Hollywood actor Alan Cumming and survival expert Ray Mears are among the big names taking part in the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF).
American author Jonathan Safran Foer, former BBC director general Mark Thompson and cyclists David Millar, Chris Boardman and Mark Beaumont are also in the line-up.
Organisers of the August festival – believed to be the biggest of its kind in the world – say this year’s theme can be summed up as ‘Project No Fear’ and will explore the power of the human mind to imagine a better world. More than 800 writers, poets, illustrators, politicians, journalists, historians, scientists, philosophers and playwrights from 55 countries are to take part in the 17-day event at Charlotte Square Gardens.
Director Nick Barley described it as a festival “bursting at the seams with big ideas”.
The Good Wife actor Cumming, Mears and comedian Stewart Lee are set to offer sneak previews of their new books at the festival.
US writer Foer travels to Edinburgh to launch his first novel in more than a decade – Here I Am, while South Korean writer Han Kang, who won this year’s Man Booker International Prize for fiction for her novel The Vegetarian, will be joined by translator Deborah Smith to discuss the role of translation in bringing international fiction to an English-speaking audience.
Sticking with fiction, doyenne of historical fiction Philippa Gregory will introduce her new Tudor novel, Eimear McBride will launch the follow-up to her award-winning A Girl is a Half Formed Thing and cookery writer and novelist Prue Leith will give a glimpse into the second book in her Food of Love series.
In the non-fiction category, musicians Wilko Johnson, Tim Burgess of The Charlatans and Brix Smith Start speak of their lives in and out of their respective bands.
Sports stars Millar, Boardman and Beaumont will talk about their careers in cycling and goalkeeping legend Packie Bonner recalls his 30-year career with Celtic and Ireland.
Politics and current affairs continue to play a key part in the programme.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown is set to address globalisation while newly-appointed makar (Scotland’s national poet) Jackie Kay is to be interviewed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Entrance to the gardens is free. Tickets to all events go on sale at 8.30am on June 21.