Elaine Roberts brings us another in her
interesting series about literary festivals and workshops. This month she interviews Frances Sutton from
the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Welcome to the RNA blog,
Frances. Can you tell us something about your festival,
how it came about and how long its been running?
The
Edinburgh International Book Festival started in 1983 with around thirty
speakers, this year we will welcome over 1,000 writers and participants from
fifty countries to events in Charlotte Square Gardens and George Street. In 2017 Edinburgh celebrates the 70th
anniversary of the first Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival
Fringe, and over the last seventy years has become an internationally renowned
Festival city – the Book Festival is an integral part of that Festival City.
Who are your
main speakers this year?
With over 1000 authors, there are almost too many to
mention, but a small selection of highlights would be:
Making his first
appearance in Charlotte Square Gardens, bestselling US author Paul Auster
discusses the parallel lives of the principal character in his latest novel 4 3 2 1, while fellow American Richard
Ford explores the reality of the American Dream in 2017 in conversation with
Kirsty Wark. Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie debates the role of women
in the world with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon; Andrew O’Hagan delivers a
keynote lecture on the future of Scotland; Zadie Smith offers an insightful
look at the growing pains of young women; comedian Reginald D Hunter joins
novelist Tanya Landman to discuss the long shadow slavery casts over the USA
and Meik Wiking, Danish author of the bestselling Little Book of Hygge and CEO of Copenhagen’s Happiness Research
Institute, launches his new book over a cosy afternoon tea.
As our blog
is for writers can you tell me how your festival would benefit our members?
Audiences at the Book Festival get to not only listen
to authors, but also to participate in debates and discussions across the
programme. Almost every event offers an
opportunity for members of the audience to ask questions of the speaker, and
every author will sign books and engage in further conversation after their
event. We also run both reading
workshops where authors discuss their favourite books with small groups of
twenty to twenty five people, and this year our writing workshops return, again
for small groups of 20 – 25 participants.
How about
staying over for the whole event. Where can people stay?
Edinburgh is a bustling city with a wide range of
hotels, guesthouses, B & B’s and hostels, however August is extremely busy
with hundreds of thousands of performers, authors, media and audience members
coming to the city from all over the world so the recommendation is book early,
and don’t leave it till you arrive!
What does it
cost to attend?
Entry to the Gardens, cafes and bookshops is free, and
tickets for events range from £8.00 (£6.00
Do workshops
and talks fill up quickly?
Spaces for workshops are limited to 20 – 25
participants so yes they do sell out quickly.
How much time
does it take to organise the festival?
We will start planning the 2018 Book Festival while
the 2017 Festival is taking place, and authors are in town from all over the
world. The hard work starts in September
and October and continues through the winter until June when we announce the
programme to the press and public.
Dates for
this year and 2018:
12 – 28 August 2017
11 – 27 August 2018
Email for
queries: admin@edbookfest.co.uk
Thank you for
taking the time to talk to the RNA blog, Frances. We wish the festival every
success.
About
Elaine:
Elaine is a member of the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme
and is currently working on a family saga. She has sold short stories worldwide
and enjoys attending RNA events such as the London chapter and our annual
conference. Elaine is a great fan of writing retreats either week long by the
sea with friends or one-day retreats with fellow writers in her hometown of
Dartford. Elaine runs a writing blog along with writer, Francesca Capaldi
Burgess called WriteMindWritePlace.
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