Organisers of the Edinburgh International Book Festival today announced record ticket sales for 2007 with 54% of events selling out completely. 80% of tickets were sold across the 700 events and, despite the unusually wet weather, over 200,000 people have visited Charlotte Square Gardens during the 17 days of the Festival.
The Book Festival this year has featured 650 authors from 40 countries. Highlights included Alan Bennett reading from his new novel, An Uncommon Reader, where the Queen discovers literature, transatlantic appearances and book signings by Norman Mailer and Alice Munro, Ian Rankin launching Exit Music, the 20th and final Rebus novel and rock stars lining up with leading writers to talk about their collaboration in the Ballads of the Book. Seven of the thirteen 2007 Man Booker nominees appeared in Charlotte Square Gardens this year, including Ian McEwan, Anne Enright and A N Wilson.
Catherine Lockerbie, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said "We've had a superb response to the Book Festival this year, with people turning out in large numbers not just for the major names, but for little known overseas authors also. From our revolutionary and highly successful LongPen events, with Norman Mailer and Alice Munro speaking and signing books from thousands of miles away, to a group of Bengali writers travelling specially from Kolkata, audience reaction to our events and themes has been notably eager, enthusiastic and engaged. Demand for sharing ideas and talking about books seems never to have been higher."
The Book Festival has, as always, been a forum for political debate and free speech with First Minister Alex Salmond speaking on Scottish Independence, leading political commentator Andrew Marr discussing nationhood, human rights Lawyer Clive Stafford Smith calling for an end to ‘extraordinary rendition' flights landing in Scotland, and Germaine Greer describing Princess Diana as ‘a devious moron'.
A total of 127 schools took advantage of the Festival's ever-popular Schools' Programme and over 13,300 pupils attended schools events with authors such as Julie Hegarty, Anthony Horowitz, Charlie Fletcher and Mairi Hedderwick. The RBS Schools Gala Day on 28 August welcomed 2,800 primary school children from across Scotland to a range of events and activities.
In a special Autumn Book Festival event in association with Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, Booker winner Michael Ondaatje will be bringing his major new novel, Divisadero to Edinburgh on Tuesday 2 October. He will be speaking at the Queens Hall at 8.00pm and tickets can be booked through http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/ or 0845 373 5888 or with the Queens Hall Box Office.