Tag: writing

Edinburgh International Book Festival returns with global 2026 programme

  • Nearly 600 writers from 41 countries gather in Edinburgh from 15–30 August for the 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival
  • Over 600 events span fiction, politics, science, history, music, and live performance in a 16-day curated programme
  • At a time of intense polarisation and entrenched positions, our 2026 theme Changing Your Mind invites audiences to stay open and curious, championing deep listening and celebrating our capacity to evolve our thinking, informed by a range of reliable experts and diverse perspectives
  • The Festival brings together a carefully curated programme of voices, experts, and ideas, to create space for informed, nuanced public conversation, and encourage new and alternative thinking – a much-needed alternative to debate driven by reaction and polarisation
  • Major public figures include former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, technology writer Cory Doctorow, best-selling author Michael Pollan, and award-winning poet Claudia Rankine, alongside leading writers from across the world
  • A landmark rare event brings one of the bestselling writers of all time, John Grisham, and iconic Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin together on stage, crowning The Front List line up at the McEwan Hall. The roster also includes Tom Holland, David Olusoga, Diana Gabaldon, Kiran Desai and Kae Tempest.
  • Other renowned fiction writers appearing include Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ali Smith, Jenni Fagan, Colm Toíbín, Matt Haig, Louise Welsh, Nao-Cola Yamazaki, Candice McCarty-Williams, Ben Lerner, and 2026 International Booker Prize winner Yáng Shuāng-zi
  • Greyfriars Kirk becomes a Book Festival venue for the first time, hosting Scotland to the World – a new series connecting leading Scottish writers Ali Smith, Len Pennie, Kathleen Jamie, and William Dalrymple with international musicians, artists and performers.
  • A strong focus on trust and information runs across the programme, with journalists, analysts and researchers examining misinformation, data, and global narratives, including The New Yorker’s Fergus McIntosh, The News Agents podcast co-host Lewis Goodall, and journalist Yi Ling Liu
  • The Festival explores the AI revolution and its regulation, with pioneers in the development of AI tools and their application – including Steve Crossan, part of the original DeepMind team; Sarah Wynn-Williams, former Director of Public Policy at Facebook; and Tim Wu, inventor of the term ‘net neutrality’ – weighing its impact and risks
  • Global Ink convenes 20 cultural leaders from five continents, reinforcing the Festival’s role as an international meeting point for ideas
  • BBC collaboration transforms the Spiegeltent into a daytime broadcast hub (17–21 August), with live and recorded programming on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds
  • The Festival’s Young Adults programme returns for its second year, bringing together leading YA authors such as Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, and Holly Bourne with performance, spoken word and interactive events tailored for audiences under 30
    More than 150 events for children and families, with a Schools programme supporting around 5,000 pupils through free tickets for those in need, transport and books
  • New partnership with LNER delivers a reimagined Kids Zone with free activities every day of the Festival
  • Livestreamed and Pay What You Can events, alongside library streaming, extend access across Scotland and beyond

The Edinburgh International Book Festival returns to Edinburgh Futures Institute from 15–30 August with one of its most relevant and international programmes to date.

In a moment of increasing global polarisation, the 2026 Festival – with a hero theme of Changing Your Mind – brings together almost 600 writers from 41 countries for 16 days of ideas, literature, conversation, and performance.

The Festival is where books and words spark new thinking, forge connections across borders, and generate conversations that matter.

The 2026 programme spans the full breadth of contemporary writing – world-class fiction and nonfiction, a rich programme for children and young people, food, poetry, and live performance – with a special focus on how we engage with the world’s biggest questions: from geopolitics and the flow of global power, to the nature of consciousness, the reliability of information, and how we live well together.

The theme, Changing Your Mind, runs through the programme as an invitation to listen, reconsider, and discover something new, unfolding across strands exploring public debate, new thinking in science and consciousness, and the role of stories and art in reshaping how we understand one another.

Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, pictured outside the Book Festival’s home at Edinburgh Futures Institute. Photo credit Aly Wight.

Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh international Book Festival, said: “Our theme ‘Changing Your Mind’ speaks to the moment we’re in.

“At a time when opinions seem increasingly polarised and online debate is so divisive, we’re creating space for thoughtful, nuanced conversations – exploring the reasons for our increasing social and political divides, and how we might change each others’ minds, or at least agree to disagree, more agreeably.

“We’re also looking at the potential of the human brain to adapt and relearn, and at the unparalleled power of stories to change our thinking.

Changing your mind is a lifelong process of staying open to new ideas. By bringing amazing speakers and curious audiences together, around knowledge and perspectives that help us challenge our assumptions and see the world differently, we hope the Festival programme this year will help us gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and each other.”

ARE YOU OPEN TO CHANGING YOUR MIND?

As the world becomes ever more polarised, and opinions increasingly entrenched, we’ve reached a moment where to change your mind is seen as a sign of weakness, or even disloyalty – this year’s key theme seeks to reframe that. A wide range of experts, across three thematic strands, share reliable information and nuanced perspectives, encouraging audiences to think both critically, and flexibly, on a number of prescient topics – and maybe even change their minds about their current stances as they learn more, and expand their understanding.

