Last Orders

Wonderfully, though the end of the book festival looms, a number of highlights still remain. Just as this year’s festival has embraced eclecticism throughout an all-too-brief two week run, a number of fascinating and – it must be said – peculiar dates remain.

Among the high points is an event set for the 26^th, a quadruple bill overflowing with talent. Performance poet John Hegley and stand up Simon Munnery - once described as the alternative comedian’s comedian - will be appearing alongside artist Brian Dewan and poet Suzanne Andrade, in an event which will combine the spoken word with the moving image; projected animations and films will accompany a number of readings and performances. This sort of wilful experimentalism characterises this year’s festival bill, a knowing mixture of audience friendly big-hitters and authors on the rise.

Another hot ticket is the dual appearance of Tabish Khair and Indra Sinha on the 25th. Both are authors whose work draws upon and subverts ideas of their respective inheritances. Khair’s most recent work is Filming, a novel which combines elements of cinematic and cultural memory into a consideration of recent Indian history. On the other hand, Sinha’s latest novel, Animal’s People is a major new work, a combination of personal experience with a strand of epic polemic: his narrator is a young man irreversibly misshapen by chemical leaks and forced into an all-fours animal existence. Both authors represent the keen internationalism in evidence this year.

Likewise, though we pimped it a mere few weeks ago, William Gibson’s festival appearance on the 27^th should not pass without mention. Gibson is a writer whose impact cannot be underestimated: prose stylist par excellence, prolific author and creator of the ‘cyberpunk’ sub-genre, his impact on contemporary fiction is without measure. While his early works embrace a neon future of brain implants and LCD screens, like J.G. Ballard, the future of his own imagining has finally caught up with him. His novels have left their futuristic trappings behind and now take place in a hinterland of forgotten identities and imaginary magazines. His latest book, Spook Country explores these themes to great success: if nothing else, the glowing reviews should encourage those still feeling reluctant to seek out tickets.

Finally, this year’s line up deserves commendation for it’s blending of fiction with hard fact. A number of the most prominent events have been talks by world experts on various themes of global import. From environmentalist George Monbiot, to well researched polemics by the likes of Clive Stafford-Smith, the internationally renowned human rights lawyer, the festival has not been afraid to shy away from controversial topics. One of the most exciting events is set to take place right towards the end of the festival bill: on Sunday 26^th, Peter Chapman, Raj Patel and Andrew Simms will be co-headlining a discussion on globalisation and it’s implications on the food industry. Each will be contributing a strand detailing their own specialisation: Peter Chapman’s Jungle Capitalists looks at the dominance of import business United Fruit over the internaional market; Andrew Simms’ Tescopoly offers a thorough dissection of the nation’s favourite supermarket and Raj Patel’s latest book, Stuffed and Starved, looks at international economic disparity. An informed discussion will no doubt follow.

As never before, the Edinburgh Book Festival has offered a roster of authors marked by their lack of union: comic book authors clashed with poets, children’s writers with figures long regarded as national treasures (stand up please, Alan Bennett). However, the party is not over yet: the tents hover still above Charlotte Square Gardens. Take your pick, dear reader, while the offer still stands.

 

Top Picks

Peter Chapman, Raj Patel and Andrew Simms
26/08 14:30

William Gibson
27/08 19:00

Tabish Khair and Indra Sinha
25/08 16:30

Suzanne Andrade, Brian Dewan, John Hegley and Simon Munnery
26/08 20:30