The Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place in a purpose-built tented village in Charlotte Square Gardens in Edinburgh, which has eight theatre venues, three café/bars, a signing tent and two large independently-run bookshops, one of which is dedicated to children.
Scottish, British and international authors such as Ian Rankin, David Walliams, Julia Donaldson, George RR Martin, Jung Chang, Margaret Atwood, Ruth Rendell and Haruki Murakami are brought together with lesser-known and debut writers – some of whom go on to become household names themselves – to share words and ideas with audiences and to discuss the topical issues of the day.
Broadening the horizons and firing the imaginations of children and young adults is a priority, and the Book Festival aims to do this through author activities, workshops and events in the Children's and Schools' Programmes. They also aim to accomplish this through their Outreach Programme, which takes talented children's authors and illustrators to meet young people in their own communities.
With the support of players, the Book Festival can develop its programme of work to offer greater numbers of people access to authors and events. It can build a vibrant education and Outreach Programme to foster learning and understanding through author and book-related activities for people of all ages and abilities, instilling a love of books and reading for enjoyment.
For more information, visit their website http://www.edbookfest.co.uk.