Can You Change Your Mind? explores how we form and revise our views – featuring internet pioneers Sarah Wynn-Williams, Jimmy Wales and Cory Doctorow on the development of the web, and leading political voices including Gordon Brown, Jeremy Hunt and former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on the forces shaping our world today. Practical workshops offer tools for more open and productive dialogue.

Consciousness Now looks at how our understanding of the mind is being transformed – with Michael Pollan and Anil Seth in conversation about what remains distinctively human in a machine-led world, and Gwen Adshead and Orlando Swayne on the brain’s remarkable capacity for adaptation and recovery.

Stories That Change Us celebrates reading as a route to new perspectives, with Daisy Fancourt and choreographer Wayne McGregor examining how the arts support wellbeing and cognition, and Claudia Rankine and Kiran Desai sharing the books that have shaped their lives and work.

INFORMATION WE CAN TRUST

The Festival has a long-standing commitment to trusted, verifiable sources and data – and this year’s Good Information strand brings together journalists, analysts and researchers to examine how we know what we know. Sir John Curtice examines what data tells us about Britain’s electorate today; Fergus McIntosh, who runs The New Yorker’s fact-checking department, discusses rigour in modern journalismwith The News Agents podcast host Lewis Goodall; while journalist Yi Ling Liu takes audiences behind the Great Firewall for a fascinating account of China’s internet.

The New World Orders strand brings together leading voices in economics, law and politics – including former US State Department official Edward Fishman and Oxford economist Carl Benedikt Frey on the shifting flow of global money and power, and Rana Dasgupta and Ece Temelkuran on borders and displacement.

More widely, nonfiction programming this year includes discussions on topics as wide-ranging as the World Cup (Simon Kuper, who has attended every one since 1990), designing cities for the future (Gabriella Bennett), bringing data to life with design (Mona Chalabi), and using the law as a framework to navigate and protect our rights, with Baroness Brenda Hale.

GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS

At the Festival, a book is just the beginning, and a starting point for conversations that reach far beyond the page – and that spirit is at the heart of this year’s programme.

Scotland to the World is a special series at Greyfriars Kirk – the first time the venue has been part of the Book Festival – bringing together Scottish writers including Ali Smith, William Dalrymple, Kathleen Jamie, and Len Pennie with artists and performers from Japan, India, the Netherlands and the United States. Supported by the new Expanded Festivals Fund, the series reflects Edinburgh’s status as a global meeting point for culture, and Scottish writers as our ambassadors.

Highlights include a highly experimental production created by pairing Kathleen Jamie’s writing with performance from Japan’s Noh Reimagined theatre company, alongside leading musicians Aidan O’Rourke and Brìghde Chaimbeul; and Dutch contemporary classical collective New European Ensemble presenting four new pieces inspired by Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet, with the author reading alongside.

The Front List, presented in partnership with Underbelly at McEwan Hall, forms one of the programme’s flagship strands: a curated series of large-scale events bringing leading writers, journalists, historiansand performers into in-depth conversation on some of the most pressing questions of our time.

Highlights include Diana Gabaldon marking 35 years of Outlander, Pulitzer and Booker Prize winners including Colson Whitehead, Douglas Stuart (hot on the heels of his Oprah appearance), and Kiran Desai, as well as conversations with voices such as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Cory Doctorow and the BBC’s Lyse Doucet.

Fiction this year ranges from Colm Tóibín and Maggie O’Farrell to recent International Booker Prize winners Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King, and international stars Daniyal Mueenuddin and Japanese literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, with Scottish voices including Fern Brady, Jenni Fagan and Graeme Armstrong.

This August also sees a landmark pairing: John Grisham – whose books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide, with more than 50 consecutive number-one bestsellers and translations into almost 50languages – joins Ian Rankin for an event marking Grisham’s first visit to the Festival.

It is a rare chance to see the godfather of the legal thriller genre with one of the biggest names in contemporary crime writing together on stage, celebrating the accessibility of books and highlighting this year’s status as a National Year of Reading.

A limited number of VIP tickets will offer audiences the chance to enjoy a pre-event drinks reception with Ian Rankin, with proceeds supporting the Festival’s charitable aims, including its communities and Schools programmes.

BUILDING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

The Festival’s international reach extends well beyond its programme. Global Ink, the Festival’s industry forum, reaches a new milestone in 2026 – spanning five continents for the first time, bringing senior figures from 20 of the world’s leading festivals and cultural organisations together for three days of exchange and collaboration with the support of Scottish Government EXPO funding. Now in its third year, Global Ink reflects the Festival’s role as a global meeting point for ideas and the people who champion them.

A multi-year creative partnership with Celtic Connections continues, with The Golden Road – inspired by William Dalrymple’s award-winning book – which premiered at Celtic Connections in January 2026developing into an expanded Festival performance in August.

This year, the BBC will use the Spiegeltent as a base for wider Festival coverage, curating its own selection of content and voices for broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, bringing the atmosphere of theFestival to national and international audiences.

COMMUNITIES, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND ACCESSIBILITY

In the National Year of Reading, the Festival maintains its commitment to bringing the benefits of reading to all. New research shows fewer than 1 in 5 children currently read daily; 1 in 4 children do not reach the expected reading level by age 11. Both within the National Year of Reading, and as a long-term commitment, the Festival creates environments where reading is fun, sociable and imaginative, rather than solely educational.

