Val McDermid and Lin Anderson arrived on stage alone, joking that it had been decided that no one could moderate them. They briskly launch into a discussion on the development of forensics. McDermid's first book was published in 1987, just a year after DNA had first been used in solving a case. At the time forensics largely consisted of … [Read more...] about Bloody Scotland: Forensics with Val McDermid & Lin Anderson
Bloody Scotland: Val McDermid & Peter May
Douglas Skelton introduces Val McDermid and Peter May as two of the most popular authors Scotland has produced. When he asks if he’s correct in saying that they’ve written 35 and 23 books respectively, they laugh and say ‘probably’. They’ve both won a variety of awards and May was the first western author to join the Chinese Crime Writers … [Read more...] about Bloody Scotland: Val McDermid & Peter May
Bloody Scotland
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is far from the only book festival in Scotland. There’s several around, including one in Glasgow appropriately titled Aye Write. This weekend is Bloody Scotland, which as the title might suggest celebrates crime fiction. Originally the brainchild of Alex Gray and Lin Anderson it’s now in its fourth year and … [Read more...] about Bloody Scotland
EdBookFest: Caroline Criado-Perez
Rosemary Burnett introduced Caroline Criado-Perez with the thing she is most famous for: the campaign to put a woman on the English £10 note. Her book is titled Do It Like A Woman – And Change the World. Criado-Perez explains that she wanted to challenge the, still prevalent idea, that ‘like a woman’ meant weak, feeble and incompetent. She started … [Read more...] about EdBookFest: Caroline Criado-Perez
EdBookFest: Why I Call Myself a Feminist
This event featured ten diverse writers explaining their reasons for being a feminist in very different ways. The chair Lennie Goodings wanted to explore the female gaze in a way that was absolutely exclusive. Feminism is exactly as complicated and as simple as wanting the best for everyone. Val McDermid McDermid begins by explaining the crime … [Read more...] about EdBookFest: Why I Call Myself a Feminist
EdBookFest: Christophe Galfard
As a guest selector this year Gill Arbuthnott created a series of events about the importance of communicating science. Christophe Galfard worked with Stephen Hawking and wrote children’s books with Lucy and Stephen Hawking and now he has written a book explaining the journey and the mechanics of the universe. Galfard stands, saying he will take us … [Read more...] about EdBookFest: Christophe Galfard