Nicola Sturgeon joins book festival line up as she launches upcoming memoir

The programme for the Edinburgh International Book Festival has been revealed, with speakers including former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, author Irvine Welsh and MP Diane Abbott.

Authors Maggie O’Farrell and Alexander McCall Smith are also on the line-up, along with comedian Julian Clary and actors Viggo Mortensen, Sam Heughan and Dame Vanessa Redgrave.

Performances at the festival, which runs from August 9 to 24, include Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers – a band which involves novelists Chris Brookmyre and Val McDermid.

Sturgeon will launch her memoir, Frankly, and will be in conversation with journalist Kirsty Wark as part of the Front List series.

Sports commentator Ally McCoist will give a talk on his career, and former first minister Henry McLeish will join academic James Mitchell for a discussion on Scottish devolution and how it has progressed.

Nicola Sturgeon will discuss her new memoir, Frankly (PA) PA Media

The core theme of this year’s festival is Repair, and organisers said it will be “seeking to explore the many things around us which feel broken, and how we might seek to fix them”.

Others on the line-up include historian David Starkey, while former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable will give a talk about shifting economic powers, and commentator Ash Sarkar will “tear into the morals of identity politics”.

Festival director Jenny Niven said: “This year’s key theme of Repair starts from the belief that the brilliant ideas of writers and thinkers can help us repair a host of seemingly ‘broken’ things in our society, from the cycle of fast fashion and our relationship with the environment, to cultural reparations and the state of our politics.

“It’s a statement of hope and resilience, and an invitation for our audiences to think about what ‘repair’ might mean for them.

“At a time when important conversations can feel impossible to have without igniting conflict and anger, we want the Edinburgh International Book Festival to provide a safe place for challenging but considered discussions.

“This year our programme features over 600 writers and artists from 35 countries, who have a wide range of perspectives on topics of personal, social and global importance.

“We invite you to come and learn something new, feed your curiosity and to broaden your horizons.”

Welsh will give discuss his new novel Men In Love, which features the characters from Trainspotting as they experience the heyday of rave culture in the late 80s and early 90s.

The talk Second Summer of Love will ask if love is the drug all men need, according to the festival programme.

Renowned author Hanif Kureishi will give a talk remotely about his recovery from a devastating accident which left him paralysed.

Shattered But Unbroken will discuss how he dictated his thoughts to his family following the fall on Boxing Day 2022.

Palestinian writer Ilan Pappe and Israeli historian Avi Shlaim will discuss the conflict in the Middle East and whether peace can exist.

Bookbinder Rachel Hazell will lead a workshop, Junk Journals Workshop, where old books will be re-fashioned into journals.

This year’s children’s programme will include more than 100 events for young readers, including from renowned authors Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson and Cressida Cowell.