Welcome to Unbound 2011

<strong>Unbound</strong> is back at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for 2011, offering up another free programme of late night performance, music and literature in the Charlotte Square Spiegeltent. Programme Manager <strong>Roland Gulliver</strong> introduces the guide to this year's line-up

Feature by Roland Gulliver | 30 Jun 2011

When we created Unbound at last year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival we really didn’t know what to expect. We knew what we wanted to do. What we wanted to do was create something a little different every night in our Spiegeltent, celebrate the people doing great literary stuff around Scotland and elsewhere, and let some of our friends and visiting authors loose on the stage for a couple of hours to see what happened. But that did mean we had a few sleepless nights worrying that it wouldn’t work and that no one would turn up!

Across the sixteen nights last August there was a bit of everything, an artistic buffet of stories and music with some unexpected dishes served up involving trombones, table tennis and even some impromptu hairdressing! What we really didn’t expect was that it would work so well, and to see how our authors and audiences responded to all the acts.

So in 2011 we are very excited about being able to bring you the next installment of Unbound, but we are also a little scared. This is ‘difficult second album’ territory. We have created expectations, but we might have also used up everyone’s good will. Even in the twelve months that have passed the live literature scene has grown at an impressive rate – something which is inspiring for the story-obsessed amongst us, but it means the competition is getting fierce.

Thankfully, we are very lucky to have support from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund to make this year’s programme bigger, better, bolder and – most importantly – to keep it free. We have looked to build on what we began last year, to create a programme of nights that are a little bit different from the average Book Festival event. Again we present a stellar programme of literature, music and comedy, but no matter what form the output the input of these performances all have their roots in storytelling and books.

So this year we have brought back some familiar faces from 2010 for a second bite of the Unbound apple – Gutter magazine are continuing their search for stimulation; the Golden Hour will be dancing the night away; Cargo Publishing will be delivering some of Scotland’s most exciting new writing; Edinburgh’s Writer’s Bloc will be putting on a damn fine show; and Five Dials will be back, possibly with trombones. Again.

Added to these signature dishes we have a mouth-watering menu of delights – on the opening night, we have Professor of Paranormality Richard Wiseman working his magic; on the closing night acclaimed Scottish author, Des Dillon will be performing his unique brand of comedy. In between we have one of Scotland’s newest and most dynamic literary nights, Words Per Minute, a wonderful evening of words and music with two of Scotland’s finest, Robin Robertson and Alasdair Roberts, and a great night of music with the Fence Collective’s James Yorkston and friends.

If that hasn’t left you sated, we have artists and authors from America and Australia. We are delighted to serve you a special night of words and music with singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh and the iconic Paris Review will host an evening of new American writing. Ringside seats will be available for the latest round of the cultural phenomenon Literary Death Match, and we welcome to the Spiegeltent one of Australia’s finest independent publishers, Sleepers.

Unbound is all about new ideas but two events celebrate the influence and inspiration of the past. Artist Matt Hulse has found inspiration in the life of James Duthie, Dummy Jim, to create a remarkable project of stories, music, film and puppets, amongst other things. And 2010 saw the death of Paul Reekie, one of Edinburgh’s unsung but iconic literary heroes who alongside Irvine Welsh and others defined the new wave of Scottish writing in the 1990s. Love’s Rebellious Joy will bring back friends, writers and musicians to celebrate his life and work.

Edinburgh in August is a very unique place and in amongst all the usual Festival madness, we have created another special spot in our Spiegeltent with Unbound. There is nothing better than at the end of each day bringing together friends and new faces to celebrate all that is brilliant about the written word – surely a great excuse to let the Book Festival fun last just that little bit longer into the night.

http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/themes/unbound