The 2025 Edinburgh International Book Festival is now fast approaching, with almost 700 events lined up and 641 writers scheduled to attend.
Among these talented authors are a number of previous Booker Prize nominees and winners, including last year’s winner Samantha Harvey and the legendary Ian McEwan.
And with the 2025 Booker Prize longlist set to be announced on Tuesday, July 29, there is no better time to reflect on past nominees for one of the world’s most significant literature prizes.
With this year’s festival taking place from August 9 to 24 in its new home at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, tickets are now available with some already having sold out.
So if you’re ready to book and are in need of some inspiration, here are the 25 past Booker Prize nominees attending the 2025 Edinburgh International Book Festival.
21. Graeme Macrae Burnet
Two-time Booker Prize nominee Graeme Macrae Burnet will take part in Scottish Writing is Thriving: A Sparkling Showcase during this year’s book festival. The Scottish author was first nominated in 2016 for his second novel His Bloody Project, and was again shortlisted in 2022 for Case Study. | Getty Images
22. Ben Okri
Ben Okri won the Booker Prize in 1991 with his novel The Famished Road, and he is set to discuss fables, human connections, and the transformative power of festivals during this year’s event in Edinburgh. He will appear on Friday, August 15 at the Courtyard Theatre. | AFP via Getty Images
23. Michèle Roberts
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1992 with her novel Daughters of the House, Michèle Roberts will appear during the 2025 Edinburgh International Book Festival with a more unusual offering – a cooking demonstration from her book French Cooking for One at Elliott’s on Wednesday, August 20. | Getty Images
24. David Szalay
David Szalay was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 for his novel All That Man Is. During his time at the 2025 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he will discuss subjects from masculinity to success with chair Michael Magee on Monday, August 18. | AFP via Getty Images