Repair With Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025
- Michelle's Monologues
- Aug 21
- 7 min read
Repair With Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025
The Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025 programme, with close to 700 events featuring 641 writers from 35 countries, across 6 continents. Taking place from 9-24 August, and returning to Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) for the second year, with events to inspire vital discussion and dissection of the cultural zeitgeist on a global stage.
The key theme this year (2025) is Repair, which seeks to explore the many things around us which feel broken, and how we might seek to fix them. Using informed insights from a range of experts, lessons learned from our ancestors, the richness and connection offered by the natural world, hands-on activities, and our own inherent humanity, we’re offering a wide range of active opportunities to rebalance the mind, reinvigorate the spirit, reconcile with others, and restore a sense of calm and hope in the face of a world in chaos.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:
“This year’s key theme of Repair starts from the belief that the brilliant ideas of writers and thinkers can help us repair a host of seemingly ‘broken’ things in our society, from the cycle of fast fashion and our relationship with the environment, to cultural reparations and the state of our politics. It’s a statement of hope and resilience, and an invitation for our audiences to think about what repair might mean for them. At a time when important conversations can feel impossible to have without igniting conflict and anger, we want the Edinburgh International Book Festival to provide a safe place for challenging but considered discussions. This year our programme features over 600 writers and artists from 35 countries, who have a wide range of perspectives on topics of personal, social and global importance. We invite you to come and learn something new, feed your curiosity and to broaden your horizons.
The Book Festival is also a space for play and creativity, and we have an imaginative feast in store for audiences too – from stories from all around the world, to commissions of brand-new music and theatre, a Frankenstein themed cabaret, and a brand-new Kids Zone for our youngest audiences and their families, as well as a dedicated Young Adults programme for the very first time. So we hope people can have a fully rounded experience, all under one roof. We can’t wait to see you there.”
Our 2025 programme will also hinge around a range of other themes. Hundreds of the world’s best fiction writers, including many of Scotland’s most exciting voices, dozens of debut authors, and voices from around the world, will share their new and most notable works in the Brilliant Fiction strand. The recently announced Front List series will return for the second year at McEwan Hall, in partnership with Underbelly, to present an expanded series of exciting events representing the breadth of the Book Festival’s offering.
Fascinating Non-Fiction will explore everything from moving memoirs to scientific excavations, family odysseys to travelogues.
Good Information brings together a host of trustworthy experts well versed in sifting out hard fact and cutting through murky algorithms to give you an honest account of a diverse range of topics.
New World Orders gathers the most authoritative voices across international and domestic politics, conflict, economics, and law to engage with and dissect current affairs, and Brainwaves holds up a magnifying glass to all things cranial, including mental health, neuroscience, and psychology.
The 2025 Festival will also see the return of some of 2024’s most popular programme themes, including How to Live a Meaningful Life, guiding audiences new and deeper ways of creating connection, resilience and hope, amongst the chaos, and an expanded Table Talks series, with top chefs and food writers taking to the stage – or rather around the table – in intimate gatherings with audiences to enjoy delicious food and make memories together.
Music, Poetry and Performance showcases the very best of poetry and spoken word in the Festival’s Spiegletent, including indie songwriter Hamish Hawk with an original and exclusive homage to Scotland’s pre-eminent poet-eccentric Ivor Cutler. Special Editions also brings a selection of quirky and upbeat events including cabaret, live podcasts, and exclusive talks. And audiences will have the chance to take an in-depth look at the little details that make a writer’s work really sing or expand on their own creative skills with an exciting range of Workshops.
We’re also debuting a brand-new Young Adults programme with events tailored to audiences aged 30 and under (but open to anyone young at heart!). Highlights include Alice Oseman, creator of the smash-hit Heartstopper series, returning to the Festival, model and activist Munroe Bergdorf discussing everything from beauty standards to cancel culture, and Caroline O’Donoghue showcasing her new YA sci-fi fantasy romance.
And our youngest audience members can enjoy a brand-new Kids Zone, providing a much-needed hub for families amongst the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh’s festival landscape. This year’s children’s programme will also include more than 100 exciting events for young readers, including from legendary children’s authors such as Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson, and How to Train Your Dragon’s Cressida Cowell. There are also dozens of free, drop-in events, including the return of the popular Are You Sitting Comfortably? and Bookbug storytimes, a chance to go wild with National Museums Scotland, and the opportunity to meet beloved characters including Pikachu, the Gruffalo, and Supertato.