Twenty percent of this year’s programme is for children and young people, with more than 150 events for families alongside a Schools programme supporting around 5,000 pupils each year through free ticketsfor pupils in need, transport support, and a free book for every participant, supported by Claire and Mark Urquhart. Authors appearing include Cressida Cowell, Julia Donaldson, Neill Cameron, and Jodie Ounsley of Gladiators fame, while the LNER Kids Zone and Families Hangout offer creative activities and relaxed reading spaces designed for all ages, with free events daily.

A dedicated Young Adults programme for readers aged 30 and under includes BookTok sensation Jack Edwards bringing his Inklings Book Club to life as a live podcast, alongside YA authors Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Holly Bourne, and a range of special pop-up events let audiences connect with one another and make new friendships.

The Festival’s year-round Communities Programme works to address literacy inequality and social isolation. Paper Trails, the flagship five-year library initiative launched by HM Queen Camilla in 2025 and developed with City of Edinburgh Council, works with five Edinburgh libraries through co-created creative programming.

This August, events will be livestreamed free to libraries across 20+ Scottish local authorities (up from 13 LA’s in 2025), including as far afield as Shetland. Community work will also be visible throughout the Festival in the Communities Cabaret, the Where We Are exhibition featuring work by Edinburgh College of Art students, and writing from young people at Spartan Foundation’s Alternative School, as well as in visits to hospitals and prisons by a range of authors.

Events will continue to be livestreamed globally with a Pay What You Can model helping to widen access, alongside live and AI captioning, British Sign Language provision and events designed for audiences with learning disabilities.

Lyse Ducet, Chief International Correspondent and senior BBC presenter

FURTHER PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

How to Live a Meaningful Life offers warmth and perspective: Waterstones Children’s Laureate and the first ever Children’ Booker Prize judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce discusses protecting childhood, Prue Leithreflects on the pleasures of ageing, and philosopher Julian Baggini celebrates the meaning of coffee – with a tasting from Santu Coffee.

Table Talks returns with the chance to share a meal with writers including Ella Risbridger, Yasmin Khan, Jess Elliott Dennison, Meera Sodha, Michelin-starred chef Santiago Lastra and former Ottolenghi pastry chef Helen Goh.

Poetry ranges from Loud Poets’ Grand Slam Final and Push the Boat Out’s Open Mic Night to Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa and Peter MacKay – the UK and Welsh Poet Laureates and Scottish Makar – on the idea of national poetic identity.

The Festival’s Spiegeltent programme includes a new edition of Buffy’s Book Club, a celebration of 50 years of Scottish punk with Caledonia Screaming, and Hamish Hawk performing the Festival-commissioned Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 0, following a UK tour and sold-out Glasgow show.

Workshops cover war reporting with Sally Hayden, translation with Polly Barton, Tarot as a writing tool with Jill Dawson, and – building on the Festival theme – open conversations with Sarah Stein Lubranoand deep listening with Emily Kasriel.

National Theatre of Scotland launches True Story project

  • 20 years ago on 25 February, the National Theatre of Scotland staged its first production. Today, the Company launches a special project to celebrate 20 years of game-changing theatre.
  • National Theatre of Scotland is issuing a nationwide call out for stories from the public, with one chosen in 2026 to be brought to theatrical life in 2027.
  • Leading broadcaster and presenter Lorraine Kelly comes on board as a True Story Ambassador.
  • Leading Scottish cultural figures take on roles as True Story Champions with Val McDermid, Greg McHugh, Shereen Nanjiani, Len Pennie and Irvine Welsh supporting the call-out to encourage the nation to participate.

In the Company’s 20th year and for the first time ever, Scotland’s National Theatre is inviting the public to share real-life stories that deserve to be told on Scotland’s stages; be they true stories rooted in history, place, or community, the personal and family narratives that have shaped lives, or authentic tales that resonate through humour, resilience, struggle, triumph or hope.

“Everyone’s got a story to tell. What’s yours?”

From a shortlist, one incredible story will be selected by public vote, and brought to life by a team of leading Scottish theatre artists, for public presentation in 2027. 

The call out will be live until 13 May 2026 with a short list announced to the public in September 2026, with the winner announced in November 2026.

Full details on how to get involved here. 

Twenty years of compelling real-life stories.

Over the last twenty years, the National Theatre of Scotland, has gained a world-wide reputation for turning compelling real life Scottish stories into unique new plays that have been shared with audiences, and earned plaudits on stages in Scotland and beyond.

The soldiers in the Black Watch regiment, deployed to Iraq, (Black Watch), the group of girls from Glasgow, who fought for their friend to be saved from deportation, (Glasgow Girls), the story of Adam who crossed borders and genders to find himself (Adam), the historical exploits of three Scottish medieval kings (The James Plays), or the story of Fred Goodwin and the rise of fall of RBS (Make it Happen); all these exceptional stories have captured the imaginations of audiences over the last 20 years.

The National Theatre of Scotland’s 20th birthday programme also includes Stand and Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit In which will bring the powerful story of the Lee Jean’s Factory workers to life in a new piece of touring gig theatre.

