Rushdie returns

After a 20-year absence from the festival circuit on the not-unreasonable grounds of fearing for his life, Salman Rushdie has announced that he will appear at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival to discuss his latest work, Shalimar the Clown, which is due out in September. Rushdie's appearance is the icing on the cake for the festival organisers, who have assembled a stellar line-up for this year's bash – Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, Doris Lessing and Dario Fo are among the other literary luminaries who'll be converging on the city this August – but there's no doubt that his will be the name that makes the headlines. If you want to bag a seat at the feet of the great man, book now – tickets went on sale this morning and aren't expected to last for more than a few hours.