The clash of the book festivals
Why does Yorkshire have to have fit most of its major literary events into little more than a month?
Bringing literature alive, literally
I used to be very suspicious of 'live lit', but the scene has recently become very exciting indeed
Julian Barnes on goths and enemies
Charlotte Higgins: Julian Barnes, delighting visitors to the Edinburgh Book festival, was particularly eloquent on the crushing influence of his elder brother Jonathan
‘Milli who?’ Prescott hits Edinburgh
John Prescott spoke at the Edinburgh book festival today - about croquet, his cars and the vicissitudes of Gordon Brown
He who dares, reads
If you want to shore up your tough guy credentials, reading is apparently just the thing
Latitude festival: do books and bands really mix?
The line-up of authors was intriguing, but could I stand a weekend with a load of drunken strangers in a field? Only one way to find out ...
If you go down to the Forest of Dean …
... You'll find a bookshop that is the centre of a thriving local literary culture. And now it's hosting its own festival
A capital city of the imagination
As with so many authors, London has been central to my writing. But of course the city means something different to everyone
Pamplona’s book festival on adrenaline
It may not look like a literary festival, but the ghost of Hemingway stalks the bull running at the festival of San Fermin
Plink, plink Fez
Joe Boyd visited Morocco in 1968, the year Brian Jones recorded the 'Pipes of Pan' in Jajouka. A return visit to the latest world music festival reveals the challenges of searching for authenticity
The literature of apocalypse
Writing is not the obvious way to change the world, but it certainly changes the way we see it
Connery ‘exclusive’ headlines Edinburgh festival
Launch of Sir Sean Connery's memoirs to top bill at 2008's Edinburgh book festival
War criminals must fear punishment. That’s why I went for John Bolton
George Monbiot: As long as the greatest crime of the 21st century remains unprosecuted, we all have a duty to keep the truth alive
McEwan sees funny side of climate change in novel reading
Author surprises audiences at the Hay festival with an unexpected preview of his latest work