International Book Festival runs from August 11 to 27, bringing together over 800 authors, poets, and thinkers from around the globe. Unlike a usual quiet reading event, the festival literally takes over the city’s Charlotte Square Gardens, turning it into a buzzing hub of book launches, workshops, and debates. Street performers mingle with visitors, making it feel more like a carnival for book lovers than a traditional festival.  

One of the quirkiest parts of the festival is the “Storytelling Grand Parade” for children, where kids dress up as their favorite literary characters and march through the city center. This year, expect to see everyone from Harry Potter to the Gruffalo parading down the Royal Mile. The energy is infectious, a reminder that literature isn’t just for quiet libraries—it’s alive and playful in the streets.  

The festival also hosts a “Future Voices” series spotlighting debut authors under 30, many of whom tackle urgent topics like climate change and digital privacy. It’s a platform for fresh perspectives that often get overlooked in mainstream media, making the event a place where new ideas meet old traditions.  

For Jenkins, a self-proclaimed “book-hoarder with a strange taste,” the festival’s fusion of serious literary talks and playful street culture hits the perfect balance. It’s a place to discover books not just by cover or scent, but through lively experience—a reminder that stories belong to everyone, everywhere.  

If you’re in the UK this August, wandering around Edinburgh’s festival is less about checking off author signings and more about soaking in a living, breathing book universe. And who knows? You might end up collecting stories of your own to carry back home.