I’m in the most obscure tent in Charlotte Square to hear from two distinguished authors of the Arabic world: Tahar Ben Jelloun, the prolific writer exiled from Morocco who has lived in France since the early 1970s, and Elias Khoury from Lebanon.

I’m balancing my little notebook on my knees and feeling a bit claustrophobic again in the Peppers Theatre, but I’m ready to hear from Anjali Joseph and Neel Mukherjee. From Mumbai and Calcutta respectively, the two new novelists have written something which neither of them refers to as Gay Indian Fiction.

Seeing Adam Michnik in person, the dissident who founded Polish Solidarity with Lech Walesa, is grounding. He’s a man who spent a total of six years in jail, lived through and brought about enormous social and political changes in his country; but he’s a humble and charming presence on stage, and touches on difficult and complex subjects.

When I think of Gandhi, I recall the stories my granny told me of life in India and what is now Pakistan, during and after the struggle for Indian independence. Somewhere in the back of my mind is the knowledge that Gandhi had interests other than civil rights – something to do with celibacy, something to do with very young women…

After a slightly hectic journey across town, on which I was joined for several blocks by a random family of tourists looking for a Fringe venue on George Street, I’m squished into the Writer’s Retreat again – this time for an event with writers Andre Mangeot and Miroslav Penkov.

In any other country, the premier interviewing a writer would be surreal. But this is the sort of place where writers write on the walls of the parliament building.

Mr Salmond begins by reminding us he’s sacrificed the Hearts v Tottenham match to chair the event, and requesting that we do not reveal the score. Banks and Salmond have some great banter from the outset, even though Salmond’s first question to Banks, Why is it “Iain M Banks for the science fiction and Iain Banks for the good books?”, is a bit banal.