The Company is delighted to have the support of celebrated Scottish cultural figures to encourage the nation to participate. 

Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director said :”It feels entirely fitting to mark the Company’s 20th birthday with a project that celebrates Scotland as a nation of storytellers.  Real life stories have become part of the DNA of NTS; ordinary people living extraordinary lives, or indeed extraordinary events in history that have resonated across time.

“These stories and characters have captured the imaginations of artists and audiences throughout NTS’s history, and I can’t wait to listen to the great Scottish public and to find out their true stories and to then support the journey of one special story onto the stage, alongside a team of brilliant Scottish artists.” 

Lorraine Kelly is joining the team as a True Story Ambassador, and she will be involved in the call out and judging process. 

Lorraine is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and Sunday Times bestselling author, best known for her ITV show Lorraine.  In 2024, she was awarded a BAFTA for her outstanding contribution to the television industry, marking four-decades of service to broadcasting. She has also been awarded an OBE and a CBE.

She has made special documentaries commemorating both the tragedies in Dunblane and Lockerbie. In addition to her eponymous show, she has also presented many other TV programmes including Lorraine Kelly’s Norwegian Odyssey, The Last Leg, Queens for the Night and Have I Got News For You?

She is also a best-selling novelist with her debut novel, The Island Swimmer, set in Orkney, published in 2024.

Lorraine Kelly, True Story ambassador said: “Ever since I started out as a teenage reporter on the East Kilbride News, and later as a presenter and author, I have been fascinated by real life stories.

“I am a naturally curious person, and I have had the privilege of listening to thousands of stories over the years, allowing me insight into the personal, the extraordinary and the sometimes, dramatic.

“I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for the National Theatre of Scotland’s True Story project and to support their call out to the great Scottish public to find a special story that will resonate with Scottish audiences.

“I can’t wait to sit with the True Story submissions later this year and immerse myself in what I imagine will be a treasure trove of compelling testimonies and exceptional stories.” 

TRUE STORY CHAMPIONS

Five fabulous Scottish cultural figures have taken on the role of being True Story Champions, supporting the call out for true stories.

They are Val McDermid, crime author known for Karen Pirie and The Wire in the Blood; Greg McHugh, actor and writer who created and starred in Gary Tank Commander; Shereen Nanjiani, broadcaster for the BBC, and MBE for services to broadcast in Scotland; Len Pennie, poet, Scots language performer; and writer and Irvine Welsh, novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker known for Trainspotting, Filth and Porno. 

Val McDermid, author, said: “We’re a nation of storytellers. Everybody’s got a story. You hear it at the bus stop, you hear it in the pub, you hear it everywhere you go. You’ve all got stories.

“We want to hear your stories. And that’s why the National Theatre of Scotland has started a campaign to gather your stories together to make new stories for the next generation and beyond.”

Greg McHugh, actor and writer, said: “They say that truth is stranger than fiction. The National Theatre of Scotland have taken this on board in a big way with their project True Story that involves the great Scottish public.

“They are choosing one brilliant true story to put on stage which I think is a great idea and a fabulously fun way to celebrate the Company’s 20th birthday.”

Shereen Nanjiani, broadcaster, said: “In my 40-year career as a news broadcaster I have reported on hundreds of Scotland’s stories, big and small.

“I was the first person of Asian heritage to become a TV newsreader in Scotland, and that’s made me acutely aware of the need to tell stories that reflect our country in all its rich diversity, and to hear from those whose voices often don’t get heard.

“I’m also passionate about the power of theatre to bring us together, to make us think, to move us, to make us laugh and cry.”

Len Pennie, poet, said: “I am a firm believer that every single person has a story that is worth telling and worth hearing.

“There’s nothing like a good story for making you feel happy, sad, scared – the full spectrum of human emotion!

“But even more special than that is sharing a story with somebody. It’s about connection, community, empathy, just knowing that you’re not alone.”

Irvine Welsh, author, said: “True stories inform everything. They inform our imagination or experience or creation of other stories or embellishment of stories or creation of fiction.

“So there’s the old saying that the truth is stranger than fiction, and generally it’s true. True stories are important because they’re the the bedrock of our creativity and our culture.” 

Edinburgh writers named as SBT New Writer Awardees

Four writers from Edinburgh have been named as this year’s recipients of Scottish Book Trust’s 2024 New Writers Award. 

Tutor Alice Rowena Wilson, writer and poet Shasta Hanif Ali, primary teacher Amie Robertson and journalist Sukhada Tatke were selected out of hundreds of entries to take part in this year’s mentorship programme.  

Every year, Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, holds its prestigious year-long writer development programme to support burgeoning writers in Scotland. In addition to a £2,500 cash prize, awardees receive invaluable mentorship from established writers and industry professionals, a week-long retreat, and opportunities to showcase their work to key figures in the publishing world.  

Since its launch in 2009, the New Writers Awards have had an extraordinary impact on publishing. Of the 212 awardees who have completed the programme, 96 have published their work, and 210 books have been published worldwide.

Previous awardees include Graeme Macrae Burnet whose 2015 novel His Bloody Project was shortlisted for the Man Book Prize.  

