The Edinburgh Worldwide E book 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 atmosphere and ourselves – is the pressing dialog we want
Now in its forty sixth 12 months, the Edinburgh Worldwide E book 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 numerous 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 right this moment’s audiences?
We consider that dialogue and dialogue are a optimistic and hopeful factor in and of themselves. It could actually really feel for the time being like there’s simply an onslaught of adverse information and irresolvable battle.
However amongst all of that there are additionally good thinkers and nice concepts on the planet about how we are able to transfer ahead, and the way we would be capable to do issues in a different way. So our programme goals to showcase these, a few of the terrific books that assist convey these concepts, and likewise to remind people who getting offline and being face-to-face with different folks – even ones you don’t at all times 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 totally different dimensions: social, environmental, political and private by its programming?
We’re trying on the thought of restore by a variety of lenses. A kind of is environmental, how new ideas may assist us restore our imbalance with the pure world. So we’ve got 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 the right way to reset our relationship with the atmosphere at a structural stage.
We’re additionally how we’ve change into so divided, and the right way to have troublesome conversations, with folks like Ash Sarkar, AC Grayling and Deborah Frances White. Philippe Sands is trying on the Worldwide Prison 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 concerned with taking part in addition to simply listening, so we’ve acquired a full programme of workshops and actions additionally associated to restore. As an illustration, we’ve acquired periods on the Japanese artwork of kintsugi, the place damaged ceramics are repaired in such a approach as to make them extra beneficial, or Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton educating us the way you may 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 good Scottish novelist Jenni Fagan to curate a cabaret on Frankenstein (the final word instance of restore) to have a good time a re-edition of that traditional, together with two upcoming Frankenstein movies, certainly one of which was shot in Edinburgh.
The competition options 641 writers from 35 international locations. 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 approach of understanding the world round us, bringing seemingly distant and summary issues into correct focus.
Getting offline and being face-to-face with different folks – even ones you don’t at all times agree with – generally is a enjoyable, uplifting, and even cathartic factor to do
It isn’t all problem although – a few of 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 among the greatest methods to discover the world and construct curiosity and empathy for different folks.
In what methods do you hope the theme of Restore will encourage attendees to take motion in their very own lives or communities?
On web site on the Pageant, we’ve acquired two little backyard sheds programmed with actions for the entire period 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.
By way of that work, we’re getting extra drawn into the ‘Restore’ neighborhood as an organisation too which is good, and positively affecting the way in which we’re working as a competition.
As an illustration, ‘The Wee Spoke Hub’, who we’ve approached to do bike restore workshops, are actually lending any taking part writer who desires a bicycle throughout their keep in Edinburgh, which helps us meet our ambitions round decreasing our carbon footprint too.
How does the competition’s Younger Grownup programme, that includes authors, method the theme of restore for youthful audiences?
We’re actually dedicated to creating nice programmes for youngsters and younger folks. A ‘Nationwide 12 months of Studying’ was introduced for 2026 simply final week in recognition of the literacy disaster and decline of studying for pleasure for younger folks, and we’ve got a key function to play in turning that round.
Over 5,000 kids 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 youngsters and younger folks has by no means been extra vibrant or numerous, so there’s a very terrific alternative to drag children again into studying.
Publishing for youngsters and younger folks has by no means been extra vibrant or numerous
As a mum or dad of three children myself I do know they’re a discerning bunch. We’ve got terrific writers like Michael Rosen, Julia Donaldson, Rob Biddulph and Pamela Butchart with us. However numerous our older Younger Grownup audiences are concerned with fairly difficult matters in addition to all of the enjoyable stuff so we’re happy to have, as an example, the good Laura Bates speaking with younger folks on feminism at our Teen Takeover Day.
The ‘Desk Speak’ collection combines meals and dialog. How does this format contribute to the theme of repairing relationships or fostering neighborhood?
We began our Desk Talks collection final 12 months and so they had been instantly an enormous hit. That is about having folks 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 a few of 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 E book Pageant runs from 9th to 24th August. Discover out extra right here
Important picture: Mihaela Bodlovic
