it takes, and means, to choose to love despite it all.
Book List: The reading cure
This week, we’re offering up some reading recommendations for whatever ails you (and all the authors mentioned will be joining us next month if you want to check out their events to get a flavour of the books). Reading might not be able to cure all ills, but it certainly can offer inspiration when you’re stuck in a rut…
Men, this one’s for you. Read this toolkit for life by psychotherapist Dr Peter Meades, written for men who feel uncomfortable about the idea of therapy, but are struggling under the pressure to be ‘strong, silent, and always in control’. A groundbreaking, compassionate guide, exploring why men delay seeking help until breaking point and offering a lifeline. | Discover the book.
Read Elizabeth McCracken’s glorious dismantling of all the writing advice you’ve ever heard. Warm, witty, and delightfully contrarian, this tough-love guide is full of wise, practical tips that’ll get you energised about your writing again. (Hear her at the Festival in both a solo event and with John Yorke). | Discover the book.
Read this groundbreaking collection of eclectic essays by Autistic writers. Featuring contributions from writers including Fergus Murray, Julie Farrell, and Lucy Rose, the book ‘invites Autistic people of all kinds to find company in these pages, and maybe even see themselves too.’ | Discover the book.
Read this profound meditation on how to love better from psychotherapist Stephen Grosz (bestselling author of The Examined Life), who Elizabeth Day has called ‘the poet laureate of human emotion’. Be prepared for a flurry of epiphanies about your life and your most intimate relationships. | Discover the book.
🌍 Need some ideas about how to make the world fairer…?
Read world-leading policy advisor and Professor of Economics, Mariana Mazzucato’s ‘compass’ for helping us navigate the economy in a direction that works for everyone, not just the few. A visionary and hopeful book full of compelling real-world examples that’ll leave you buzzing with ideas. | Discover the book.
Read this fist-pumping history of how women have used their singing voices to defy convention, capitalism, and oppression. From the acclaimed author of Art Monsters and Scaffolding, it’s part memoir, manifesto, and cultural history. (And if you come along to Elkin’s event with Astrid Jorgensen, you’ll get a chance to unleash your own vocal cords!). | Discover the book.
We’ll be back next week with some more top picks and insider tips for you! In the meantime, keep up with all the latest from the Book Festival on our social media (@edbookfest) and check out the full programme over on our website:
