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Connery headlines Edinburgh festival

12.06.08 Anna Richardson

This year's Edinburgh International Book Festival will see the world launch of Sean Connery's Being A Scot (Weidenfeld), as the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Connery will be in discussion with his co-author, filmmaker Murray Grigor, on the final day of the festival. Together with an appearance by Young Bond creator Charlie Higson, the event will also mark the 100th anniversary of Ian Fleming's birth at the festivcal.

The launch forms part of a festival line-up which features a record 800 authors in more than 750 events, from 9th to 25th August. Other authors appearing include Salman Rushdie, Louis de Bernières, Margaret Atwood and Alan Sillitoe. Political personalities and commentators include John Prescott, Alex Salmond, Jonathan Dimbleby and Kate Adie.

As part of the festival's 25th anniversary celebrations, the opening event will feature Ian Rankin in conversation with "a major public figure", who will not be revealed until 8th August, the eve of the festival.

Special themes include "Focus on China" to tie in with this summer's Olympics, and "East and West" and "War on Terror" series of events to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel and the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Festival director Catherine Lockerbie said:  “It is my passion to make this the most international, illuminating, engaging, argumentative and inspiring celebration of words and ideas anywhere in the world.  I hope the pressing issues and powerful individual voices in this year’s programme reflect that ambition."

Anna Richardson Weidenfeld James Bond Edinburgh International Book Festival Sean Connery

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