This year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival is set to take place from August 10-25 at its new home in the Edinburgh Futures Institute, near The Meadows.
Book lovers will flock to over 500 events, with this year’s theme being ‘Future Tense’, exporing “how future-oriented thinking, learning across generations and disciplines, and approaching change with curiosity, compassion, and imagination, could help us untangle the huge systematic challenges we currently face, both as individuals and as a society”.
Many of the world’s biggest authors will be attending the festival, including the likes of Marian Keyes, Robert Harris, Salman Rushdie, David Nicholls, Val McDermid and Ian Rankin.
But there will also be plenty of big names who are better known for their work in the worlds of comedy, acting, music and politics.
Here are 11 of the most famous faces appearing at the festival in 2024.
Many of the world’s biggest authors will be attending the festival, including the likes of Marian Keyes, Robert Harris, Salman Rushdie, David Nicholls, Val McDermid and Ian Rankin.
![Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has reinvented himself as one of the UK's leading political commentators thanks to the hugely-successful 'The Rest is Politics' podcast. He'll be on stage for three different events on Sunday, August 25. At 10.30am at Venue NW he'll be answering the question 'why politics matters', at 3pm he'll be presenting an interactive workshop for young people at Venue A, then at 5pm he'll be discussing his latest book 'But What Can I Do?' at Venue T.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/13/29/GettyImages-662998460%20%281%29.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
9. Alastair Campbell
Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has reinvented himself as one of the UK's leading political commentators thanks to the hugely-successful 'The Rest is Politics' podcast. He'll be on stage for three different events on Sunday, August 25. At 10.30am at Venue NW he'll be answering the question 'why politics matters', at 3pm he'll be presenting an interactive workshop for young people at Venue A, then at 5pm he'll be discussing his latest book 'But What Can I Do?' at Venue T. | Getty Images
![Another big name comedian who has turned his hand to children's books, Julian Clary and David Roberts will be talking about the book The Bolds, about the lives of a family of hyenas trying to hide their true identity, on Sunday, August 11, at 10.30am in the Courtyard Theatre.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/13/10/GettyImages-151469010.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
10. Julian Clary
Another big name comedian who has turned his hand to children's books, Julian Clary and David Roberts will be talking about the book The Bolds, about the lives of a family of hyenas trying to hide their true identity, on Sunday, August 11, at 10.30am in the Courtyard Theatre. | Getty Images
![Jesus and Mary Chain founder brothers Jim Reid and William Reid will be at Venue T on Wednesday, August 14, at 6.45pm to talk with music journalist Nicola Meighan about their new memoir, 'Never Understood'.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/13/46/GettyImages-688527168.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
11. Jim Reid and William Reid
Jesus and Mary Chain founder brothers Jim Reid and William Reid will be at Venue T on Wednesday, August 14, at 6.45pm to talk with music journalist Nicola Meighan about their new memoir, 'Never Understood'. | Getty Images