2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival

Mysteries Under the Northern Lights In the mid-19th century, what unites the Sami people of Lapland and a band of crofters in north-west Scotland? In the fictional worlds of Cecilia Ekbäck and Graeme Macrae Burnet, each community has witnessed a brutal triple murder. Ekbäck’s In The Month of the Midnight Sun and Macrae Burnet’s His Bloody Project are ingenious, gripping noir thrillers, and keenly awaited follow-ups to their authors’ acclaimed debuts. Chaired by Jenny Brown.

Bowie: Life of a Legend Last year, the jubilation upon the arrival of David Bowie’s new album, Blackstar, quickly turned to shock and grief with the announcement of his death. A true and rare musical icon, Bowie influenced generations of artists. Paul Morley, musician, critic and one of the team who curated the massively successful V&A exhibition, joins us today to discuss Bowie’s life, legend and legacy, which he explores in this new biography, Age of Bowie. He talks to Vic Galloway. Part of our Music and Meaning series of events.

A Love Letter to 1980s Cinema For many, the 80s was a decade that taste didn’t just forget, but totally bypassed. Guardian and Vogue columnist Hadley Freeman does not subscribe to that one bit and is so passionate about 80s American movies that she’s written a book about them. Life Moves Pretty Fast features the classics (Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and explains how they helped forge her worldview. Chaired by Lee Randall.

Is Video Gaming Killing Us? For years video games have been part of daily life and now two keen players have written insiders’ accounts that explore their effects. Cara Ellison (a ‘cyberpunk hair-dyed Attenborough’) spent a weird year observing game creators to gather experiences for Embed with Games. World-leading video game pundit Simon Parkin presents Death by Video Game, a game-changing overview of gaming as a massive cultural phenomenon. Part of our A Changing Society series of events.

Tough Childhood of a Comedy Hero Gregor Fisher may be best known as Rab C Nesbitt, the funniest string-vested street philosopher in all of Govan, but his own life story is far from amusing. His upbringing was a tale of secrets, deception, tragedy, rejection and death, and only now has he felt able to share it, in The Boy from Nowhere. Fisher is joined on stage by Melanie Reid, the writer he enlisted to help him tell his story.

The Fountain of Eternal Youth? Back in 1973, Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying introduced the beguiling Isadora Wing and her idea of ‘zipless’ no-strings-attached sex. The book became a bestselling icon of the sexual revolution. Now, Jong presents Fear of Dying, the coming-of-age story of a 60 year old woman who happens to be Isadora’s friend. Alongside a continued appetite for sex, Isadora and friend face their fear of ageing and the spectre of death. Chaired by Ruth Wishart.

Does Feminism Have a Dark Side? For years he’s been regarded as one of Scotland’s best-loved and funniest crimewriters, but Chris Brookmyre’s critical reputation has also steadily grown over that same period and now he counts among the best-respected writers in his field. With Black Widow, Brookmyre bravely strides into new political territory with a thriller that takes in sexism in the workplace, revenge porn and internet trolling.

Dave from Downing Street Did David Cameron’s early years in power reveal him as an ‘essay crisis’ leader, or an ambitious reformer? Enjoying unprecedented access to Cameron and his team, Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon have written Cameron at 10, an eye-opening authorised analysis of the former Conservative leader’s first term as PM. Why was he never loved by his party’s grassroots and what is his true legacy? Two leading political writers talk to Phil Harding to share their insights.

Europe’s Literary Superstars Meet two of Europe's most talented novelists. Swedish writer Steve Sem-Sandberg’s The Chosen Ones follows his towering novel The Emperor of Lies in describing brutality and tenderness in the Nazi era – this time in a home for sick children in Vienna. Icelandic novelist Sjón’s highly anticipated Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was is a moving depiction of a young gay man’s experience in 1918 Iceland. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith.

Roots and Roofs: New British Poetry We're thrilled to open the Festival with two of the most powerful young voices in British poetry. Sarah Howe's debut collection Loop of Jade won this year's T S Eliot Prize for Poetry and was described as ‘original, exquisite, erudite and adventurous.’ Stirling-born William Letford has been dubbed by Guardian critic Nicholas Lezard as 'the new Scottish genius'. He launches his highly anticipated second collection, Dirt.

Memoir of an Edinburgh Man As the longest serving minister of the 20th century, Defence Minister and Foreign Secretary in Thatcher’s government and more recently Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Malcolm Rifkind has witnessed the monumental political moments of recent times. He joins us to share the highs and lows of his astonishing career, as recounted in his serious, funny and self-deprecating memoir, Power and Pragmatism.

A Novel, Fully-formed A Girl is a Half-formed Thing was one of the most exciting breakthrough debut novels of recent years. Irish novelist Eimear McBride’s second book emphatically lives up to expectations and confirms her as a writer of international significance. The Lesser Bohemians tells the memorable story of a young woman who arrives in London from Ireland in the 1990s, moving through innocence, discovery, joy and love.

Global bestselling author of the Shopaholic series, Sophie Kinsella, brings you her first novel for teens. Audrey can't leave the house. That is until her brother's friend Linus comes along and starts to teach her that even when you think you have lost yourself, you can still find love. Come and hear Sophie talk about Finding Audrey, a warm, smart and funny read.

BBC wildlife expert Chris Packham brings his first book for children, Amazing Animal Journeys, to the Book Festival. Travel around the world with Chris, exploring the journeys of the billions of animals that migrate each year, from whales and wildebeests to butterflies and bats. A fact-filled event looking at our incredible natural world.

A Manifesto for Empowered Women The founder of the influential online project Everyday Sexism, Laura Bates was in the 2014 Woman's Hour Power List Game Changers Top 10 and is becoming well known for her refusal to accept the female stereotypes peddled by a normative mainstream media. Incorporating Bates’ views on subjects including sex, body image, pornography and social media, Girl Up is a powerful and refreshing contribution to 21st century feminism. Part of our A Changing Society series of events.

Is this a Memoir or a Thriller? It's hardly surprising that Frederick Forsyth has wild stories to tell, given his past as an RAF pilot and investigative journalist, but the thriller writer spins such ripping yarns in his dashing autobiography, The Outsider, that a Sunday Times critic described his book as ‘one of the most exciting and enjoyable accounts of an author’s life…that I have ever read.’ The unique memoir of an intriguing man. He talks to Ian Rankin to share the details.

The Milkman of Human Kindness From ‘A New England’ to ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears’, Billy Bragg’s songs have captured the mood of modern Britain. Since politics and pop became entwined in the anti-Thatcher Red Wedge movement of the 80s, Bragg’s voice has been synonymous with left-leaning political sentiment – but his love songs chronicle a world more profound than party politics. Now he presents A Lover Sings, an annotated collection of his best-loved songs, which he discusses with Vic Galloway. Part of our Music and Meaning series of events.

Best known for sci-fi novels such as The Time Machine and The Invisible Man, H G Wells also wrote numerous non-fiction works. His wide-ranging ideas pre-dated many modern concerns, including the internet and the black civil rights movement. Yet Wells was also capable of deeply unpalatable beliefs, including his advocacy of eugenics. In today’s lecture, philosopher A C Grayling explores the intellectual legacy of a complex man. In association with English PEN