Hot Tickets: 16 August

Steve Backshall, 17th August, 4.30pm-5.30pm

CBBC presenter Backshall is a surefire hit with any remotely adventurous children, and with the release of a memoir, his appeal looks set to be extended to a more adult audience.  Described as “a cross between Bear Grylls, Mr Darcy and a Blue Peter presenter”, expect this gentleman explorer to incite some serious swooning. The perfect mother-and-son event.

Czeslaw Milosz the Poet: Tribute to a Giant of Modern Poetry, 18 August, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

One of the real joys of the EIBF is the diversity of talent it champions. This event sees Nobel Prize winning Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz get his dues from contemporary writers, who will consider just what gave his work such power. With a host of reliably fascinating contributors, including the fantastic John Burnside, this is a must for poetry fans.

Nick Holdstock and Roger Hunt: Caught in the Terrorist Crossfire, 19 August, 11:00am-12:00pm

Not the lightest start to your Friday, admittedly, but this promises to be a fascinating and moving event. Mumbai terrorist attack survivor Roger Hunt attempts to get to the root causes of terrorism with Nick Holdstock, whose book, The Treet that Bleeds, disects the ethnic conflict in the western Chinese town of Yining, where more than 200 people were executed in 1997.