The Book Cafe featuring Alexander McCall Smith

The Book Cafe came live today from The Book Festival in Charlotte Square and Emma Langman who was working as part of the programme team kindly wrote us this blog:

Emma Langman:

As well as being the last day of the Edinburgh Festival, today is also the last of our live outside broadcasts...

Luckily, it was a lovely, warm day at Charlotte Square where book-lovers and authors could enjoy the sunshine while the Book Cafe broadcast live right beside them. Today's guests were Antonia Fraser, Simon Van Booy and Alexander McCall Smith. Crime novelist Antonia Fraser discussed her memoir 'Must You Go?' about her life with husband Harold Pinter, while Simon Van Booy read from his book of short stories. Alexander McCall Smith has already written four new novels this year alone and doesn't seem to show any signs of letting up. He was also part of five events at the Book Festival this year - definitely an author that doesn't shy away from meeting his readers. He told presenter Clare English what motivates him to keep going.

Photographs from the programme from top left: Alexander McCall Smith, Simon Van Booy Alexander McCall Smith and Clare English, Simon Van Booy, Clare English, a view of the live show, Antonia Fraser.

It's hard to believe that's it for another August in Edinburgh and the end to our outside broadcast shows. Seeing the Book Cafe broadcast from the Book Festival itself has been a great experience and added an extra layer of atmosphere to our weekly show. But don't forget to tune in at 1315 each day for our Book, Culture, Music, Movie and Comedy Cafes, full of interesting guests and lively discussions.