The Edinburgh Worldwide Guide Pageant returns from 9 to 24 August with a programme themed round ‘Restore’. Pageant CEO Jenny Niven explains why mending what’s damaged – in society, the setting and ourselves – is the pressing dialog we want
Now in its forty sixth 12 months, the Edinburgh Worldwide Guide Pageant returns for 2 weeks this August, bringing collectively authors and literary followers from throughout the globe. We spoke to the competition’s CEO Jenny Niven concerning the points this 12 months’s theme, ‘Restore’, goals to make clear.
The theme this 12 months is Restore, ‘which seeks to discover the various issues round us which really feel damaged, and the way we would search to repair them’. What impressed the selection of this theme for the 2025 competition, and the way do you see it resonating with at this time’s audiences?
We imagine that dialogue and dialogue are a optimistic and hopeful factor in and of themselves. It may really feel in the intervening time like there may be simply an onslaught of inauspicious information and irresolvable battle.
However amongst all of that there are additionally sensible thinkers and nice concepts on this planet about how we are able to transfer ahead, and the way we would be capable to do issues otherwise. So our programme goals to showcase these, among the terrific books that assist convey these concepts, and likewise to remind folks that getting offline and being face-to-face with different individuals – even ones you don’t all the time agree with – generally is a enjoyable, uplifting, and even cathartic factor to do.
How does the competition plan to discover the idea of restore throughout completely different dimensions: social, environmental, political and private via its programming?
We’re trying on the concept of restore via a variety of lenses. A type of is environmental, taking a look at how new ideas would possibly assist us restore our imbalance with the pure world. So we’ve Robert McFarlane speaking about his new e-book about rivers having personhood standing, and likewise the superb Monica Feria Tinta, ‘Barrister for the Earth’ on reset our relationship with the setting at a structural stage.
We’re additionally taking a look at how we’ve turn into so divided, and have tough conversations, with individuals like Ash Sarkar, AC Grayling and Deborah Frances White. Philippe Sands is trying on the Worldwide Felony Court docket and reconciliation and elsewhere the fantastic novelist Hanif Kureishi joins us from his hospital mattress sharing how writing has helped him restore in very profound methods after his horrible accident in 2022.
Are you able to share particular examples of occasions or authors on this 12 months’s programme that embody the theme of restore in sudden methods?
It’s clear our audiences are more and more keen on collaborating in addition to simply listening, so we’ve acquired a full programme of workshops and actions additionally associated to restore. For example, we’ve acquired classes on the Japanese artwork of kintsugi, the place damaged ceramics are repaired in such a manner as to make them extra helpful, or Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton instructing us the way you would possibly restore a failing manuscript or novel… we’ve even acquired fermentation to restore your intestine well being.
We’re taking the theme in fairly playful instructions too so we’ve invited the sensible Scottish novelist Jenni Fagan to curate a cabaret on Frankenstein (the last word instance of restore) to rejoice a re-edition of that traditional, together with two upcoming Frankenstein movies, one in every of which was shot in Edinburgh.
The competition options 641 writers from 35 nations. How does this range contribute to a worldwide dialog about restore and therapeutic?
We’ve acquired some actually difficult geopolitical conversations within the programme spanning occasions within the Center East, trying on the altering face of the American political panorama, or exploring how indigenous leaders are protesting the destruction of the Amazon.
Listening to first hand from writers and journalists at occasions of nice change is an important manner of understanding the world round us, bringing seemingly distant and summary issues into correct focus.
Getting offline and being face-to-face with different individuals – even ones you don’t all the time agree with – generally is a enjoyable, uplifting, and even cathartic factor to do
It isn’t all problem although – among the large everlasting pleasure from e-book festivals is bringing writers who specialise within the creativeness to audiences, so listening to a brilliantly advised story from a author from someplace you’ve by no means been, whether or not that’s Korea or New Zealand or France, is likely one of the greatest methods to discover the world and construct curiosity and empathy for different individuals.
In what methods do you hope the theme of Restore will encourage attendees to take motion in their very own lives or communities?
On website on the Pageant, we’ve acquired two little backyard sheds programmed with actions for the entire length of the competition the place audiences can drop in and check out first hand very sensible restore duties together with stitching, mending, bike repairs and 3D printing.
Via that work, we’re getting extra drawn into the ‘Restore’ group as an organisation too which is sensible, and positively affecting the way in which we’re working as a competition.
For example, ‘The Wee Spoke Hub’, who we’ve approached to do bike restore workshops, are actually lending any collaborating creator who needs a bicycle at some point of their keep in Edinburgh, which helps us meet our ambitions round lowering our carbon footprint too.
How does the competition’s Younger Grownup programme, that includes authors, strategy the theme of restore for youthful audiences?
We’re actually dedicated to creating nice programmes for kids and younger individuals. A ‘Nationwide Yr of Studying’ was introduced for 2026 simply final week in recognition of the literacy disaster and decline of studying for pleasure for younger individuals, and we’ve a key position to play in turning that round.
Over 5,000 youngsters will go to the competition from colleges throughout Scotland and practically as many once more will go to with their households as a part of the general public programme. In some methods publishing for kids and younger individuals has by no means been extra vibrant or various, so there’s a very terrific alternative to drag youngsters again into studying.
Publishing for kids and younger individuals has by no means been extra vibrant or various
As a dad or mum of three youngsters myself I do know they’re a discerning bunch. We’ve terrific writers like Michael Rosen, Julia Donaldson, Rob Biddulph and Pamela Butchart with us. However plenty of our older Younger Grownup audiences are keen on fairly difficult subjects in addition to all of the enjoyable stuff so we’re happy to have, as an illustration, the sensible Laura Bates speaking with younger individuals on feminism at our Teen Takeover Day.
The ‘Desk Discuss’ sequence combines meals and dialog. How does this format contribute to the theme of repairing relationships or fostering group?
We began our Desk Talks sequence final 12 months they usually have been instantly an enormous hit. That is about having individuals sit down collectively and do what all of us do over meals – bond, gossip, dissect the menu – besides this time you get to do it with among the most fun meals writers on the market, from Sami Tamimi and his exploration of Palestinian meals, to Benjamina Ebuehi and her scrumptious candy treats.[red dot]
The Edinburgh Worldwide Guide Pageant runs from 9th to 24th August. Discover out extra right here
Essential picture: Mihaela Bodlovic
