What's On Scotland 11-18 Aug: Edinburgh International Book Festival & more

The Edinburgh International Book Festival (12-28 Aug) kicks off this week, and boasts even by its own standards an incredibly, ridiculously, packed programme. Find the likes of Nikesh Shukla, Bernadine Evaristo and Leïla Slimani dropping by the festival’s home at Edinburgh College of Art.

Highlights from the programme include the festival’s star-packed and timely Climate Strand with the likes of Ben Okri and David Farrier, close reads where you can delve into works by the likes of Saidiya Hartman and Joni Mitchell with the likes of Jess Brough and Amy Key, and gorgeous gorgeous events with gorgeous gorgeous local authors (we can’t wait for Eleanor Thom and Wiz Wharton, Heather Parry, K Patrick and Camila Sosa Villada, and Hannah Lavery and Marjorie Lotfi). And don't miss our sponsored event with the luminous Isabella Hammad and Raja Shehadeh on Wednesday.

Browse the full programme here, line up your tickets, and don't forget to drop by the festival bookshop.

ADVERTISEMENT | Get Your Tickets for Assembly shows now!
Assembly Festival, Edinburgh. 2-28 Aug
As we dive into the second weekend of the Fringe Festival, the reviews are pouring in and tickets are selling fast. With 5 stars across the board, Assembly’s programme has a performance for everyone, from cabaret, to comedy, circus, family friendly shows and much more! Unsure of what to see? Explore Assembly’s programme in Assembly’s beautiful gardens and plan a day jampacked with world-class entertainment!

Chef the Rapper
King Tuts, Glasgow. 11 Aug, 8:30pm
Aberdeen rapper Chef the Rapper heads to Glasgow as part of King Tut’s Summer Nights. Blending deft and complex lyricism with stunning storytelling and infectious beats, this rising star of the Scottish rap scene is one to catch before his star, well, gets much much bigger. Image: Lewis Holms.

HIGH STEAKS
Summerhall, Edinburgh. Until 13 Aug, 4:30pm
HIGH STEAKS combines performance art and clowning to explore themes of body image, cosmetic surgery, and the labia. Exploring the increased demand for labiaplasty, HIGH STEAKS butchers two steaks, interrogating our relationship with our supposed imperfections. Image: Matjaž Rušt.

ADVERTISEMENT | Bill's 44th
Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh. 3-27 Aug (not 14), 8:35pm
Bill's having a party and you're invited! Bill’s 44th is an original comedic puppet show created by Brooklyn-based Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck. Many styles of puppetry, raucous balloons, and a cheeky piece of crudité all collide to examine the pitfalls of impatience, the wonder of loneliness, and the universal passage of time. NYTimes Critic's Pick! "Brilliantly executed and truly unforgettable." (One4Review 5/5) "First-rate puppeteering, a heartwarming story, and lots of inventive fun." (TheRealChrisparkle 4/5)

Femmergy
Summerhall, Edinburgh. 12 Aug, 11pm
One of the gems in Summerhall’s nightlife programme this year, queer femme DJ collective Femmergy play all the good tunes - an irresistible mixture of pop, disco, R’n’B, and - if their last few nights are anything to go by - a sizable dose of Kylie Minogue’s Padam Padam. Image: Charlotte Cullen.

Edinburgh Art Festival
Various venues, Edinburgh. 11-27 Aug
Some of the best exhibitions of the year are culminating at Edinburgh Art Festival. Don’t miss the ninth edition of the early career artist exhibition Platform, the world premiere screening of opera film History of the Present, and a residency by Lebanese feminist collective Haven for Artists. Image: Myriam Boulos.

↪ Frankie Thompson and Liv Ello: Body Show
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh. Until 27 Aug, 5pm
Acclaimed comedians and clowns Frankie Thompson and Liv Ello collaborate on this astonishing fusion of comedy, digital theatre, and performance art, which explores ideas of dysphoria, dysmorphia, and our complex relationships with our bodies. Image: Dylan Woodley

→ Scottish International Short Film Festival
CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow. Until 12 Aug
The first ever Scottish International Short Film Festival takes place this weekend, encompassing narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental film and art grouped in strands revolving around motherhood, masculinity and the environment.

→ August Danse Macabre
Bonjour, Glasgow. 12 Aug, 11pm
For a vibey end to your Saturday, head to queer co-op and collective Bonjour for a frenzy of goth, italo disco, post-punk and synth, headlined by Danse Macabre residents Catnip and Pasta.