This years' Edinburgh Book Festival features author Ian Rankin chatting to some of his favourite artists, including Hollywood actor Alan Cumming, musicians Viv Albertine, Edwyn Collins and Stuart David, co-founder of Belle and Sebastian.
Guests from 55 countries, including the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Marilynne Robinson - regarded as one of America's greatest living writers - will be present at the festival which runs from August 15-31.
East Germany novelist Jenny Erpenbeck will also attend. The German author and her translator Susan Bernofsky recently shared the £10,000 Independent Foreign Fiction award for Erpenbeck’s latest novel, The End of Days.
The 18-day literary festival programme also features popular historical novelist Philippa Gregory, who will launch her new novel on Henry VIII's last queen, Anne of Cleves. Val McDermid will discuss her new crime novel with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Irish author John Banville will also be present.
In politics, Channel 4 Economics Editor Paul Mason will be discussing capitalism and a route to a fairer society with former First Minister Alex Salmond.
