Big Announcements at Book Festival
Its been a busy time for the Edinburgh International Book Festival since the end of the last festival, with three major announcements in recent weeks which not only give the most recent programme a further life but which also set the scene for what we’re sure will be a spectacular 2026.
2025 On Demand
First up, 60 more events from the August 2025 programme have now been released to the festivals digital player, bringing the total of on demand events available from the 2025 Festival to 150 – the biggest collection ever, and one which we hope better reflects the variety of in-person programme for online viewers around the world.
Conversations with some of the world's leading literary voices have been added, from Pulitzer Prize-winner Ta-Nehisi Coatesin dialogue with historian David Olusoga, to novelist Ben Okri's exploration of heartbreak and renewal, local crime writing duo Ambrose Parry, and culinary icons José Pizarro and Sami Tamimi, among many more.
There are political debates, intimate author conversations, and family programming, highlights include climate justice discussions with Tony Juniper and Friederike Otto, disability rights activism with Rachel Charlton-Dailey, and renowned Belle and Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch unveiling his stunning debut novel, Nobody’s Empire.
You can explore and watch the events on a pay-what-you-can donation basis at https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/look-and-listen/player
New Festivals Partnership
The Book Festival has just announced a multi‑year partnership with Glasgow’s Celtic Connections music festival, spanning 2025–2027 and featuring a series of original commissions designed to celebrate Scottish creativity, reach new audiences, create new opportunities for Scottish artists, and reimagine what is possible when art forms meet in unexpected ways.
A major highlight of the partnership will be the world premiere of The Golden Road at Celtic Connections 2026, a unique collaboration inspired by William Dalrymple’s award-winning book. Following its debut in Glasgow, The Golden Road will evolve and return in an expanded form for a landmark performance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2026. This journey from Celtic Connections to the Book Festival will see the project grow and develop, offering audiences a fresh and ambitious reimagining of the work at each stage.
Alongside the headline commission, audiences can enjoy Rhymes and Reels on 27 January at the Mackintosh Church in Glasgow. This special performance will revive two EIBF‑commissioned works and premiere a new Celtic Connections collaboration.
- Harpist Esther Swift presents her musical settings of Jackie Kay’s poetry, with Kay herself reading from The Heartstrings of Poetry, commissioned by EIBF and first premiered at the 2025 festival.
- Another EIBF commission, award‑winning poet and novelist Angus Peter Campbell appears with his daughter Brìghde Chaimbeul, blending readings in English and Gaelic with accompaniment from small pipes.
- Former National Poet of Scotland Liz Lochhead collaborates with renowned Highland fiddler Duncan Chisholm in a brand‑new Celtic Connections commission.
The collaboration builds on the Book Festival’s track record of commissioning and supporting cross‑disciplinary work, exemplifying a commitment to reimagining literary heritage for contemporary audiences and fostering creative partnerships across art forms.
2026 Global Ink
The Book Festival is also inviting expressions of interest from leaders of book, multi-artform, and ideas festivals across the world to take part in a global forum of collaboration and cultural exchange.
Held concurrently and as part of the Book Festival, Global Ink 2026 is a three-day international forum running 17-19 August 2026. Leaders from twenty global festivals will unite for a dynamic series of intimate roundtables, networking sessions, and innovative events showcasing the breadth and diversity of Scotland’s cultural sector.
A core focus of Global Ink 2026 will be the showcasing of Scottish writing, and cultivation of opportunities for Scottish writers to reach new international audiences. Each delegate’s participation is intended to foster reciprocal invitations, touring opportunities, new commissions, and the creation of enduring partnerships with the Edinburgh International Book Festival.