Write On: Scots Whay Hae!’s Top 10 Picks Of The Edinburgh International Book Festival…

We have tried to avoid the already sold-out and high-profile to give you an alternative and achievable schedule.

FICTION’S MASTER CRAFTSMAN: James Kelman – Fri 18 Aug 1:30pm – 2:30pm

IN PRAISE OF NASTY WOMEN: Nadine Aisha Jassat, Joelle Owusu & Laura Waddell – Sat 19 Aug 4:30pm – 5:30pm

404 Ink’s Nasty Women then I’m going to presume prison or coma, and either way I’m glad you’re back with us. It’s possibly the most talked about book of the year and remains one of the most important. Three of the contributing essayists appear at Charlotte Square to discuss the book, their part in it, and no doubt the reception it has received.

You can listen to the audio version of the SWH! review of Nasty Women below:

POST-PUNK’S NOT DEAD: David Keenan & David F Ross –  Sat 19 Aug 8:30pm – 9:30pm

This Is Memorial Device, is one of the books of the year, and you can read the SWH! review as well as listening to the man himself talk about it on the podcast:

You can vote for This Is Memorial Device by David Keenan in the First Book Award.

If you’ve ever been in, near or just loved a band then this event is for you.

FACING DOWN THE MAFIA: John Gordon Sinclair – Sat 19 Aug 7:15pm – 8:15pm

teenage Gregory looking for his girl (although, to SWH!, also Frank McClusky in Your Cheatin’ Heart) John Gordon Sinclair has been building a career as a writer of crime fiction. His latest novel is Walk In Silence, which again features the memorable character of lawyer Kiera Lynch, will be the main topic under discussion but to get an idea of what his writing is like you can read the SWH! review of his previous novel, Blood Whispers, here.

UP IN ARMS: Laura Hird and Gordon Pentland – Tue 22 Aug 4:30pm – 5:30pm

INCREDIBLE STRING BANDS: Andrew Greig & Mike Heron – Fri 18 Aug 7:15pm – 8:15pm

You Know What You Could Be, a dual memoir – of a band hitting the big time and of an inspired teenage fan – should strike a chord with everyone:

CRIME ACROSS A COLD-BLOODED CONTINENT: Martin Holmén and Michael J Malone – Sun 13 Aug 8:30pm – 9:30pm

Down for the Count is a no-holds barred Swedish thriller about a former boxer hell-bent on vengeance having just been released from jail, while the latter’s Dog Fight has been dubbed as Glasgow’s Fight Club, and you can hear the audio version of the SWH! review below. There’s plenty of crime fiction discussed at the festival, but this looks like being one of the more interesting:

FRAMING THE ARTS DEBATE: Alexander Moffat & Alan Riach – Fri 25 Aug 4:30pm – 5:30pm I

EVERYTHING TO EXCESS: Ron Butlin & Preti Taneja – Mon 21 Aug 2:30pm – 3:30pm

MUSIC IN THE IMAGINATION: The Unthanks – Fri 25 Aug 9:45pm – 10:45pm

You can peruse the full programme here, and follow the festival on Twitter & Facebook as well as YouTube & Instagram.

See you in the Gardens…

You can still read Scots Whay Hae!’s Top Ten Picks Of The Fringe.

#DavidFRoss #DavidKeenan #AlanRiach #RonButlin #AndrewGreig #TheUnthanks #MikeHeron #LauraHird #NastyWomen #MichaelJMalone #JamesKelman #AlexanderMoffat #JohnGordonSinclair