Unbound 2014: What's On

Sun 10 Aug
Empire Café

Jura Unbound opens with a celebration of Glasgow's Empire Café project created by Louise Welsh and Jude Barber to explore Scotland's relationship with the North Atlantic slave trade. Tonight will be a delicious, scintillating mixture of poetry, prose, new writing and music, including newly commissioned poetry from Yonder Awa, the Empire Cafe's poetry anthology read by Caribbean and Scottish writers, plus a performance from hip-hop band Stanley Odd.

Mon 11 Aug
Canongate presents: Lost & Found

Join host, author and comedian Viv Groskop as she explores what it means to lose ourselves – our minds, our meaning, our mojo – and how to get it back. Including readings from Emma Jane Unsworth (whose Animals has been described as 'Withnail with girls') and Matt Haig (Reasons to Stay Alive), comedy from self-confessed neurotic Byron Vincent and live music. Ella Berthoud, author of The Novel Cure, will prescribe literary therapy throughout the evening which will push us beyond our limits and explore our excesses.

Tue 12 Aug
Syria Speaks: An Evening of Resistance & Celebration

Reel Festivals presents Syria Speaks, a celebration of contemporary Syrian writing and music. With readings from Samar Yazbek's Pinter Prize-winning war diaries and Malu Halasa's sly (but not shy) Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie, this event highlights the humour, resilience and strength of Syrian art, even in these most challenging times. Through the poetry of Golan Haji, the adventures of novelist Robin Yassin-Kassab, and the storytelling and songs of the irrepressible Raast Collective, Syria Speaks will make you laugh, cry and maybe even dance.

Wed 13 Aug
Vic Galloway and friends

BBC presenter, DJ, journalist and author Vic Galloway brings together a brilliant night of music and words. Music comes from SAY award longlister Adam Stafford, The Hazey Janes' Andrew Mitchell and singer-songwriter Siobhan Wilson. Readings come from Anneliese Mackintosh and her debut story collection Any Other Mouth; Kate Tough and her debut novel Head for the Edge, Keep Walking, plus Liam Murray Bell whose second novel is appropriately called The Busker. Whether writing or singing, you will find Scotland in fine voice this August!

Thu 14 Aug
Neu! Reekie!

Curated by poets and Neu! Reekie! founders Michael Pedersen and Kevin Williamson, this launch will showcase the virile new limbs of the Neu! Reekie! literary collective / circus: the bold birth of Neu! Reekie! Publishing and the snap, crackle and pop of Neu! Reekie! Records. Expect a greatest hits style cut to the jib – with past participants including everyone from Irvine Welsh to Primal Scream, Liz Lochhead to The Pastels, Tom Leonard to Frightened Rabbit, Alasdair Gray to David Shrigley, who knows who could rock-up?

Fri 15 Aug
Nasty Little Press

Nasty Little Press publishes distinctive books full of poetry that gets you in the gut. Their list includes some of Britain’s best loved poet-performers. Tonight we have sharp satire from Elvis McGonagall; bawdy, visceral delight from Tim Clare; the tumbling, breathless, boozy confessions of Salena Godden; witty yet reflective words from Molly Naylor; and a rare Scottish gig from Martin Newell, with poems that are wistful and gorgeous, aching for the past in a chippy tetrameter. Hosted by NLP Editor Luke Wright.

Sat 16 Aug
Page Match

What is Page Match? Imagine all your favourite spoken word artists smashed together with the razzmatazz of WrestleMania.
This is PAGE MATCH. So join BANG SAID THE GUN for the finest purveyors of stand-up poetry, the Biggest and Toughest Word Wrestling Grudge Match Ever: The Battle for Scottish Independence. This is going to hurt. Expect head ripping, blood curdling, limb breaking, arm locking, lip splitting, eye popping, hair raising, knock out prose. DIRECT FROM RINGSIDE – PAGE MATCH – THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL
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Sun 17 Aug
Jim Lambie's Poetry Club

On the back of his exhibition at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Jim Lambie hosts a special edition of his iconic Poetry Club. Running since 2012 in Glasgow it has quickly built a reputation for presenting cult heroes, legendary icons and new voices from Scotland and abroad. Tonight is no exception, with American poet and performance artist John Giorno and punk musician Lawrence and his band Go Kart Mozart taking to the stage.

Mon 18 Aug
Born To Be Wide

For 10 years Born To Be Wide has provided a focal point for Scotland's music scene, combining discussions, interviews and self-indulgent DJ sets from invited guests. Join founder and host Olaf Furniss for a talk show with a difference, featuring veteran manager Simon Napier-Bell and live music. Simon, who managed acts including the Yarbirds, Wham and Japan, will be talking about his career and his latest book, Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay, which charts the history of the music business.

Tue 19 Aug
Krakow City of Lit

We celebrate the 10th anniversary of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature with a special evening in partnership with Krakow, the seventh city to earn the status. Krakow is a city steeped in literature, from 11th century scriptoriums to Nobel winner Czesław Miłosz and the iconic Joseph Conrad. In recent years Jura Unbound has enjoyed the likes of Paweł Huelle and Olga Tokarczuk from Poland; tonight we discover the next wave of exciting new writers and musicians.

Wed 20 Aug
Willy Vlautin & friends

A very welcome return to Jura Unbound for Willy Vlautin. The author and singer of Richmond Fontaine will be performing and reading from The Motel Life, Lean on Pete and his new novel, The Free. In addition, he will be joined by fellow authors Michael Pitre, Joseph Boyden and Craig Davidson to explore myths, masculinity and making do in modern North America.

Thu 21 Aug
The Bookshop Band

After their brilliant debut performance in 2013 we are delighted to welcome back Beth, Poppy and Ben to beguile us with their beautiful book-inspired ballads. Their musical versatility is paired with courageous creativity in crafting miniature musical masterpieces from a startling array of literature – Mantel to Mieville, Catton to Kurkov. This year they will be joined by authors Ned Beauman and Kate Mosse, who will be reading from their work.

Fri 22 Aug
Read Y’self Fitter with Andy Miller

The 4th Estate Literary Salon presents a night of literary confession and inspiration. Andy Miller is the author of The Year of Reading Dangerously, his account of how to live, love and most importantly, read the classics of literature. In Read Y'self Fitter he invites you on a whirlwind literary tour to repent, rediscover and refresh your reading lives.

Sat 23 Aug
E.O. Higgins presents Laars Head & Friends

Join world renowned psychic medium Laars Head for a seance in the Spiegeltent. Head, the creation of author E.O. Higgins, will be joined by authors that explore the sinister and the spooky, the ghoulish and the unnerving, as well as some special guests from 'the other side'. 

Sun 24 Aug
James Yorkston & Friends

The magnificent James Yorkston returns to Jura Unbound for the Edinburgh launch of his new album The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society. And he is bringing some very special guests including contributors to the album - The Pictish Trail and KT Tunstall.

Mon 25 Aug
Rally & Broad

What better way to toast the finale of Jura Unbound than with Edinburgh's own Rally & Broad. Created and hosted by Jenny Lindsay and Rachel McCrum, Rally & Broad have re-energised the city's live literature scene in recent years. Join them for a special Ampersand Edition, bringing together artists from different art forms to create original collaborations, including poets Don Paterson and Ryan Van Winkle, musician Dan Willson aka Withered Hand, plus many more.