Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand writers are among almost 600 authors and thinkers from 41 countries appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which returns from 15 to 30 August 2026.
Based mainly at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, the 16-day festival brings together writers and audiences for around 600 events spanning fiction, poetry, politics, science, history, food, music, live performance and more. The theme for 2026 is Changing Your Mind, exploring the power of stories, ideas and conversation to challenge assumptions and offer new perspectives.
Confirmed Australian and New Zealand-linked writers and literary participants in the 2026 programme include:
Australian writers and literary voices
Yassmin Abdel-Magied — Opening Night Gala; Mates, Magic, Mystery with Yassmin Abdel-Magied; Y M Abdel-Magied & Meena Kandasamy: Putting the World to Rights; Y M Abdel-Magied, Molly Crabapple & Hannah Lilith Assadi: Global Solidarities
Alan Finkel — Steve Crossan & Alan Finkel: Inside the Machine
Elizabeth Finkel — Elizabeth Finkel & Caitjan Gainty: Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Helen Goh — Baking and the Meaning of Life: A Table Talk with Helen Goh
Sophie Gee and Jonty Claypole — The Secret Life of Books – Live
Jane Harper — Jane Harper: Last One Out
Jennifer Higgie — Jennifer Higgie: Bedlam
Kathy Lette — Kathy Lette: The Sisterhood Rules
Charlotte McConaghy — Charlotte McConaghy: Wild Dark Shore
Omar Musa — Karan Mahajan & Omar Musa: Exploring Legacies
Lucia Osborne-Crowley — The Inside Scoop on Investigations
Hannah Richell — Donna Ashworth & Hannah Richell: Life Beyond Loss
Aotearoa New Zealand writers
Garth Cartwright — Garth Cartwright & Madeline Potter: The Travelling Life
Kirsty Gunn — Kirsty Gunn, Alan Riach, and James Robertson: Scotland 1926
Meg Mason — Meg Mason: Sophie, Standing There; Pen Pals: Meg Mason & Ann Patchett
Sarah Wynn-Williams — Beeban Kidron & Sarah Wynn-Williams: Safety in an Online World?; Simukai Chigudu, Gabriel Gatehouse & Sarah Wynn-Williams: Are You Sure?
Australian and New Zealand literary industry
The Book Festival’s Global Ink 2026 programme also brings international literary and festival leaders to Edinburgh, including Rosemarie Milsom of Adelaide Writers’ Week and Michelle Gordon of the Centre for Ideas at UNSW Sydney from Australia, and Lyndsey Fineran of Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Find out more about Global Ink 2026
Listings can change and additional events may be added, so audiences should check the official Edinburgh International Book Festival programme for the latest dates, venues, availability and ticket information.