The Leith Festival Literature Programme 2008

The Leith Festival runs from May 30th to June 8th 2008. This year's community based festival will play host to more than 150 events in over 50 venues across Leith - all within a mile of the 'Foot o' the Walk.' In excess of 30,000 people are expected to attend this year's celebrations, which will include exhibitions, live music, drama, comedy, walks, talks, debates, and much, much more.

Literary events at this year's festival include:

• 11am - Hear Lari Don read from her new novel for children, First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts
• 3pm - The winner of the first Leith Festival Children's Writing Competition will be announced at a prize giving ceremony hosted by Lari Don

• 1pm - 3pm - Inspired by the recent Publishing Scotland event, the Leith Festival will be hosting its very own Book Swap. Bring along an old book and swap it for something new.

• 7pm - Border Crossings is a new CD produced by Scottish Pen, and is launched in an event featuring Dilys Rose, Jenni Calder, Aonghas MacNeacail and Bosnian poet Goran Simic

• 7pm - Say it in Scots is a new collection of handy guides to Scots words, from the weather to wildlife. Scots Language Dictionaries editor Chris Robertson brings the language to life in this event at The Raj

• 7pm - Chris Hannan is an award-winning playwright who has turned his hand to fiction, and the Old West, with his first novel Missy

• 7pm - Mike Buckle, lifelong supporter and author of Hearts' Greatest Ever Season 1957-58, is joined by special guests in this unique, nostalgic reminder of the proud history of Heart of Midlothian football club and their finest season ever.

• 7pm - Luath Poets Live - Scottish poetry with Alistair Findlay, Kokumo Rocks, Ken Cockburn, Dilys Rose and Bashabi Fraser
• 10pm - Anita Govan presents Bare to the Bone, an evening of poetry and a musical soundscape

Each evening through throughout the festival, local pub Carriers Quarters is hosting a Storytelling Club. Bring your favourite story to share, or just enjoy a pint and a tale.