Next weekend (August 22 and 23) sees the Beyond Borders International Festival of Literature and Thought muse its way to Traquair House.
Scottish Conservatives Leader – and former Selkirk High School pupil – Ruth Davidson returns to her journalistic roots to interview former BBC correspondents Kate Adie OBE and Allan Little in the panel ‘Srebrenica Remembered’ – delving into their experiences while reporting from conflict zones such as Bosnia and Sierra Leone, with an emphasis on the coverage of genocide in the media.
Twenty years on from the massacre in Srebrenica – during which more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed – they discuss whether the international community has been able learn anything from tragic events such as these.
This year’s festival will also play host to a screening of The Fog of Srebrenica, a documentary by award-winning Bosnian filmmaker Samir Mehanovic.
Addressing conflicts elsewhere in the world, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura will launch the Women in Conflict Initiative, a joint venture between Beyond Borders, the European Institute of Peace, and Edinburgh’s Summerhall.
Across a number of events in both the Borders and in Edinburgh, this initiative aims to draw upon a variety of mediums – including a residential fellowship for fellows from Iraq, Syria and Yemen – in order to highlight and explore the experiences and roles of women in conflict.
Other events such as A foraging walk with Fi Houston and Fiona Bird, a discussion with former First Minister, Lord Jack McConnell, as he discusses his life and work after politics, and Magnus Linklater discussing the Rise of Islamic State and the future of the region with international experts – show just how far-reaching this festival is.
More information about these events on www.beyondbordersscotland.com
Tickets: weekend pass £45/day pass £24/individual events £9/walks and cycle rides £6. For more information, email info@beyondbordersscotland.com or call 0131 557 7775.