Scots writers remain at the heart of the Book Festival

Published on Friday 14 August 2009 22:04

SCOTTISH authors are proving a popular draw across the Edinburgh International Book Festival, staff said yesterday, and big names from the Booker Prize list are also selling well.

Sarah Grady, programme director for the children's festival, said: "Sales are up; this is a really good year."

The festival kicks off today and will host more than 750 author events with writers from over 45 different countries in the course of its 17 days.

In the Year of Homecoming, and new funding coming in for Scottish work in the festivals, Ms Grady said: "We are certainly noticing a lot of interest in Scottish writing."

The interest runs from writers of new Scottish picture books for children, to teenage fiction such as Bad Faith by Highlands writer Gillian Phillip to Scottish crime fiction.

New Scottish writers including Jason Donald, with his debut novel Choke Chain, are appearing, and the festival is hoping to boost the profile of acclaimed Canadian-Scottish writer, Alistair MacLeod.

The festival is also hosting a season of debates, curated by Richard Holloway.

And there are six writers from the longlist for the Man Booker prize, the UK's top literary award. Appearances by Hilary Mantell, Sarah Hall and Colm Tobin are sold out, but tickets remain for Adam Foulds, Sarah Waters and Samantha Harvey.