Pakistani-Scottish writer Shasta Hanif Ali is a winner of the Edinburgh 900 Poetry Competition 2025 and the 2024 Candlestick Press Light Poems competition. 

She’s also written and performed her poetry at Push The Boat Out Poetry Festival and Edinburgh’s International Book Festival amongst others.    

She says: ‘I am delighted to receive the New Writers Award 2026 and grateful to the Scottish Book Trust for this opportunity.  It’s come at just the right time for my writing and development. I’m looking forward to meeting the other awardees and being in community.’    

Alice Rowena Wilson is originally from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire and now lives in Edinburgh, where she works as a tutor. She was previously selected for the BBC New Creatives programme, in partnership with Arts Council England.

Her short drama was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2021. She is particularly interested in the intersection of the historical, the fantastical, and the imaginary.

 Alice says: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to receive this award. I was totally shocked when I got the call – I’d just woken up from a nap and thought it was a bizarre dream! 

“I’m now looking forward to throwing myself into my writing this year, and making the most of this opportunity.’  

Amie Robertson is a primary school teacher from Edinburgh, who specialises in children’s stories. Her stories weave a passion for Scottish history and mythology with the lived reality of her working-class background.   

She has completed two writing courses at Edinburgh University, where her children’s picture book, My Secret Dragon was chosen for their writing showcase. She is working on her second middle-grade novel, inspired by historical Hebridean clans with an added touch of magic.   

Amie says: ‘I am shocked and overjoyed to have won the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award and cannot emphasise enough how much it truly means.

“It has given me the confidence and determination to go after my writing dreams, with the invaluable support and insight from those within the business. I just can’t wait to get started!’  

Sukhada Tatke is an independent journalist and communications officer at a think tank. She was the inaugural recipient of this year’s The Kavya Prize, to support an emerging writer of colour. 

Originally from Mumbai, India, she currently lives in Edinburgh. Her features have been published in Al Jazeera, Wired, BBC and Atlas Obscura, and essays in literary magazines such as The Rumpus, Literary Hub, Commonwealth Writers’ and Verseville. She is the recipient of several journalism awards and fellowships.  

Sukhada says: ‘I am incredibly thrilled and honoured to receive this award. In what is often a solitary journey riddled with challenges and self-doubt, it is wonderful to get the kind of recognition that tells you you’re on the right path.

“I look forward to meeting my cohort and the many opportunities this award will bring.’  

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:  ‘Congratulations to this year’s New Writers, each of whom were selected for this opportunity for their exceptional writing. It’s always incredible to meet our awardees as they start their year-long journey of receiving invaluable support and mentorship.

“We look forward to seeing the next steps in their writing journeys.’  

Here is the full list of awardees: 

  • Shasta Hanif Ali, poetry   
  • EmmaClaire Brightlyn, spoken word  
  • Alice Rowena Wilson, fiction and narrative non-fiction  
  • Amie Robertson, children’s and young adult  
  • Sukhada Tatke, Kavya winner 
  • Donna Louise Irvine, Scots   
  • David Ross Linklater, poetry  
  • Andy Grace Edwards, fiction and narrative non-fiction  
  • Sam Tanner, children and young adult 

Local history writing competition

📣 Calling all Edinburgh storytellers & history lovers!

The William Anderson Award for Local History Projects is back 🎉

We’re inviting Edinburgh residents aged 18 years and over to submit an original essay (1,500–2,000 words) exploring the city’s rich past, inspired by the themes of Edinburgh 900 — from royal connections and faith to innovation, Enlightenment, and beyond.

The list of themes can be found at www.edinburgh.org/900/themes

✍️ Entries open: 1 October 2025

⏳ Deadline: 31 December 2025

🏆 A financial prize of £200 will be awarded to the winning project, supported by the descendants of William Anderson’s family in Canada. A printed copy of the winning entry will be placed in the Edinburgh and Scottish Collection at Central Library for reference.

Submissions to be sent to localhistory@edinburgh.gov.uk

Help us celebrate Edinburgh’s story and shape its legacy! 🌟

Taylor Wimpey teams up with Scottish Book Trust to bring magic of author visits to school children in Scotland

Homebuilder Taylor Wimpey has made a generous donation to Scottish Book Trust to fund author visits to school children in east Scotland.

For the second year running, Taylor Wimpey has announced during Book Week Scotland that they will fund ten Live Literature sessions for children at Scotland’s schools in the central belt, and five will be for schools in the east.

The Live Literature programme inspires a love of reading and writing and is delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing. These sessions allow for a children’s author to visit a chosen school, bringing the magic of reading into the classroom.

The schools that benefited from Taylor Wimpey’s previous donation in the 2024-2025 Live Literature sessions were:

  • Lumphinnans Primary School in Fife, welcoming Natalie Russell, to help engage pupils in reading and writing.
  • Forrester High School in Edinburgh, inviting Alastair Chisholm to discuss the role of technology in his novels.
  • Dalkeith High School, holding workshops on creating graphic novels.
  • Glenlee Primary School in South Lanarkshire, welcoming Shelley Mack to promote the joy of reading.
  • Craigbank Primary School in South Lanarkshire, welcoming Vivien French, to encourage pupils to diversify their reading.
  • Eastertoun Primary School in West Lothian, holding sessions to support the school’s growing reading culture.
Picture – Chris Watt Photography 07887554193 info@chriswatt.com www.chriswatt.com

Kirsty McGill, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland said: “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Scottish Book Trust for another year and contribute to the celebration of World Book Day 2026.

