MEET THE POETS WHO CHANGED AMERICA

The Last Poets were formed in the US in the late 1960s, a period full of hope and a time when the Black Panthers were at the height of their power. Their performance poetry has influenced generations of musicians, securing them the title of ‘the founding fathers of hip-hop’. Coming from New York to Scotland for the first time, The Last Poets - Umar Bin Hassan, Abiodun Oyewole and Baba Donn Babatunde - discuss their incredible lives with their friend and author Christine Otten, whose book is based on their story.

Part of our Babble On - Spoken Word series of events.

THE CYCLE OF LIFE FOR A RECORD-BREAKER

Feats of human endurance never cease to amaze and enthral. In 2012, against all odds, Juliana Buhring became the first woman to circumnavigate the world on a bike, after very little training and with barely any financial backing. Now a Guinness World Record holder, Buhring tells us about her upbringing, which is both fascinating and shocking. Saddle up for a classic Book Festival ride.

Part of our This Woman Can series of events.

CROSSING BOUNDARIES

Brave, intelligent and deeply personal, Where the Line is Drawn shows how the Israeli occupation affects every aspect of Palestinian daily life. Raja Shehadeh, Palestine's premier writer and essayist, winner of the 2008 Orwell Prize and founder of the human rights organisation Al-Haq, asks whether bitter enemies can put aside their differences and find a common cause in the name of peace. Chaired by William Sutcliffe.

FILIAL BOND

Richard Ford is one of America’s greatest living writers, capturing the changing face of the USA since the late 70s. Today, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sportswriter talks about his most personal book yet. Between Them is a clear-eyed yet intimate appraisal of Ford's parents and mid-20th century America. A story of devotion and loss that is sure to enchant his many fans. Chaired by James Runcie.

TRANSITIONS

What makes a woman a woman? Is it her biology? Is it a rite of passage? Is it society? As she transitions from male to female, Juno Dawson's The Gender Games explores feminism and femininity in culture, science and society. Co-founder of the first national group for young LGBTI people in the UK, academic and activist C N Lester's Trans Like Me analyses the most pressing questions of the transgender debate.

MEXICO: FROM THE US BORDER TO GUATEMALA

As part of our project to explore the Americas, leading Mexican playwright Ximena Escalante travelled across Mexico with Scottish theatre writer Stef Smith. Starting in the US city of San Diego, they journeyed south across the Mexican border, making their way to Mexico City, Oaxaca and Merida before arriving at the country’s southern border with Guatemala. Today they share some of their unforgettable experiences, and some of the writing inspired by the journey.

Part of our Outriders series of events.

UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS

One of the most acclaimed writers of his generation, poet, memoirist and novelist John Burnside today treats us to two new works. The hugely praised Ashland & Vine is the beautifully woven tale of an unlikely friendship between a grieving, semi-alcoholic widow and the elderly woman of whom she hopes to record the family history; Still Life with Feeding Snake is a poetry collection which hovers with great assurance on the brink of epiphany. Chaired by Stuart Kelly.

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

For decades we’ve been told there's something out there. Jim Al-Khalili, host of Radio 4’s The Life Scientific and an inaugural winner of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, has been gathering the latest word from within the science community about those little green folks (if that’s what they'll look like) and their potential existence. An enthusiastic speaker, Al-Khalili brings us his new book, Aliens.

ARGENTINA: IN SEARCH OF UFOS

As part of our project to explore the Americas, Scottish novelist Kevin MacNeil travelled around Argentina with journalist, novelist and short story writer Mariana Enriquez. Starting in Buenos Aires, the writers set off in search of lost voices, both literary and of other citizens within the capital city. MacNeil travelled across the Pampas to the city of Cordoba, while Enriquez embarked on her own journey into the imagination of a Scottish writer, both in search of UFOs. Today they share some of their unforgettable experiences, and some of the writing inspired by the journey. Chaired by Nick Barley.

Part of our Outriders series of events.

USA: FROM NORTH DAKOTA TO NEW ORLEANS

As part of our project to explore the Americas, Boston novelist Jennifer Haigh travelled with Scottish writer Malachy Tallack on a journey that took in the Midwestern heartlands of Donald Trump’s USA. Starting in Fargo, they visited the site of the Dakota Pipeline protests before travelling south through Tennessee and Mississippi and arriving in Louisiana. Along the way, they met the reclusive writer Wendell Berry and members of the Black Lives Matter movement. Today they share some of their unforgettable experiences, and some of the writing inspired by the journey.

Part of our Outriders series of events.