The Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh

Ma Jian: `Beijing Coma`

On Sunday 16 Aug from 7.30-8.30pm Ma Jian, exiled from his native China, will appear at the Book Festival. Ma Jian has written a masterful account of one of the major political events of contemporary history, the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, and the journey that China travelled in the ten years that followed. Focusing on the life of one protester as he recovers from being shot during the protest, `Beijing Coma` shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, is a shining example of the immense power of literature.

Xiaolu Guo: `UFO In Her Eyes`

On Wed 26 August from 7-8pm the 2009 Edinburgh Book Festival will feature a welcome return by the popular author of `A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers`. Xiaolu Guo`s new novel `UFO In Her Eyes` is her most ambitious yet. The sighting of an alien space ship changes a Chinese peasant village forever and becomes an allegory for modern China.

Amnesty International:`Freedom`

To mark 2008`s 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International invited a host of international authors to contribute a story on one right. The result was `Freedom`, an outstanding collection of writing which stands as a testament to the importance of the Declaration. Join Xiaolu Guo and Marina Lewycka to hear them read and discuss their stories. This special event takes place on 27 August 7-8pm.

Booking

To book please click here to go to the Book Festival website