The Edinburgh International Book Festival 14 - 30th August 2010 comes to a close.

30 August 2010

The Edinburgh International Book Festival (14-30th August), located in Charlotte Square Gardens near Princes Street (a lovely setting even in the rain!) offers you the chance to interact with writers and philosophers at the largest gathering of its kind in the World.

Among the myriad of authors at this year's festival were Nobel laureates Jose Saramago, Seamus Heaney and Amartya Sen and previous Booker and Orange prize winners as well hundreds of others including many brand new writers. Ten out of the thirteen long listed novelists were due to appear in anticipation of the announcement of the shortlist on Tuesday 7th September as well as poets shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection.

A S Byatt, who has just received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize from Ian Rankin at the festival was discussing her new novel the Children's Book and there were appearances by other literary greats such as Zadie Smith, Philip Pullman, Margaret Drabble, Ian Rankin, Cressida Cowell, Frederick Forsyth, Carol Anne Duffy and so many more.

If you were unfortunate enough to miss it this time – put it on your calendar for next year!