books feature

3 to see: Book Festival tips

The ThreeWeeks’ Book Correspondents offer their tips for Book Festival 2008

Gemma Scott's tips...

Jacqueline Wilson
Jacqueline Wilson is one of the most prolific and well-read children’s authors today. Young girls (and some boys too, we’re not judging here) will love to hear her talking about her new book, ‘My Sister Jodie’.
RBS, 23 Aug, 10.00am, bfpp 61.

Meet Anne Fine
‘Meet Anne Fine’ is another event that I’m stupidly excited about. Her sarcastic humour will keep the grown-ups entertained, and you’ll learn why she started writing, and where she gets her seemingly endless ideas.
Scottish Power Studio Theatre, 24 Aug, 2.00pm, bfpp 65.

Happy Birthday Angelina Ballerina
For little princesses everywhere, ‘Happy Birthday Angelina Ballerina!’ will include author Katharine Holabird, but more importantly “a visit from a surprise guest”. Any guesses?
RBS Imagination Lab, 21 Aug, 5.00pm, bfpp 53.

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Sonya Hallet's tips...

Stefan Collini and Peter Conrad
Behind all art forms is a process of creation and creativity, but to what extent is art also informed by wider cultural factors, including the influence of criticism? Such questions form the crux of wide-ranging discussion led by two experienced and dynamic commentators.
Scottish Power Studio Theatre, 15 Aug, 6.00pm, bfpp 26.

The Book Of Life
If you believe in the old cliché that science and humanities are like water and oil, maybe this event will make you think again; an unusual mix of geneticists and poets discuss the relationship between science and art; how science can influence art and what art could contribute to science.
Highland Park Spiegeltent, 16 Aug, 7.00pm, bfpp 32.

Xiaolu Guo
Chinese author Xiaolu Guo talks about China today and its relationship with the past, as well as discussing her new book ’20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth’. From previous experience, Xiaolu is a fantastically energetic and feisty speaker whose strong opinions are sure to inspire debate.
Pepper’s Theatre, 17 Aug, 6.45pm, bfpp 35.

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Patrick Low's tips...

Tony Benn: The Cornelian Asset Managers Event
In an age of media savvy, middle ground politicians, Tony Benn’s forthright views and oratory are a must see. Add to that his son being a cabinet minister and this event could make for the talk of the festival.
RBS Main Theatre, 14 Aug, 1.30pm, bfpp 22.

Libby Purves: Lived Lives
This is one of those events that cover such an emotionally raw topic, the suicide of Purves’ son, that it feels odd recommending it. However, I feel this talk from the doyenne of British Broadcasting is one to miss at your peril.
RBS Main Theatre, 13 Aug, 4.30pm, bfpp 19.

Michael Billington: Society and Culture
One of the nation’s best loved theatre critics talking at the world’s greatest arts festival; need I say more? Billington is a national institution and a speaker that any avid theatre goer would be a fool to pass up on.
Scottish Power Studio Theatre, 17 Aug, 12.00pm, bfpp 34.

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Jess Shankleman's tips...

Vibrant or Too Violent?
How to get more teens to read? The answer is probably to write something they’re interested in and something which is relevant to their lives. This debate will explore some of the grey areas surrounding teen fiction such as has it, in an attempt to appeal, become too violent and too gritty?
RBS Corner Theatre, 22 Aug, 6.30pm, bfpp 57.

Martin Rowson & Will Self
As children, people have relationships with inanimate objects and imaginary friends. And as adults, we have relationships with our pets and God. In this talk Will Self and Martin Rowson will question these relationships with our pets and compare them to our relationships with God.
ScottishPower Studio Theatre, 23 Aug, 3.30pm, bfpp 59.

Andrey Kurkov
My copy of Andrey Kurkov’s Death and the Penguin has been passed around countless friends and family members. Set in post-Soviet Kiev, it’s the story of an obituary writer, Victor and his somewhat surreal relationship with a depressed pet penguin Misha.
Peppers Theatre, 24 Aug, 6.45pm, bfpp 64.

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Rachel Gray's tips...

Alexander McCall Smith
McCall Smith will make not one, but three appearances this year. This is a chance to see the creator of the ‘No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency’ in his hometown, and the city which inspired the 44 Scotland Street novels.
RBS Main Theatre, 16, 19, 23 Aug, times vary, bfpp 32 and 44.

Sergio Della Sala
A Professor of Human Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, Sergio Della Sala’s talk promises to be an enlightening look at how our brains work, particularly the relationship between knowledge, learning, and how we come to understand.
RBS Corner Theatre, 14 Aug, 5.00pm, bfpp 23.

Chuck Palahniuk
Palahniuk, the provocative author of ‘Fight Club’, comes to this year’s Book Festival to talk about his new novel, ‘Snuff’. Not for the under 18s or the easily offended, this attention-grabbing event should be interesting at the very least.
RBS Main Theatre, 16 Aug, 8.00pm, bfpp 32.

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http://www.edbookfest.co.uk

published: Oct-2008

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