Community-driven events are also aplenty, with Stories and Scran celebrating the dynamic and thought-provoking work created by communities across Edinburgh and beyond, and Together We Repair challenging local writers and poets to respond to the Festival’s core theme. And during August, the Festival’s Communities team will also facilitate off-site learning events with leading writers in 9 prisons across the city, 3 workshops with patients at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children & Young People, and 2 interactive sessions with users of Streetreads, the library for the homeless community of Edinburgh.
For the second year, the Book Festival will also present its flagship industry event, Global Ink: Discover the Power of International Collaboration – uniting publishing professionals from around the world for thought-provoking discussion, followed by a vibrant drinks reception to spark new connections.
For those who cannot attend in person, 100+ events will be livestreamed and available on demand to audiences across the world to watch wherever and whenever they prefer, including to libraries in twelve Scottish local authorities. And for the first time, in addition to dozens of events being live captioned, the Festival will use AI to bring the number of captioned events to 500, meaning that an additional 400 events will be more accessible than ever before.
As well as reduced ticket prices for students, anyone over 60 and guests with access requirements, the Festival also introduces a special new ticket pricing for Under 30s, and £5 tickets for many events for those receiving low-income benefits, to tackle economic barriers to engagement.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is made possible thanks to the support of a range of funders and supporters including Creative Scotland, Edinburgh City Council, and Players of People’s Postcode Lottery, among others.
Browse the full programme at https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on
This year, I was excited to attend and join in the conversations with:
Poppy Okotcha & Kathy Slack: Repair – Gardens and Beings, Joseph Jebelli: We Need to Calm Down, and Isabel Allende: Identity and Destiny.
Poppy Okotcha & Kathy Slack: Repair – Gardens and Beings
The theme for this year's Festival is Repair, and in a world seeking restoration, Poppy Okotcha and Kathy Slack offer a path towards healing through the garden. In both A Wilder Way and Rough Patch, they delve into the transformative power of regenerative practices, from nurturing soil to fostering community. With Leonie Bell, they discuss how tending to the Earth cultivates repair within ourselves, and the opportunity to reconnect with the wider world.
Some fantastic takeaways from this event included the must-have gardening tool - Hori Hori, not to beat yourself up when not everything is done in the garden, and what to wear while gardening! Have you tried the all-in-one outfit from Screwfix?
Joseph Jebelli: We Need to Calm Down
When was the last time you stopped to rest and just let your mind wander? Well, if you need any encouragement to do that more, come hear neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli discussing the findings of his latest book, The Brain at Rest, with Maddison Connaughton. By deftly blending science with personal stories and practical tips, Jebelli unpacks how resting can have profound implications on just about everything – from creativity to life expectancy. Sign us up!
Supported by the Jasmine Foundation.
Interesting conversation on how the brain functions, how we can reduce the age of the brain, and how we can optimise its potential. Important questions to ask yourself included; are you getting enough sleep or are you working yourself to death?
Can't wait to dive into Dr Joseph Jebelli's book - The Brain At Rest.
Isabel Allende: Identity and Destiny
Isabel Allende (appearing remotely) is one of world literature’s luminaries, winning international acclaim more than 40 years ago with her iconic debut, The House of Spirits. Today, she joins us remotely for an unmissable conversation about her life in letters, and her triumphant return to the multi-generational saga, My Name is Emilia del Valle. This unforgettable novel of love, war, and redemption features a restless young Chilean-American writer uncovering family (and personal) truths in an unfamiliar homeland. Chaired by Bee Rowlatt.
Such a meaningful and emotional event. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The audience shared their own experiences of moving from their homeland to an unknown country and how they are trying to fill the hole, move on, and enjoy life. Such a poignant and powerful conversation.
Looking forward to reading My Name Is Emilia Del Valle.
Have you visited the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year? What were your favourite events? Any unforgettable moments/takeaways? I would love to hear! Please let me know in the comments.
P.S. The Edinburgh International Book Festival is on for a few more days. For more on what is on and watch events on catch up, please visit: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
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