Attendance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival opening event
2026/8/15
On Sunday 15th August, Cultural Consul Masataka Abe attended the opening event of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is one of the world's leading literary arts festivals, bringing together authors and industry professionals from across the globe to engage in discussions and exchanges on literature and a wide range of other subjects. Held this year from August 15th to 30th, the festival features over 600 events centred on the theme “Changing Your Mind.”
The event was hosted by Festival CEO and Director Jenny Niven and opened with remarks from Mairi McAllan MSP, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic. Renowned authors including Naomi Ishiguro, Gavin Francis, Anne Enright, Graeme Armstrong, Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Jackie Kay took the stage to read original works written specifically for this year's theme, “Changing Your Mind.” There were also musical performances from Harben Kay and Aidan O'Rourke, who is involved in Nonomiya / Song of Rona Island, a collaborative work blending Japanese Noh theatre with Scottish literature.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is one of the world's leading literary arts festivals, bringing together authors and industry professionals from across the globe to engage in discussions and exchanges on literature and a wide range of other subjects. Held this year from August 15th to 30th, the festival features over 600 events centred on the theme “Changing Your Mind.”
The event was hosted by Festival CEO and Director Jenny Niven and opened with remarks from Mairi McAllan MSP, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic. Renowned authors including Naomi Ishiguro, Gavin Francis, Anne Enright, Graeme Armstrong, Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Jackie Kay took the stage to read original works written specifically for this year's theme, “Changing Your Mind.” There were also musical performances from Harben Kay and Aidan O'Rourke, who is involved in Nonomiya / Song of Rona Island, a collaborative work blending Japanese Noh theatre with Scottish literature.
