The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Brave New Words in ‘age of political earthquakes’
Festival will task writers with making sense of global status quo
Reflections on recent political “earthquakes” will be at the heart of this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF), according to organisers.
Themes such as Brexit and the election of Donald Trump are expected to loom large as writers try to “make sense” of recent events when they gather in the Scottish capital this summer.
The August event, under the heading Brave New Words, will also explore topics of the moment such as truth and post-truth, terrorism, gender and identity.
In Edinburgh’s 70th anniversary year as a festival city, events in the programme will further re-examine the principles of reconciliation which saw the festivals come into being in post-war 1947.
Unveiling 2017’s offerings, EIBF director Nick Barley said: “This year’s festival programme goes under the name Brave New Words in response, I think, to the fact that we are living through strange political times. One of the sub-themes of the programme is ‘the age of political earthquakes’.
“When we started thinking about this programme over a year ago we could see that there were some unusual political decisions in the offing; Brexit had just happened and the possible election of Donald Trump seemed to signal that we might be in for some unusual times.
“The book festival’s approach (is to) try to make sense of our position in the world in this age of political earthquakes by using writers as a lens through which to look at the world.”
Founded in 1983, the EIBF is half the age of its fellow festivals, the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. But the fact that the Scottish capital is celebrating its 70th anniversary as a festival city is reflected in the EIBF programme.
Joining them in that celebration will be author Paul Auster, who is also 70 this year. In his first appearance at the festival, he will discuss his life and work at an event in partnership with the EIF.
Overall, the book festival will feature more than 1,000 participants from more than 50 nations. Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will debate the role of women in the world with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, while Andrew O’Hagan will deliver a keynote lecture on the future of Scotland.
Others coming to Edinburgh to tell their stories include foreign correspondent John Simpson, journalists Anna Pasternak and Jeremy Paxman, actors Stephen McGann and Charlotte Rampling, and Baroness Warsi, the UK’s first Muslim Cabinet member.
Also among the “awe-inspiring” array of writers will be Tracy Chevalier, Will Self, Joanne Harris, Zadie Smith and former business secretary Vince Cable.