The 2026 Book Festival is officially within touching distance! It kicks off on Saturday! This Saturday! Saturday the 15th of August! Hurrah!Still trying to figure out what to come and see? Fear not, in this bumper e-news edition, you will find:
After his sold out event with us back in 2024 (and what a joyful, inspiring, make you feel lucky to be alive kind of event it was) BAFTA award-winning author, activist, performer and number one bestselling poet Lemn Sissay is back for a lunchtime session in our Spiegeltent on Thu 27 Aug 2026, 13:45 – 14:45. Hear him chatting and sharing poems from Let the Light Pour In (and more) in an event full of hope, humour, and truth.
As we approach the start of the Festival, we’re highlighting a few big names in the worlds of fiction and nonfiction that we’re especially stoked to see! Children’s Laureates, fantasy superstars, multi-award-winners, agony aunts. Get your tickets quick as all these events are all coming up in the next week!
You might know Phillipa Perry best as the nation’s favourite therapist – her Ask Phillipa agony aunt column for the Guardian (and now Substack) has been a staple in many of our lives for years. Hear how she’s now poured her expertise into novel-writing as she chats to Sam Baker about her thrilling new book, Shrink Solves Murder.
In his role as Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce met children from many – often precarious – backgrounds, and A British Childhood is his piercing examination of how community, and connection, are fraying. Hear him chatting to Noëlle Cobden about what it means to be young in Britain today in a much needed conversation.
For four decades, legendary New Yorker journalist Susan Orlean has illuminated other people’s lives with wit and forensic curiosity. In Joyride, she looks back over her own career, one that that reshaped narrative nonfiction – from cults and cab drivers to orchids and origami. What a joy to welcome her to the Festival!
The UK’s first Black female publisher, Margaret Busby is the editor of groundbreaking anthologies Daughters of Africa and New Daughters of Africa – it’s hard to overstate her impact on literary culture these last 50 years. Hear her chat Part of the Story with Hannah Chukwu.
Literary legend (he’s a double Pulitzer Prize winner!) Colson Whitehead is one of America’s most skilled and essential storytellers, holding the horrors of history in one hand and big-hearted humanity in the other. Hear him chatting about his latest novel, Cool Machine, with Samira Ahmed.
For the fantasy lovers: the amazing Samantha Shannon, the million-copy bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree is back at the Festival to chat about her amazing new book, Among the Burning Flowers, a unputdownable story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances (and dragons!).
What else can you get up to on site?
As well as being a wonderful place to hear from your favourite (and new favourite) authors, our Festival at the Edinburgh Futures Institute site is a lovely, chill space in the middle of a busy August in the city which you can enter for free. Check out some of what other things, besides events, you can enjoy on site:
Eat, drink, and chill out in the Festival Courtyard
We’ve got a wide variety of mouthwatering food options on site. This year, enjoy: sit-down meals in Canopy Bar and Kitchenon Level 1, Lebanese street food from Lazeez, Japanese rice-bowls from Fire Bowl, mind-blowingly amazing gelato from Joelato, hot drinks and snacks from Coffee N Stuff, wood-fired pizza fromWanderers Kneaded, and drinks from our bar Sips (open ’til late!) – all in our buzzing Courtyard. Yum!
Check out the Festival Bookshop
No book festival would be complete without a stacked bookshop, and ours is delivered by our brilliant friends at Waterstones. With over 1,876 titles from authors appearing at the Festival in the store… and that’s not even including the other books they’ve got in there, there’s hours-worth of browsing to enjoy.
Creative inspiration in the Book Nook
Pop by our cosy Book Nook on Level 1 (when there’s not a book group deep in discussion) for some writing prompts and free, drop-in activities that’ll get you inspired:
Accountability Hour | every morning, 10:00-11:00
⌛ Drop by for an hour each morning to get stuff done in good company (whether it’s working on a first draft or just that pesky email you’ve been avoiding).
Silent Reading Club | every Sunday, 13:30-14:30
📖 Bring your book and read with other booklovers. Simple as.
Gentle Journaling | Sunday 23 & 30 Aug, 12:00-13:00
✏️ Whether you’re a seasoned journal-er, or want to try something new, bring your notebook and an open mind as we share some inspiring prompts to focus your attention and get your pen moving.
Staff picks: Follow your curiosity
With over 600 events in the 2026 Programme, there really is an event for everyone. Our Programming teammates share their final pre-Festival recommendations for if you’re feeling curious:
“If you want to learn something new…”
Then Graham (Programme Coordinator) suggests coming to these events:
These Book Festival guests share insights and stories from across the globe, with authors hailing from Indonesia, South Korea, Ukraine, and beyond – you can travel the world without leaving the city at the Book Festival. 🌎
At the age of 14, Tari Lang’s life took a turbulent turn when both of her parents were imprisoned without trial during Indonesia’s 1965 coup. In this fascinating conversation about her memoir, My Neighbour, The Dictator, Lang chats coming of age – navigating crushes and curfews – against the backdrop of tyranny.
A rare opportunity to hear one of South Korea’s most influential poets: Lee Seong-bok, author of eight extraordinary poetry collections and numerous other works, including Indeterminate Inflorescence, his acclaimed book of aphorisms Hear him talking about That Summer’s End with acclaimed translator Anton Hur.
In 2023, Turner Prize-winning artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan founded the organisation Earshot, dedicated to the study of audio for human rights and environmental advocacy. Today, he discusses combining the role of artist and investigator and offers an introduction to Earshot’s transformation of sound into a tool of justice.
There aren’t many Brits who’ve immersed themselves in Chinese food culture quite like Fuchsia Dunlop. Today she chats about Five Tastes: The Magic of Flavour in a Chinese Kitchen, celebrating the philosophy that good health and pleasure are inseparable when it comes to food.
André Aciman’s million-copy bestseller, Call Me by Your Name, was adapted for the screen to Oscar-winning success by James Ivory in 2017. Now, he joins us alongside artist Sarah Maxwell-McNicol who’sgiven new life to this moving story of first love through a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel.
And finally, some fun events for the family*
(*Alliteration, ahoy!) Schools might be back, but that doesn’t mean the summer needs to be over. Over the 16 days of the Festival, we’ve got over 150 events for children, families, and young adults. Find just a few stand out events happening over the first few days of the Festival below, and remember to check out our LNER Kids Zone on site too which is full of free drop in activities!
✨ The Great Big Story Show | Sat 15 Aug, 10:15-11:15
First thing on opening weekend, join this fun-packed hour with authors, storytellers, and poets sharing stories, playing games, and setting some very (very!) silly challenges | Age recommendation: 7-11
If your kid loves small animals (who doesn’t?), then bring them along to see Holly Webb in this warm and cuddly event full of Super Cute Critters | Age recommendation6-9
🍰A Freshly-Baked Mystery with Harry Woodgate | Sun 16 Aug, 13:00 -14:00 Hear Harry share his delectable new chapter book, Cinnamon Crumb, Baking Detective: The Great Cake Caper | Age recommendation: 9-11
For the too-cool-for-school-ers, get their imaginations firing in this story-building event that’ll wake up their creative minds | Age recommendation 3-5
For young adults who are interested in becoming writers, why not encourage them along to this creative session where they’ll hear how a brilliant writer makes the magic happen (spoiler alert: it’s not magic) | Age recommendations: 14+
And finally, if your teen loves a great murder mystery send them over to this event for a delicious serving of dark academia meets Knives Out | Age recommendations: 14+
We’ll see you SOON! 📚✨
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:
