Johann Hari at Edinburgh International Book Festival (edbookfest)
2015 Edinburgh International Book FestivalShow Notes
It’s a century since drugs were first banned in the United States, thus unleashing a war against narcotics that has raged ever since. Journalist Johann Hari conducted a three-year investigation into the reality of drugs and now presents Chasing the Scream, a game-changing book on the subject. Lively, highly personal and often poignant, Hari’s book questions the notion of ‘drug addiction’ and makes a powerful case for decriminalisation. In his event, chaired by Kevin Williamson, he asks the fundamental question: ‘are drugs really addictive?’. Recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
More from 2015 Edinburgh International Book Festival
According to UNESCO, every region of the world during the last 20 years has seen gains in literacy rates, but the situation remains highly uneven. To what extent can this improvement be attributed to the urbanisation of populations across the world and the role of libraries in the culture of cities? The panel includes: Sergio Fajardo, one of the best-known political figures in Colombia who as mayor of Medellin oversaw a highly successful campaign to improve literacy in the city by placing libraries in downtrodden and overlooked barrios; and Amina Shah, CEO of the Scottish Library and Information Council who is a key figure in the future of Scotland’s libraries. The event is chaired by Jenny Niven, Head of Literature, Languages and Publishing at Creative Scotland. Presented in partnership with Theatrum Mundi.
Forget about the maths you learned at school; the charismatic Cédric Villani has a gift for revealing the beauty and magic of mathematics at the highest level. Dubbed a ‘rock-star mathematician’, the French winner of the maths world’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize takes us on an inspiring, charming journey through his intellectual discoveries in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Monica Cantieni’s The Encyclopaedia of Good Reasons, translated by Donal McLaughlin, tells the deeply moving story of a young girl’s long wait for adoption into a Swiss family, and into a German-speaking community. Whilst Sunjeev Sahota’s much-anticipated second novel, The Year of the Runaways, describes the dreams and struggles of a group of young Indian men searching for a new life in Sheffield. Hear how these two authors powerfully explore the immigrant experience in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Honesty is Not the Best Policy in Crime Fiction
‘Moving beyond words’ was one critic’s response to The Possibilities Are Endless, a documentary charting Edwyn Collins’ return to relative good health after two massive strokes in 2005. That film, and a recent book, were the subjects of conversation in this event, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, between Collins, his devoted wife Grace Maxwell and Ian Rankin, who has been a fan of the songwriter’s work since the days of 80s indie band Orange Juice and Postcard Records.