Discover The Front List at the Book Festival 2026
The very first 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival events have been announced - with this year’s The Front List line-up.
Presented in partnership with Fringe promoters Underbelly, and taking place in the splendour of the MacEwan Hall, an expanded programme of 15 event offers audiences rare opportunities to hear from internationally celebrated voices whose work helps shape how contemporary culture, politics, history and society are understood.
From Booker Prize‑winning novelists and globally bestselling storytellers to frontline correspondents, historians and public intellectuals, the series places big ideas and major conversations at the heart of the 2026 Festival.
The Front List 2026
Jimmy Wales and Cory Doctorow [Monday 17 August, 11.00]
A discussion between the founder of Wikipedia (Wales) and the author of Enshittification (Doctorow) exploring the decline of the internet, who now holds power online, and whether it can be reclaimed as a force for public good.
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Val McDermid & Jo Sharp, chaired by Allan Little [Monday 17 August, 15:00]
Crime legend Val McDermid and Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp discuss their fictional retelling of the Darien scheme, Scotland’s failed 17th‑century colonial project in Panama.
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Kae Tempest, chaired by Michael Pedersen [Tuesday 18 August, 13:00]
A conversation with the multi-award-winning poet, novelist and musician, reflecting on language, identity and the emotional demands of creative work, and discussion of Tempest’s electric new novel Having Spent Life Seeking.
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Diana Gabaldon, chaired by Alisha Fernandez Miranda [Wednesday 19 August, 13:00]
Marking thirty‑five years since Outlander began, its creator looks back on the series’ evolution, enduring global readership, and how it’s changed her life.
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Tom Holland, chaired by Jenny Niven [Thursday 20 August, 13:00]
The historian and The Rest is History podcast co-host explores the lives of the Roman emperors and why these ancient figures continue to fascinate today.
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Colson Whitehead, chaired by Samira Ahmed [Friday 21 August, 13:00]
The Pulitzer Prize‑winning writer of The Underground Railroad discusses history, race and the moral responsibilities of storytelling, as well as the final title in his Harlem Trilogy, Cool Machine.
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Lewis Goodall and Edward Wong [Saturday 22 August, 13:00]
Two leading journalists examine the current state of the US–UK “special relationship” and how journalists report on a rapidly shifting global order.
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Charlie Mackesy [Sunday 23 August, 13:00]
The author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse reflects on kindness, vulnerability and storytelling in a family‑friendly event.
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David Olusoga [Monday 24 August, 13:00]
The beloved public historian joins us fresh from the Edinburgh-set new series of A House Through Time and his role as the ultimate Faithful in the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors, to reflect on his career, and bringing the overlooked stories in Britain’s past back into focus.
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Kiran Desai [Tuesday 25 August, 13:00]
The Booker Prize‑winning novelist, who in 2025 released her first work of fiction in two decades, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, reflects on migration, solitude and writing at epic scale.
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Mel Giedroyc, chaired by Sue Perkins [Wednesday 26 August, 13:00]
The comedian, presenter and bestselling author discusses her heartwarming new novel The Comeback with her life-long best pal.
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Lyse Doucet, chaired by Sally Hayden [Thursday 27 August, 13:00]
The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent reflects on reporting conflict and crisis and the human stories behind global headlines.
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Elif Shafak, chaired by Rosie Goldsmith [Friday 28 August, 13:00]
The acclaimed writer of 21 books, including 13 novels, reflects on freedom of expression, identity and writing across borders.
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Ann Patchett, chaired by Roxani Krystalli [Saturday 29 August, 13:00]
A conversation about memory, belonging and a life devoted to reading and writing, including discussion of her latest release Whistler.
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Douglas Stuart, chaired by Jackie Kay [Sunday 30 August, 13:00]
The Booker Prize‑winning author of Shuggie Bain discusses family, faith and place in his forthcoming novel John of John, set on the Isle of Harris.
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