The Good Word: Edinburgh International Book Festival 2013

Mukesh Kapila, Standing Up to the Slaughter in Sudan
Sat 10 Aug, 3.30pm, ScottishPower Studio Theatre, £10 [£8]

Books such as Dave Eggers' What is the What? and the recent anthology of fiction from the new nation of South Sudan, There is a Country, have helped to put a human face on some of the atrocities committed in the Sudanese region is recent years. In this event, author and former head of the UN in Sudan, Mukesh Kapila, discusses his book Against a Tide of Evil, which examines 21^st century ethnic cleansing and genocide in Darfur.

Patrick Flanery & Philipp Meyer: As Dreams Become Nightmares
Sat 10 Aug, 6.45pm, Peppers Theatre, £10 [£8] 

 One for fans of contemporary American fiction, this event brings together two of the most promising young writers on the scene. Flanery's thriller about a property developer whose American dream goes horribly wrong was a highlight of the first half of the year. Meyer is being touted as the next big thing, with an inclusion in The New Yorker's 20 under 40 list. His second novel, The Son, re-explores American creation myths in a manner akin to Cormac McCarthy. Grab a chance to see these upcoming stars before they are shifted over to the main theatre.

Multiples with Adam Thirlwell
Mon 12 Aug, 3.30pm, ScottishPower Studio Theatre, £10 [£8]

 Starting life as an issue of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Adam Thirlwell's Multiples project is being published as a book in its own right. This event looks at the hows and whys of getting 61 of the world's best writers to push 12 stories through 18 languages, and pull them back out again. Accompanied by contributors John Banville and Nadeem Aslam, this lit experiment should yield some interesting results.

The Independence Debate with Kirsty Wark
Tue 13 Aug, 4.30pm, Baillie Gifford Main Theatre, £10 [£8]

 The flagship event in the Book Festival's 'Scotland's Choice' strand, this discussion stands aside from Iain MacWhirter's equally worthy look on the 15^th at the history leading us to the national crossroads we face. With Kirsty Wark at the helm, a team of academic experts from both sides of the independence debate will verbally duke it out to try and give you the full picture of where we stand now. The event promises 'to debunk the myths and false statements around Scotland's referendum debate,' which is handy information for us all.

Amy Sackville & Evie Wyld
Tue 13 Aug, 7pm, Baillie Gifford Corner Theatre, £7 [£5]

 In this event two of Britain's most promising young novelists discuss the influence of geography, and specifically islands, on their work. Amy Sackville's new book Orkney follows on from the her John Llewellyn Rhys Prize-winning debut. Evie Wyld is a writer who blends the harsh rural environments of her Australian youth into her work. Her new novel, All The Birds, Singing, continues that trend. One of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists, The Skinny interviewed her in June, when she said of Australia: “It's one of the most vivid landscapes of my childhood, and I think because of that it will always be the first place I go to.”

Joe Sacco & Chris Ware
Wed 14 Aug, 7pm, ScottishPower Studio Theatre, £10 [£8] £5, under 26s

Two graphic novelist heavyweights in conversation. Sacco is known for his politically astute journalistic work, whereas Ware's tragicomic tales of domestic alienation offer an alltogether different experience. Both, however, are experimentalists with form. Sacco is about to publish The Great War; an accordion format pull-out graphic novel stretching 24 feet, and Ware's Building Stories was a graphic novel in a box, comprised of various kinds of image and text materials. A highlight of the new Stripped strand of the Book Festival this year.

John Burnside: Something Like Genius
Wed 14 Aug, 10.15am, The Guardian Spiegeltent, £10 [£8]

One of the best writers Scotland has, and rightly celebrated for his poetry, stories and novels, John Burnside is always a fascinating and forthright speaker. Last year he did something very few writers do and discussed, in detail, a large project he was currently working on. This year he brings a new collection of short stories called Something Like Happy. After a year of awards in which the world seemed to finally recognise the full talent of Burnside, this new collection of stories is sure to resonate with the same assured depictions of otherworldy places.

Vic Galloway: The Centre of Fife's Music Universe
Tue 20 Aug, 8.30pm, ScottishPower Studio Theatre, £10 [£8]

 Here to celebrate the launch of his new book on Fife's rich musical heritage, Songs in the Key of Fife, Vic Galloway will discuss why the region has produced so many of Scotland's leading indie figures of the recent past. As a childhood friend of several Fence members Vic knows their story intimately and will recount how a small collection of like-minded musicians came to run a successful record label and put on some of the most eagerly anticipated music festivals of the calender.

Margaret Atwood: Madam I'm MaddAddam
Sat 24 Aug, 8pm, Baillie Gifford Main Theatre, £10 [£8]

One of the big names of this year's festival, Margaret Atwood is here to talk about MaddAddam, the third part in her Oryx & Crake trilogy. Although she is in conversation with Neil Gaiman later in the festival, it will be the concluding part of her environmental sci-fi opus fans will want to know about most. Due for publication at the end of August, this sneak-peek at the book's contents will offer some details as to what's next for her post-apocalyptic vision of the future.

A Celebration of Iain Banks: Leading Writers Pay Tribute
Sun 25 Aug, 9.30pm, Baillie Gifford Main Theatre, £10 [£8]

Following Iain Banks' premature death earlier this year, there was an outpouring of tributes from both literary and non-literary communities. In this event, three of Banks' close friends – Ken Macleod, Val McDermid and Ian Rankin – talk about the work of one of our very best. Expect discussion on masterpieces like The Wasp Factory and his Culture novels, and what made him a great man, as well as a great writer.

Amnesty International Imprisoned Writers Series
Every day, 5.30-6.15pm, Peppers Theatre, free – tickets available from the box office on the day

This daily event is always worth going to. Usually under a different theme or region, and with a revolving cast of international authors, Amnesty aim to raise awareness of writers imprisoned for speaking out against oppressive regimes in their countries. Expect readings from a variety of voices, information on injustices not covered by the mainstream media, and the opportunity to get involved.

Jura Unbound
Every night, 9-11pm, The Guardian Spiegeltent, free and drop-in

Billed as 'Stories, Music and Literary High Jinks' this after hours component is where the Book Festival lets its hair down. Featuring authors from the day programme and some unexpected faces, Unbound delights in surprising. Turn up, grab a pint, and see what the evening has to offer. The full Unbound programme was published in last month's Skinny, but is browsable on our website (www.theskinny.co.uk) and will also be available from stands at the festival.