“By funding 10 author visits in February and March next year, we aim to inspire young readers and support Scottish Book Trust’s mission to bring the magic of books to life.

“This initiative aligns with our commitment to supporting the communities where we build, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on children across our local areas.”

Marc Lambert, CEO Scottish Book Trust, said: “We are grateful to the generosity of Taylor Wimpey who, for the second year, is supporting our Live Literature programme.

“Author visits to schools really inspire children to have a life-long love of reading and writing. There is such a demand for Live Literature sessions from organisations across Scotland that we can’t meet all our requests, so this support is very welcome indeed.

“We look forward to discovering which authors and illustrators will be visiting schools, and the creative and uplifting experiences they will bring to pupils.”

Applications for the Taylor Wimpey funded Live Literature sessions are now open and close on Friday 28 November.

Find out more at Scottish Book Trust.

Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland

£1,500 Prize Offered as Search Begins for Best Literary Essay

  • Past winner urges everyone with a story to tell to get writing
  • Prize honours journalist and book festival chair Anne Brown

Wigtown Book Festival has launched the annual Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland. The £1,500 prize is awarded for the best literary essay by a writer in, or from, Scotland.

Each year the number of entries has grown, along with variety of subjects tackled by their writers.

Adrian Turpin, Wigtown Book Festival Artistic Director, said: “Essays are among the most powerful forms of writing, allowing writers to dig deep into issues and share ideas and feelings with readers in a way that combines impact with intimacy.

“Sadly, there are all too few outlets for essays these days. The Anne Brown Essay Prize is an attempt to change this, providing a platform for essayists from or with a strong connection to Scotland – a country where the essay has a proud tradition.

“As ever we will be looking for compelling writing that will engage readers by offering them fresh perspective on anything and everything, from the level of individual human experience through to vast events which shape our entire world.” 

Last year’s winner was Edinburgh-based Sarah Whiteside for Thin Slices.

Sarah urged writers to enter the competition, saying: “The essay form allows for complexity and nuance and I think it’s great the Anne Brown prize is dedicated to supporting these qualities in Scottish writing.

“My essay was a personal story that aimed to show autism as a difference rather than a deficit, something I feel passionately about; it was so affirming to know my words would be shared and read as part of a wider conversation.

“If you have a story to tell, and everybody does, and particularly if you come from an underrepresented community, I would encourage you to share it by entering this year’s competition.

“I definitely didn’t think I would win, so don’t let yourself be put off by that!” 

In addition to the cash, the winner receives a trophy designed by artist Astrid Jaekel, their entire essay is published on the festival website and a lengthy excerpt appears in The Herald.

Previous winners were Dani Garavelli for The Bequest, which movingly explores her Italian-Scottish heritage and Rodge Glass for On the Covenant, which addressed aspects of his relationship with his Jewish family.

The competition commemorates journalist and former Wigtown Book Festival Chair Anne Brown and is supported by her children, Richard and Jo.

The 2025 winner will be revealed at a special event during the festival, which runs from 26 September to 5 October.

See www.wigtownbookfestival.com for full details.

Edinburgh writers win prestigious Ignite Fellowship

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today announced the seventh cohort of Ignite Fellows, a prestigious award which supports established writers working on a significant project. The 2025 Fellows include Edinburgh-based writers Katie Goh and Carol Farrelly.

Ignite Fellows receive a £2,500 bursary and creative support tailored to suit their individual projects. Gaelic writer Seaonaidh Charity, based in the Highlands, has also been awarded an Ignite Fellowship this year.

Katie Goh is a writer and editor. Katie’s award-nominated essays, journalism and criticism have appeared in publications including Port, The Guardian, Wasafiri, i-D, Dazed and Gal-dem, and she is an editor for Extra Teeth and Gutter magazines.

Katie is the author of The End: Surviving the World Through Imagined Disasters, which was shortlisted for the inaugural Kavya Prize in 2022, and Foreign Fruit, their debut memoir, which will be published by Canongate in 2025.

Katie grew up in the north of Ireland and now lives in Edinburgh.

Katie Goh said: ‘I am delighted and honoured to be the recipient of an Ignite Fellowship.

“The Fellowship will support a creative non-fiction project, and I am grateful to Scottish Book Trust for this opportunity to further develop my writing as I take the plunge with a new book.’

Carol Farrelly is a fiction writer from Glasgow. Her short stories have appeared in journals such as Granta, Stand and New Writing Scotland, and have been commissioned by BBC Radio 4.

In 2021, her story ‘Turnstones’ won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Canada & Europe region.

She has been shortlisted for the Society of Authors’ Tom-Gallon Trust Award, the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, the Bridport Prize and the Alpine Fellowship. She is a previous Scottish Book Trust New Writer and Robert Louis Stevenson Fellow.

Carol holds a DPhil on Thomas Hardy’s fiction and is a graduate of the University of Glasgow’s MLitt Creative Writing programme. She is currently working on a novel, which travels from Dublin to Dumfries and Galloway.

