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Former PM Brown and Rebus author in Edinburgh International Book Festival line-up

PA Media Gordon Brown. He has grey hair and is wearing a dark-coloured suit and royal blue tie. The background is blurred.PA Media
Gordon Brown will be in Edinburgh in August for the festival

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and crime writer Sir Ian Rankin are to take part in this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Best-selling author John Grisham, Wikipedia founderJimmy Wales and Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also feature in the line-up.

More than 600 writers, poets, illustrators, politicians, journalists, historians, scientists, philosophers and playwrights from 41 countries will be among the speakers at the 16-day event.

The 2026 festival is set to take place from 15-30 August at venues across the capital.

This year's theme has been announced as "Changing Your Mind" with events spanning fiction, politics, science, history, music and live performance.

Organisers said they were encouraging participants and visitors to be open-minded and curious as the festival focuses on diverse perspectives.

Director Jenny Niven said the festival programme "speaks to the moment we're in" and hopes it "will help us gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and each other".

Getty Images Ian Rankin. He has brown hair and dark eyes and is wearing a brown jacket and blue shirt. The background is blurred.Getty Images
Rebus author Sir Ian Rankin will be joined by legal thriller writer John Grisham at McEwan Hall

Gordon Brown is set to address global instability, while Sturgeon and former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin will reflect on their political careers discussed in their memoirs Frankly and Hope in Action.

Legal thriller author Grisham and Rankin - whose most famous character Det Insp John Rebus has featured in nearly 30 books - are set to take to the stage together as part of The Front List line-up at McEwan Hall.

Other renowned fiction writers include Maggie O'Farrell, American award-winner Ann Patchett and 2026 International Booker Prize winner Yáng Shuāng-zi.

Greyfriars Kirk will feature as a venue for the first time, hosting a series of events connecting Scottish writers with international musicians, artists and performers.

Politics, current affairs and artificial intelligence will play a key part in the programme.

The New Yorker's Fergus McIntosh, The News Agents podcast co-host Lewis Goodall and journalist Yi Ling Liu will examine misinformation, data and global narratives, while Steve Crossan, part of the original DeepMind team and Sarah Wynn-Williams, former director of public policy at Facebook, will explore AI regulation.

There are more than 150 events scheduled for children and families along with a young adults programme tailored for audiences under 30.

Live and recorded programming from the Spiegeltent will be available on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds from 17-21 August.

Niven said: "At a time when opinions seem increasingly polarised and online debate is so divisive, we're creating space for thoughtful, nuanced conversations - exploring the reasons for our increasing social and political divides, and how we might change each others' minds, or at least agree to disagree, more agreeably.

"We're also looking at the potential of the human brain to adapt and relearn, and at the unparalleled power of stories to change our thinking."

Tickets go on sale to Book Festival members from Wednesday 17 June. The public sale opens at 10:00 on Thursday 25 June.