Meir Shalev I/ixlug. l/um. He's an absolute superstar in his Israel homeland. and looking for a slice of the action oyci' het'e.
Sara Sheridan l').-lug. 6pm. (iet all your w ritcrly tips from this rising lidinburgh star.
Elaine Showalter l').'lug. //..i’()um. l'ber-feminist critic enlightens us by Inventing Herself.
Elaine Showalter, Joan Smith & Diana Souhami lUAug. 8pm. l-"eminism. morality and power are all on the agenda as this trio debate the future. Sheena .\lacl)onald chairs the merit.
Gillian Slovo & Justin Cartwright 2/ :lug. 5pm. South .o\frican-lmrn scribes chat about the yery different portrayals of home in their fiction.
Alan Spence /7:lug. 7pm. ()ne of the country 's most intriguing talents tcheck out his blackly comic Way '1?) (in) reads some haikti. With musical accompanitnent. no less.
Ali Smith I’m/Ii! ('oIi/i'n'm‘e ('t'nm‘. l7 glue. 9.45am. Though she describes herself as ‘gnonie-like'. the yery modest .-\li Smith enjoy s considerable stature as one of the most original Voices in Scottish literature. lnyerness-born Smith first attracted attention in I‘M-l. when she won the pi'estigiotis .\lacallair/Scotland on Sunday Short Story Competition. liollowing a debilitating illness and a recuperatiy e moye to ('ambridge she produced the Saltire-
w inning collection l-iu' Lure. ller noy'els. like and Hotel lliil'lt/ t shortlisted for this year's ()range Print are striking for Smith's delicate. unsentiinental explorations of loy e and human connection. Yet. it is her short stories that most directly demonstrate Smith’s deep compassion as well as the simple poetry of her writing. And fans w ill be in for a treat as .v\li takes part in a reading of her latest story. specially commissioned for this year‘s Bookfest. t.v\llan Radcliffe) Ali Smith 8. Suzanne Berne ITAue. 3pm. Smith is joined by Bernc. whose current noy el .II l’t’l‘ft't'l .-lrrung¢'nu'nl sees a nice. suburban family foolishly employ a nutter nanny.
Adam Thorpe 8- John Burnside 20
Aug. 5pm. Acclaimed poets, short story
writers and noy'elists team tip for a tea- time chat.
A Tribute to Iain Crichton Smith 2/ Aug. 7pm. A great friend of the book festiy'al. the much loved lain ('richton Smith is remembered and celebrated in this timely tribute. (‘richton Smith died in 1998. and is widely recognised as one of Scotland's ‘Iinest and funniest writers'. The tribute will iny'oly'e fellow poets and friends. Stewart ('onn. Angus l’eter ('ampbell. Ann McLeod. and (iaelie poet. .»\onghas Macneacail. "l’he idea is to haye an eyening of boetry. story and some song.
just to remember him.‘ notes ('atherine
l.ockerbie. the Book liestiy'al's director. who is keen to create an ey‘ening that (‘richton Smith himself would approve of. "l‘he thing about him is that he bitterly hated the repressive religion of the Western Isles. and he always wanted to celebrate life; .so this is Very much it celebration.‘ (Ruth llcdgesl
0 Joan Smith [9 Aug. 5.30pm. There was a time not so long ago when more people went to church on a Sunday than to football matches. As (’hurch and State has less influence on our liyes. ethical codes need to be re-examined. What is a secular morality and which path does is it lead tis down'.’ 01‘ are we just being ltoodyy'inketl by tabloid sexation. dragging tis away from more important issues‘.’ Joan Smith‘s brilliant new book .lloru/ilu’s.‘ Set. .l/mu'y' .vlru/ Power In The 2/s! ('enlury deyelops these themes and many others. She will be talking about her book as part of the Social (’ommentary strand and later the same day will be debating the future of women in the 21st century with lilaine Showalter and Diana Souhami.
tl’aul Dale)
Diana Souhami l').-\ug. 3.30pm. Souhami's latest is about the Scottish sailor who was the real-life Robinson
(‘t'ttsocfi
Howard Sounes I!) slug. 3.30pm. Mr Biography turns his attentions to the (it)- year-old Bob Dylan.