Carol Farrelly said: ‘I am thrilled to receive an Ignite Fellowship: it’s such a gift. I cannot thank Scottish Book Trust enough for giving me the resources and support to focus on my work.

“Let the new year begin!’

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Congratulations to our three new Ignite Fellows, who are very deserving of this award.

“The Ignite Fellowship provides writers with essential mentoring, financial assistance and practical support that will help them reach new heights in their careers.

“We’re thrilled to support these writers on their next chapters and look forward to seeing how their projects progress.’

Scotland’s Stories: Hope

BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND: 18 – 24 NOVEMBER 2024

Without stories, there is no hope. That’s why ‘hope’ is the perfect theme for this year’s Book Week Scotland (18 – 24 November), and the inspiration behind our new edition of Scotland’s Stories.

Comprised of original stories written by the people of Scotland, over 60,000 copies of our new book, Hope. will be sent to every corner of the country.

Look out for your free copy of Hope this November, and explore the Book Week Scotland programme anytime.

https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/book-week-scotland

Editor’s Note: Delighted to announce that I have a story, Hope and Consolation, included in this year’s selection!

Booker Prize 2024 shortlist films announced

  • Well-known faces from Harry Potter, Sex Education, Game of Thrones, The Bear, His Dark Materials and more star in new films showcasing Booker Prize 2024 shortlist.  
  • Produced by globally renowned Merman Television, the films are directed by one of UK television’s fastest-rising stars – writer, director, and producer Sebastian Thiel. 
  • Previous films showcasing the Booker Prizes’ shortlisted novels have been viewed over 50 million times and high-profile performers include Dua Lipa, David Harewood, Caitriona Balfe and Alfred Enoch. 
  • Novels written by authors from five countries feature on this year’s shortlist and five of the six are written by women, a first in the prize’s 55-year history.  

@TheBookerPrizes | #BookerPrize2024 | thebookerprizes.com

For the fifth time in three years, the Booker Prizes have partnered with Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s production company Merman Television on a series of short films featuring well-known performers reading extracts from the shortlisted books.

Their release has become one of the most highly anticipated moments in the Booker Prizes’ calendar, with some of the UK’s leading acting and filmmaking talent keen to take part. The previous set of films, published in April, were viewed over 32 million times across the Booker Prizes’ social media channels. 

The new films, which showcase the 2024 shortlist for the Booker Prize, the world’s most influential award for a single work of fiction, are directed by writer, director and producer Sebastian Thiel, one of UK television’s fastest-rising stars. His directing credits include the International Emmy-nominated BBC Three comedy Dreaming Whilst Black, and the recent Netflix series Supacell.  

The performers featured are: Adelayo Adedayo (The Responder, Some Girls), Nonso Anozie (Sweet Tooth, Game of Thrones), Chipo Chung (Silo, His Dark Materials), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter, The Death of Stalin), Will Poulter (Dopesick, Midsommar) and Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education, The Decameron). 

The films will premiere at a Booker Prize shortlist event at the Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival at 10.30am on Saturday, 12 October, and will be published on the Booker Prizes website (thebookerprizes.com) and social channels (@thebookerprizes) the same day. They will also be shown at the Booker Prize 2024 ceremony, which will be held at Old Billingsgate, London, on Tuesday, 12 November. 

The trailer for the films can be watched here. 

Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, says: ‘Over the past three years the films we make with Merman have become not only one of the highlights of the Booker year, but works of art in their own right: a project that world-class actors and filmmakers want to be a part of.

‘We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone involved for the impact they have in inspiring more people to read some of the century’s greatest books. 

‘Watching extraordinary actors bring fragments of the Booker shortlisted books to life is a huge thrill, and seeing the love the films get from the public once they’re out in the world proves how vivid these stories can be for everyone. We receive countless comments from people saying they want to buy and read the whole book as a result. 

‘This time round the six films have been conjured by the artistry of Sebastian Thiel and his talented crew, including Director of Photography Evelin van Rei. Along with the brilliant producers and casting director at Merman, a true dream team! 

‘We hope you enjoy these films as much as we have.’ 

Sebastian Thiel, Director of the film, adds: ‘It was a privilege to direct Booker’s latest videos and be part of a project that celebrates such great literature.

“Working with these remarkable texts and talented actors in an intimate setting inspired me creatively, allowing me to focus on simple yet meaningful visuals. It’s been a truly rewarding experience, bringing these powerful stories to life.”

More about the shortlist

The £50,000 Booker Prize is awarded annually to the best sustained work of fiction written in English by authors from anywhere in the world and published in the UK and/or Ireland.  

The 2024 shortlist features five women for the first time, and authors representing five countries, including the first Dutch writer to be shortlisted and the first Australian in a decade. It features stories which transport readers around the world and beyond the Earth’s atmosphere: from the battlefields of the First World War to a spiritual retreat in rural Australia; from America’s Deep South in the 19th century to a remote Dutch house in the 1960s; from the International Space Station to a cave network beneath the French countryside.  

