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Edinburgh's Book Fest: the programme is out!

From August 11 to 27, literature is setting the tone in the Scottish capital! The Edinburgh International Book Festival is back, and the Institut français is proud to be supporting French writers coming to the festival every year!

The Book Festival welcomes around 1000 authors in over 900 events for adults and children each year including novelists, poets, scientists, philosophers, sportsmen, illustrators, comic creators, historians, musicians, biographers, environmentalists, economists, Nobel and Booker prize-winners and many more besides.

Truly international, it gives centre stage to recently translated books published in the English language, and is an exceptional occasion to hear their writers, illustrators and translators talk about their work. Several of the books they will be talking about have also been supported by Institut français translation grants.

This year's Book festival programme features a great line-up of French writers, including some of France's most popular novelists, children's authors, a professor of Middle East Studies, and an extraordinary rap artist.

Stéphane-Yves Barroux worked as an art director before moving to the New York and Montréal where he began to work in children's illustration and press cartoons. Where's the Elephant was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2016. In 2018, Egmont is publishing How Many Trees?, as well as In the Mouth of the Wolf, combining Barroux's stunning artwork with Michael Morpurgo's superb storytelling. When can you see him?

Clémentine Beauvais is a French children's author living in the UK. Her Piglettes won four prizes in France, including the biggest children's book prize, the Prix Sorcières (Piglettes, Pushkin, 2017). Clémentine Beauvais has also translated Sarah Crossan’s One into French. Her last novel, In Paris With You, came out in 2018 (Faber&Faber) in a translation by Sam Taylor. When can you see her?

Writer and member of the Académie Goncourt, Philippe Claudel is also an award-winning filmmaker. His novel Grey Souls won the Prix Renaudot in 2003 (UK publication in 2005), and Brodeck's Report won the 2010 Independent Foreign Fiction Award. His début feature film I've Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime) won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Language film. The Tree of the Toraja is published this year by MacLehose Press in a translation by Euan Cameron. When can you see him?

French-Rwandan Gaël Faye is not only a writer but also a composer and rap artist in the pure hip hop tradition who received the prestigious Victoires de la Musique Award in 2018. Small Country is his first novel, about childhood, war, exile and identity. A huge bestseller in France, it was awarded the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens 2016, and is published by Penguin in a translation by Sarah Ardizzone. When can you see him?

Jean-Pierre Filiu, distinguished historian and specialist of Middle Eastern Studies at Sciences Po, has been working with grapic novelist and illustrator David B on the Best of Enemies series since 2012. In three tomes, the last of which is out this year with SelfMadeHero, this graphic novel explores the history of relations between America and the Middle East: the third installment covers the period from the 1990 invasion of Kuwait to Syria in 2013. When can you see him?

Edouard Louis's first novel The End of Eddy (Penguin 2017, in a translation by Michael Lucey) was translated into more than twenty-five languages, and has made him one of the most celebrated writers of his generation. Edouard Louis will be in Edinburgh for the première of its adaptation to the stage. His second novel History of Violence, equally autobiographical and disturbing, is out with Penguin this year in a translation by Lorin Stein. When can you see him or discover his work?

Don't forget to follow the Book Office's official Twitter account for more literary news!

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