EIBF 2008: Monday 25th August

Rodge Glass, novelist and erstwhile secretary to Alasdair Gray, has written a dazzling, highly unusual biography of the foremost Scottish writer. Glass brings to life not only Gray’s unrestrained and sometimes unfathomable creativity, but also the city and friends that have inspired him. He will be in conversation with Will Self, one of Alasdair Gray’s biggest fans.

Getting that first contract can seem tantalisingly close or horribly unreachable. Nicola Morgan, Chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland, offers a detailed discussion and surgery. Bring your hopes, attempts, failures and near misses, and perhaps discover what you are doing wrong. (Maximum 20 places)

A remarkable Book Festival exclusive. Edinburgh’s own son, the most famous living Scot, international film legend – a visit by Sir Sean Connery at any time is a cause for jubilation but particularly on the publication of his long-awaited book, and on the very day of his 78th birthday. Being A Scot, written with his friend and film-maker Murray Grigor, is a vivid and highly personal account of Scotland and its achievements. Chaired by Sheena McDonald.

Fantasy writing knows no bounds on its imaginative journey but where do you begin? Join leading author Alan Campbell as he gives directions and signposts to guide you through your literary adventure. (Maximum 20 places)

Life for the British soldier explored in fact and fiction by two eminent Scottish writers. The distinguished historian Trevor Royle discusses the history of The King’s Own Scottish Borderers dating back to 1689. Iain Gale’s historical novels brilliantly evoke the adventures of men of war; the latest, Rules of War, features a guerrilla campaign in Spain.

Leading international sculptor Alexander Stoddart has recently completed a statue of Adam Smith for Edinburgh’s High Street. Today he discusses the place of statues in modern cities, heroic-realist sculpture, and the challenges of recreating the spirit of Stevenson’s Kidnapped in three dimensions – the Robert Louis Stevenson monument in Edinburgh’s Corstorphine.

It is one of the great icons of Scottish identity but little is really known about the bagpipes and their origins. Hugh Cheape offers remarkable insight into this magnificent instrument, tracing its impact on Scottish culture and its place in European history.

Eye witness accounts of pivotal moments in Scottish history. The Herald’s literary editor Rosemary Goring’s acclaimed Scotland: The Autobiography weaves together first-hand testimonies from Bannockburn to the opening of the Parliament in 1999. Survivors relive the Piper Alpha disaster in Scotsman journalist Stephen McGinty’s meticulous account, twenty years after the world’s worst offshore oil disaster. Chaired by Sheena McDonald.

Queen of the short story, perceptive and generous critic, magician of words: no writer captures the spirit of the Book Festival more than Candia McWilliam. The Edinburgh-born writer opened last year’s festival – bask in her wisdom and illuminating company on our closing evening as she reads and discusses her new memoir.

On our final day, two striking new poetic voices. Sam Meekings’s collection, The Bestiary, is a lyrical exploration of our complex relationship with the natural world. Jamaican-born Kei Miller’s poetry travels between the Caribbean and the UK, taking us to unexpected new places.

A rare treat for our final evening: Alastair Reid, son of a Scottish manse and citizen of the world, celebrated for his luminous poetry, his peerless prose and his acclaimed translations of Neruda and Borges. Meet the ‘word magician’ as he reads from a new collection of writing.