2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival

In her powerful, emotive memoir, H is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald recounts her obsessive pursuit to become a falconer. Following the shock of her father’s death and inspired by T H White’s The Goshawk, she embarked on a journey to train her own goshawk and H is for Hawk is a celebratory, elegiac account of her story as well as a beautiful reminder of our deep-rooted connections to the natural world. In this event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Macdonald spoke to Charlotte Higgins from the Guardian about her experience.

People with severe mental health issues are often stigmatized by society. From drugs to psychiatry, solutions are complex and expensive. Eleanor Longden, a voice hearer and a qualified psychologist joins James Ley, a playwright who explores his bi-polar disorder in his writing, and Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King's College London, to discuss how hearing voices can be a creative and ingenious psychological survival strategy. Chaired by Dr Angela Woods, a lecturer in Medical Humanities. This event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival, was part of the Festival’s Conversations with Ourselves series of events presented in association with the University of Durham and with the support of the Wellcome Trust.

As part of a series of events examining the key ideas that have shaped the human race, sociologist Saskia Sassen, research director in international economics at Chatham House Paola Subacchi and professor of political economy Robert Skidelsky joined James Anderson, manager of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, to explore the profound and far-reaching effects of capitalism on humanity. Recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Throughout history, divine intervention has influenced great artists, thinkers and leaders, and the voice of God is a distinct and separate presence in the minds of many people today. Author and former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway leads this discussion with writer Sara Maitland and psychiatrist and theologian Chris Cook to explore how religious beliefs and creative inspiration define our consciousness. This event, recorded live at the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival, was part of the Festival’s Conversations with Ourselves series of events presented in association with the University of Durham and with the support of the Wellcome Trust.