Top 5 Scottish Talents

Keen to prove that Edinburgh’s UNESCO World City of Literature status is deserved by its present crop of literary talent as well as its rich heritage, the EIBF has lined up a host of Scottish writers for this year’s event. It’s not all Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith, however. Fest highlights the best unknown local lights of literature:

1)Tom Devine; Monday 18 August, 8pm – RBS Main Theatre
The doyen of Scottish history sheds light on Scotland’s role in the slave trade. With a resurgent SNP playing up Scotland’s role in the empire, one if it’s greatest minds is set to draw attention to a shameful consequence of that role.

2)Ken MacLeod; Sunday 17 August, 2.30pm – Peppers Theatre
A leading light of modern science fiction, this Scottish writer addresses contemporary issues surrounding the conflicts in the Middle East in his latest work, The Execution Channel.

3)Alanna Knight & the Mulgray Twins; Saturday 23 August, 6.45pm – Peppers Theatre
Edinburgh-born crime writer Knight discovered budding writing talents and identical twins Helen and Morna; hear all three discuss “the perfect murder” and the twins’ thriller series based around HM Revenue & Customs.

4)Janice Galloway; Saturday 23 August, 7pm – ScottishPower Studio Theatre
The acclaimed Ayrshire writer has come to the EIBF to promote her childhood memoir, This is Not about Me; it should prove a telling portrait of life in 1960s Scotland

5)Ron Butlin, Linda Cracknell & Angus Dunn; Sunday 17 August, 8.30pm – ScottishPower Studio Theatre
Three Scottish writers present their short stories: Butlin’s No More Angels, Cracknell’s The Searching Glance and Dunn’s The Perfect Loaf – the tale of a young man “thinking about his life as he bakes bread”.