The six books – and the performers reading extracts from them in the films – are as follows:  

James by Percival Everett – read by Nonso Anozie 

Orbitalby Samantha Harvey – read by Will Poulter  

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner – read by Adelayo Adedayo  

Heldby Anne Michaels – read by Jason Isaacs 

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden – read by Tanya Reynolds  

Stone Yard Devotionalby Charlotte Wood – read by Chipo Chung  

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, 12 November 2024. The announcement will be broadcast live in a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s Front Row at 9.30pm, and livestreamed on the Booker Prizes’ social channels. 

More about the Booker Prizes’ films

The Booker Prizes have worked with Merman on its shortlist films since 2022. The previous sets of films were directed by Charlotte Hamblin, Hannah Berry George and Kevin Thomas, and featured performances from Dua Lipa, Eleanor Tomlinson, David Jonsson, Tobias Menzies, Anya Chalotra, Antonia Thomas, Anna Friel, Jarvis Cocker, David Harewood, Nikki Amuka Bird, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Sharon Horgan, Adjoa Andoh, Aisling Bea, Jessica Brown Findlay, Toby Stephens, Michelle de Swarte, Osy Ikhile, Caitríona Balfe, Alfred Enoch, Bel Powley, Paterson Joseph, Susan Lynch and Nina Wadia.  

The most recent set of films, produced for the International Booker Prize 2024 and directed by Charlotte Hamblin, was viewed over 32 million times across the Booker Prizes’ Instagram and TikTok accounts. The films produced for the Booker Prize 2022, directed by Kevin Thomas, won in the Culture category of The Drum Awards for Marketing EMEA 2023.  

The director of photography for the new films is Evelin van Rei, a Dutch autistic artist working in photography and cinematography. Evelin is a full member of BAFTA and the Netherlands Society of Cinematographers, and received the Angénieux Special Encouragement Award at Cannes Film Festival in 2022. The executive producer is Joshua Buckingham. 

BBC’s 500 Words competition winners announced

The winners of the UK’s most successful children’s writing competition, 500 Words, have been unveiled on World Book Day® in a special episode of The One Show – 500 Words with The One Show – on BBC One and iPlayer.

From thousands of talented entries, six exceptional young authors who submitted their stories to the BBC’s 500 words competition were crowned last week at the Grand Final in Buckingham Palace, with their identities kept secret until the big reveal on today’s special edition of The One Show.

Her Majesty the Queen invited Romesh Ranganathan and a host of celebrity readers including Hugh Bonneville, Oti Mabuse, Luke Evans, Olivia Dean, Tom Hiddleston and star of Matilda, Alisha Weir, to Buckingham Palace for the final event which opened with a special performance of ‘Pure Imagination’ from ‘Wonka’, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures, followed by ‘When I Grow Up’ performed by the West End cast of Matilda The Musical.

All the excitement from entire event, including all the live performances by celebrity readers of the winning stories, will be available to watch on CBBC at 4pm Friday 8 March.

Speaking at the Grand Final, Her Majesty The Queen said: “In the three years that we have been without this wonderful competition, I think we have realised how much we have missed it.

“Over the years, it has actually turned into half a billion words that have been written, typed, scribbled and tumbled onto thousands of pages by children across the UK, read by an army of volunteers and then sent to Oxford University Press to form the biggest collection of children’s writing in the world.

“That means that between you, you have created more than a million stories of thought-provoking adventure for future generations to study and enjoy. Thank you to everybody who has taken part in 500 Words – it is a huge pleasure to have you back.”

BBC Head of Education, Helen Foulkes said: “It’s incredible that we received almost 44,000 entries – the calibre of stories submitted this year have been exceptionally high.

“500 Words is all about encouraging children from across the UK to enjoy writing and let their imaginations run wild, without fear of spelling, punctuation or grammar. Our hope is that every child that entered continues to fall in love with writing.”

The six winners were chosen from two age group categories, ages 5-7 and 8-11 with each consisting of gold, silver and bronze awards.

500 Words Gold Winners

  • The GOLD Winner for 5-7 age group is Evan from London, his story, Message in a Bottle was read by singer Olivia Dean. Evan said: “I like writing descriptions, letters and diaries.”
  • The GOLD Winner for the 8-11 age group is Olive from London, her story, Cellmate was read by actor, Tom Hiddleston. Olive said: “It came from the depths of my brain, I never knew what was down there, now I do!”

500 Words Silver Winners

  • The SILVER Winner for the 5-7 age group is Clara from Leicestershire, her story, Pony With a Coat on – Solving Crimes was read by Matilda star, Alisha Weir.
  • The SILVER Winner for the 8-11 age group was Spencer from Glasgow, his story, The Scottish Gangsta was read by Hugh Bonneville.

500 Words Bronze Winners

  • The BRONZE Winner for the 5-7 age group was Henry from Oxfordshire, his story The Alien and the Purple Planet was read by Oti Mabuse.
  • The BRONZE Winner for the 8-11 age group was Aaron from Oxfordshire, his story A Very Important Lesson was read by actor and singer, Luke Evans.

The 500 Words judges included Sir Lenny Henry, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Francesca Simon, Charlie Higson, and Malorie Blackman, who were chaired by BBC Breakfast’s Jon Kay.

Each of the finalist’s stories are available to read now on the BBC Teach website, alongside audio versions which have been voiced specially by BBC Radio Drama Actors