Salman Rushdie, Kazuo Ishiguro, Douglas Stuart and Bernardine Evaristo are among authors appearing at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival, which will take place in August as a hybrid event, organisers have announced.
This year’s festival, which is moving from its usual venue in Charlotte Square to Edinburgh College of Art, will explore how to move on from the pandemic under the banner “Onwards and Upwards – Ideas and Stories for a Changing World”.
This year’s edition will see 250 events for adults, children and families available online, with tickets for a limited, socially distanced audience also on sale. The festival will run from 14th to 30th August at the its new home in the University of Edinburgh’s College of Art. Almost half the speakers plan to appear in person in Edinburgh, while others will be connecting digitally.
Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We are incredibly excited to produce our first hybrid festival with authors and audiences joining us both in person and online.
“We welcome a mix of Scottish and international voices to discuss their ideas, hopes and dreams and we aim to explore together how to move onwards and upwards from this devastating pandemic.
In our new home at Edinburgh College of Art, we have created three broadcast studios, two of which can accommodate limited audiences.
“These new facilities enable us to offer author conversations to worldwide audiences and to those closer to home who are unable to join us in person, as well as welcoming a limited In-Real-Life audience.”
