Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) has announced its full programme, with the central theme of ‘repair’ and more than 700 events featuring writers from across the globe. Taking place from Saturday 9 – Sunday 24 August, the festival will return to the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) for a second year, welcoming a line-up that includes Yellowface author RF Kuang, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre and more. 

Its central theme aims to explore ‘the many things around us which feel broken and how we might seek to fix them’ via the insights of experts, lessons learned from history, the natural world, and our own sense of shared humanity. Some leading lights exploring the topic include Robert Macfarlane, Louise Welsh, and Monica Feria-Tinta, who’ll discuss whether rivers should be granted personhood. Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Philippe Sands and journalist Steve Crawshaw will ask whether ‘justice’ can really be restored in a time of chaos, and historian Olesya Khromeychuk and journalist Jen Stout will honour the legacy of Ukrainian novelist and war crimes researcher Victoria Amelina. 

Beyond its political or philosophical discussions, the Brilliant Fiction strand will welcome Leith lad Irvine Welsh for a catch-up with the continued adventures of Trainspotting's ragtag crew; AL Kennedy will discuss justice and mercy; Judy Murray will serve up some crime fiction; and Girl On The Train author Paula Hawkins will introduce her new thriller. In music, poetry and performance, Hamish Hawk will pay tribute to fellow pop-eccentric Ivor Cutler, while performances from Mallachy Tallack, Simone Seales, and Mele Broomes are also on the bill. 

In non-fiction, highlights include Nicola Sturgeon and Diane Abbott, Naga Munchetty, and Ash Sarkar, as well as stars of the stage and screen including Brian Cox, Ruth Jones, Adam Buxton, Viggo Mortensen and Vanessa Redgrave. 

Brand-new to the festival is the Young Adults strand, which specially curates acts with special appeal for those under the age of 30, bunny-hopping between topics as diverse as romantasy, sci-fi, horror, health, food and wellness. For an even younger audience is the Kids Zone, another new addition to EIBF which will act as a dedicated hub for children alongside more than 100 dedicated events, including a retrospective from Jacqueline Wilson.

Jenny Niven, director of EIBF, said: ‘This year’s key theme of repair starts from the idea that the brilliant ideas of writers and thinkers can help us repair a host of seemingly “broken” things in our society, from the cycle of fast fashion and our relationship with the environment, to cultural reparations and the state of our politics. It’s a statement of hope and resilience, and an invitation for our audiences to think about what repair might mean for them. 

‘At a time when important conversations can feel impossible to have without igniting conflict and anger, we want the Edinburgh International Book Festival to provide a safe place for challenging but considered discussions. This year our programme features over 600 writers and artists from 35 countries, who have a wide range of perspectives on topics of personal, social and global importance. We invite you to come and learn something new, feed your curiosity and to broaden your horizons.

‘The Book Festival is also a space for play and creativity and we have an imaginative feast in store for audiences too – from stories from all around the world, to commissions of brand new music and theatre, and a Frankenstein-themed cabaret, as well as a brand-new Kids Zone for our youngest audiences and their families, and a dedicated Young Adults programme for the very first time. So we hope people can have a fully rounded experience, all under one roof. We can’t wait to see you there.’

Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh Futures Institute, Saturday 9-Sunday 24 August.