Connery to Cause a Stir at Book Festival

Phil Miller - The Herald

Sir Sean Connery is to be celebrated for his writing this summer - as the most highprofile guest at the world's largest literary festival.

He will appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to launch his longawaited, and oft-delayed, memoirs.

It is called Being a Scot, and the actor will talk about the book - which covers many topics including his upbringing in Edinburgh and his views on art, sport and life - with his co-author and friend, Murray Grigor, the Scottish film maker.

Sir Sean's appearance at the main venue in Charlotte Square is sure to be the hottest ticket of the festival, and the event also takes place on August 25 - the actor's birthday.

Catherine Lockerbie, director of the festival, said she had long sought to book the star for her festival.

He is already patron of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which begins next week.

At the launch of the programme yesterday, Sir Sean, officially retired from movies, appeared with Grigor in a light-hearted home movie about the creation of the book, in which he was credited as "Shon Connery".

"It is the 100th anniversary year of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, and what could be more fitting than to have the one, true Bond coming to the festival, " Ms Lockerbie said.

"It was always my hope that we could bring him back to the city of his birth His book is a remarkable document which will illustrate why he is one of the most important figures in Scottish life."

She added: "I have known Murray for years and he has been exemplary in making the book happen. He has been at pains to say this is a book by both him and Sean Connery: it's not a ghostwritten book."

Also making appearances at the festival are Salman Rushdie, Louis de Bernieres, Margaret Atwood, Ian Rankin, John Prescott and Richard Dawkins.

They will feature alongside more than 200 Scottish authors, with 800 writers in total involved in 750 events.

The 25th anniversary festival runs from August 9 to 26. Part of the special celebrations will include a "mystery guest" for its opening event, who will be in conversation with Ian Rankin, creator of the Inspector Rebus novels. Margaret Atwood and Rushdie were particularly keen to return to Edinburgh, Ms Lockerbie said. Ms Atwood emailed the festival to say she would "strangle gerbils" to return, adding "and I am a gerbil lover too".

One of the lingering questions surrounding this year's Book Festival will be the future of Ms Lockerbie in the role of director. This will be her seventh festival and it is understood she has debated whether she should carry on in what is a demanding post.

If she does decide to step down, it is likely to be before the running of the festival in August - to give enough time to appoint a successor. However, it is understood that Ms Lockerbie has made no decision yet.

Linda Fabiani, Culture Minister, said: "The programme for this year's Book Festival is hugely impressive and I, along with many thousands of other festival goers, look forward to enjoying what's sure to be a fantastic series of events."

A lot has changed since the first Edinburgh International Book Festival was staged in 1983. Then it was the only literary festival in Scotland and one of only three in the UK.

Now there are more than 30 in Scotland.

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Copyright 2012 by The Herald