Edinburgh Book Fringe hits 10th Anniversary

This year, the Edinburgh Book Fringe turns ten. Given everything else that goes on every August in Edinburgh, the Book Fringe might have slipped under your radar thus far. However, with 27 book-related events taking place at two of Edinburgh’s most beloved bookshops – Lighthouse and Golden Hare Books – from August 3 until August 28, it is really not to be missed. Although it doesn’t attract quite as many big name authors as the Edinburgh International Book Festival (itself founded in 1983), the Book Fringe offers a much more intimate experience – you’ll be amazed how many people can squeeze into a bookshop! What’s more, every single event is unticketed and completely free to attend. Yes, really!

Things will kick off on August 3 with Queer Words with Queer Poets, one of many LGBTQ+ events in the festival. Make sure not to miss Paul Baker’s talk on his non-fiction book Fabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain’s Secret Gay Language on August 6. Unsurprisingly, given it was born out of Wordpower Books, the Book Fringe is decidedly left-wing and radical, providing a platform for marginalised voices, such as that of trans woman Mia Violet (Yes, You Are Trans Enough, August 7). In Palestine +100 (August 8), Gazan writer Rawan Yaghi imagines a future Palestine one century after the 1948 Nakba, or Palestinian Exodus.

Other topics addressed include gender, race (Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space, August 11) and Islam (It’s Not About the Burqa, August 18 and Two Nasty Women on Feminism and Islam, August 25). Towards the end of the festival, British playwright and novelist Deborah Levy, whose novel Swimming Home was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2012, discusses the re-release of her 1993 novella Swallowing Geography.

At just 10 years old, the Book Fringe is already one of the most exciting events on Edinburgh’s packed summer calendar. Enjoy great talks and discover fascinating books, all for free and without any corporate sponsorship, in the beautiful settings of Lighthouse and Golden Hare Books.

The Book Fringe programme is available HERE