Edinburgh Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place in the last three weeks of August and features around 700 events, with 600 authors representing over 40 different countries. The festival is held in Charlotte Square in the centre of the City and is attended by many famous names which in the past has included J.K. Rowling, Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh.

The festival acts as a meeting place for book lovers of all ages to come together with some of the best authors in the world. Since it began in 1983, the festival has grown to become a key event in the Edinburgh Festival season and is now the largest festival of its kind in the world.

In 2001 the festival was taken to a new level by director Catherine Lockerbie who developed the festival to include a discussions and debates series, which has become very popular. Alongside this, the festival offers creative workshops, bookreadings and masterclasses as well as some well stocked bookshops!

The festival also runs a Childrens Programme, which has become an excellent forum for childrens authors and illustrators to showcase their work. The festival runs workshops, storytelling events and book signings to be one of the best childrens literature and reading events there is.

The 2009 festival was a fantastic success and the 2010 festival (running from the 14th - 30th of August 2010) looks to be even better. Edinburgh is extremely busy at this time of year so it is advisable to book your Edinburgh Book Festival Accommodation early to get the best deal and the best location!