2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival

Inspiration Takes Flight In her powerful, emotive new memoir H is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald recounts her obsessive pursuit to become a falconer. Following the shock of her father’s death and inspired by T H White’s The Goshawk, she embarked on a journey to train her own goshawk. Macdonald joins us to discuss her celebratory, elegiac book - a reminder of our deep-rooted connections to the natural world. Chaired by Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer for the Guardian.

People with severe mental health issues are often stigmatised by society. From drugs to psychiatry, solutions are complex and expensive. Eleanor Longden, a voice hearer and a qualified psychologist joins James Ley, a playwright who explores his bi-polar disorder in his writing, and Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London, to discuss how hearing voices and other problems can be ‘creative and ingenious survival strategies’. Chaired by Dr Angela Woods, a lecturer in Medical Humanities.

After the Referendum His book Road to Referendum is a clear-minded history of Scotland’s journey towards its historic vote in September, and Iain Macwhirter argues that after the poll, constitutional change is inevitable. If so, where will the negotiations between Holyrood and Westminster start, and how are they likely to end? In this session Macwhirter outlines his view of the steps he believes both countries will take. Part of our Scotland's Future series of events.

Actor Turned Crime Writer With his second crime novel, John Gordon Sinclair continues to put distance between himself and Gregory’s Girl, the film that made his name. Two years ago he made his novel-writing debut and now he’s back with Blood Whispers, wrapping a grim tale around the CIA, Serbian gangs and a feisty Glaswegian lawyer. Hear how Sinclair created a central character who is at her most dangerous when under threat.

Iron Fist, Velvet Microphone Kate Mosse faces a tough task interviewing this fearsomely incisive celebrity interviewer. Lynn Barber faced a Twitter storm after an article on tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, but anonymous cyberhate is nothing for someone who has taken on the likes of Gore Vidal, James Stewart and Salvador Dali. In this event she discusses her memoir, A Curious Career, and those interviews that got nasty.

Time to Fight for Feminism In early 2012, journalists Rhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter co-founded The Vagenda blog. An instant hit, it received over 7 million views in year one, and has received votes of approval from the likes of Caitlin Moran and Laurie Penny. The creators discuss the site, their campaigning new book, and how they turn a high-pitched cacophony of negativity about women into something incredibly positive.

Only Remembered is a timeless and seminal anthology of First World War literature for children, edited by Michael Morpurgo and featuring artwork from renowned illustrator Ian Beck. Join Michael to hear more about this remarkable collection, which includes contributions from some of the UK’s leading cultural, political and literary figures. Part of our Words and War series of events.

No Repetition, Hesitation or Deviation The much-loved radio show Just a Minute has been delighting listeners for 46 years and every single episode of the programme has been hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Now, Parsons has produced his first book about Britain’s longest-running radio comedy show, and the venerable entertainer joins us today to enjoy some favourite moments and linguistic contortions that have made it such an enduring hit.

A Peculiarly British Upbringing Acclaimed comedian and actor Omid Djalili has produced a joyously funny memoir about growing up and finding fame as a young Iranian in London. He beautifully captures his unique childhood in his parents’ guesthouse, describing meetings with an array of remarkable characters and his own desire to escape. His story offers an intriguing perspective on British society today.

Creating Characters in Fiction The first sign that a book works is when the characters talk back to their author, and books can represent our internal voices unlike any other art form. A panel of award-winning novelists, Nathan Filer, Edward Carey and Matthew Quick talk about their relationships with their characters and their inner voices, exploring how a writer hears and channels the creative voice that drives a narrative or character. Part of our Conversations with Ourselves series of events.

Salvador Allende’s Last Stand Why was Latin America’s first democratically-elected Marxist president deposed in a violent coup in 1973? Why had business leaders and military officers in Chile been collaborating with the US Government and the CIA for months to end his regime? Colombian-born writer Oscar Guardiola-Rivera’s riveting Story of a Death Foretold lays bare the Cold War paranoia and rabid anti-communism that led to Allende’s downfall. In association with the Centre for Contemporary Latin American Studies

Genuinely Original Fiction One of contemporary rock and pop’s true mavericks, the former leader of The Teardrop Explodes dazzles with his brilliance as he launches One Three One upon the reading public. It features an 80s musical genius who heads to Sardinia with one thing on his addled mind: to settle some scores. Today, Julian Cope joins us to share his ideas and read from his Gnostic whodunit. Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.

Turning Points for Civilisation As part of a series of events selected by Richard Sennett exploring key ideas that have shaped humanity, this session discusses the idea and profound impact of capitalism. New York University sociologist Saskia Sassen and Paola Subacchi, research director in international economics at Chatham House, are joined by professor of political economy at Warwick University, Robert Skidelsky, in an event chaired by the manager of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, James Anderson. Part of our Guest Selector: Richard Sennett series of events.

Creativity and Belief Throughout history, divine intervention has influenced great artists, thinkers and leaders, and the voice of God is a distinct and separate presence in the minds of many people today. Author and former Bishop of Edinburgh, Richard Holloway, leads a discussion with writer Sara Maitland and psychiatrist and theologian Chris Cook to explore how religious beliefs and creative inspiration define our consciousness. Part of our Conversations with Ourselves series of events.

America’s Favourite Poet He’s twice been poet laureate in the US and says he hopes his poems ‘begin in Kansas and end in Oz’. Now Billy Collins returns with Aimless Love, his first collection of new and selected poems for 12 years. Elegant, poignant and thrillingly accessible, Collins’ book includes more than 50 new poems and selections from 4 favourite collections. They are deeply inspiring – and Collins performs them with great élan.

Champions of the Short Story Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib is a thrilling new voice from the Middle East. Educated at Brown University in the USA, her debut short story collection The Hidden Light of Objects offers a stunning perspective on lives overwhelmed by military or religious events. Tom Barbash is an acclaimed, bestselling San Francisco writer whose new book Stay Up With Me has been glowingly described as ‘the Great American Story Collection’. Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.

Laughing in the Face of Evil Join one of Britain’s most influential writers for this keynote event. The last time Martin Amis wrote about the Holocaust was in 1991 in his novel Time’s Arrow. Now he returns to the subject in a brand new and much-anticipated novel, The Zone of Interest. Amis succeeds in finding moments of unexpected comedy as love blossoms in a Nazi concentration camp. Supported by the Hawthornden Literary Retreat

No Artist is Slave to the State Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Zakes Mda is regarded as one of the most important novelists to have emerged on South Africa’s literary scene since the end of apartheid. The author of more than 20 novels and plays, Mda is now resident in the USA where he is a professor at Ohio University. He joins us today to discuss his output, including his new mystic-realist epic The Sculptors of Mapungubwe. Part of our Voices from South Africa series of events.

Literature’s Brilliant Experimenters Quite possibly Britain’s best hope for the future of literature, Ned Beauman’s first two novels have already picked up multiple prizes. Now he presents Glow, set in a strange South London where nothing quite seems to make sense. With a similar talent and a similarly unusual novel, Clemens J Setz returns with Indigo. Already shortlisted for the prestigious German Book Prize, it takes readers to an uncanny near future. Chaired by Richard Lea from the Guardian. Part of our First Book Award Nominee series of events.

From Strikers to Centre Forwards Yorkshire-born David Peace’s writing took an exciting turn with GB84, his ambitious novelisation of events during the miners’ strike. Later, Peace turned to football, first with The Damned United, a re-imagining of Brian Clough’s brief tenure at Leeds United, and then with Red or Dead, based on Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. Now Peace discusses his work with The Scotsman’s own great Yorkshireman, David Robinson.