Irvine Welsh is all Glued-up
Self-confessed gnome Ali Smith makes her Point
0 Mark Steel l‘l Alli". 6.45pm. Mark Steel is that rare breed: a modern socialist with a sense of humour. See feature.
Graham Swift If) slug. /.."()pm. There can be few other British authors whose books haye taken such a hold on the reading public's imagination. without his personality doing the same. as (iraham Swift. Whilst the personalities of Rtishdie. Aims and Barnes haye dominated British letters for nigh on two decades. it was the unassuming Swift who w role a book which became not lust a popular film but a standard test in uniyersity literature departments throughout the country. lliiu'rlu/u/ stills stands as a benchmark of how the Magic-Realist sc‘llmil Ul- fiction. could be applied to linglish history. despite the greater success of its I'Nb Booker-winning successor /.u\'I
()I‘rli’l'y. lookout for a new edition of the latter
to be released in September.
t’l‘im .v\brahamsi
The Trident Debate I,~ :lug. ain’t/Inn. Ruth Wishart chairs this controyersial debate on nuclear arms. Should they stay or should they go‘.’
Colin Tudge 33 glue. 0.45/mi. .-\ natural history lesson from the author of The luru'n- (/f/J/i’.
Barry Turner Illslug. mum. How to get ahead in the authorly game with the man behind The ll'riu’ry ' Hutu/bunk.
Barry Unsworth lelug'. aim/mi. Winner of the Booker l’t'l/L‘ lII ll)”: l'tit' Silt'l‘i’i/ Hunger. Barry l'nsworth has delighted and confounded readers with his eyer-Iluid writing style. The Book l’csilyttlls tltt'cclot'. (’atherine l.ockerbie. belie\ es him to be ‘one of the most interestingly \aried of British noy elists. He's one of finest writers we haye. but eyery noyel is completely different Reading from his most recent and critically acclaimed noy el. [mine Nelson. l'nsworth w ill also be talking about his work in general. lle is an author w ho firmly regards the act of writing as a craft. so listen carefully for tips from one of the masters. (Ruth lledgesi
For hour by hour daily listings see
Listings Supplement.
‘The 905 weren't a great decade for me; maybe that's why I'm glad they're over’
Jeanette Winterson
Barry Unsworth 8. William Riviere l‘) xlllg. 7pm. Sun‘er/ Hunger author is joined by a noyelis't whose latest. Kuu' (um-mu is a delve into Italy's fascist past. Stephen Venables 20 Aug. 6.45pm. More tips on how to tackle the elements. Such as suryiying the Himalayas with two broken legs.
Gore Vidal 16 Aug. I 1. 3011171: 19.41451. 3.30pm. See preview. Stuart Walton [8 Aug. 6.45pm. Intoxication through the ages. Does it help or hinder the creative process‘.’
Alison Weir lb Aug. Hum. Weir continues her travels back to the time of Henry VIII and his dastardly ways. Rene Weis 8: Mark Roseman 18 Aug. /..\‘()/im. More historical writing. this time focusing on the injustices. prejudices and hatred within 20th century liurope.
0 Irvine Welsh 3()Aug, 8pm. lidinburgh's beloyed son returns to give us some (i/llt'.
Whisky Tasting lo’Aug. ()._i()pm. Does pretty much what it says on the ticket.
Ian Wilmut, Colin Tudge & Special Guests 2/ :‘lug. 8pm. The future of genetic science. no less. Jeanette Winterson 17 Aug. /l..s’()um. We like our pop stars to peak young and our writers to peak old. which put Jeanette Winterson in a rather difficult position after the immense success of Oranges Are No! The Only Fruit. Written. as it was. when she was a lass of 23 and published a year later to mass acclaim and a 'l'\' adaptation. Recent years have been less kind: ‘the ')()s weren't a great decade for me.‘ she has said. ‘So maybe that's why I'm glad they're oy'er.‘ At the age of 40 she is still polarising responses, and still writing ltoy'cls that are often fantastic in built senses of the Word. Last year's T/u' Power/funk merged the stories of an e- mailing loyer and an intruding storyteller to great effect. proving that. when she's on form. her radical take on magic realism can still be truly compelling. And very funny. tJames Smart)
Simon Yates 3/ :lug. 6.45pm. Let a man w ho has known a few very high snowy peaks tell you all about the human obsession with facing danger.
to 1’1) Anti L’i‘i“ THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 19