After a brilliant two weeks on the road, spun between the Wilderness Festival on one end and the Uncivilisation festival on the other — thanks to the organisers of both for such spectacular events — it’s good to be back in Edinburgh. Plenty going on: such as the Edinburgh International Book Fair, at which Carlos Gamerro and László Krasznahorkai gave stirring, thought-provoking readings last night, the Festival of Politics all weekend long, and this Friday night, the launch of the new Edinburgh Review at Word Power Books. I’m honored to be reading alongside Patience Agbabi and Brian McCabe; if you’re in the area, do stop by for some new poetry — and failing that, of course, a glass of wine.

Reading starts at 7; details are here.

And– for those in the New Orleans area, UptownMessenger.com reports that a panel discussion will take place tonight at Loyola University on the future of journalism in the city. The details are:

The Ashden Directory have just put up a short piece, a part-travelogue and part-book review based on a recent adventure at a ruined seminary west of Glasgow. It’s a fascinating place — anyone traveling in that part of Scotland should add it to their itinerary.

This weekend, however, I’m excited to head ‘down south’ to the Wilderness Festival in Cornbury Park, appearing with Gregory Norminton, Paul Kingsnorth, and Bradon Smith as part of a panel on new climate fiction organised by the Secret Forum. The discussion will actually be somewhat broader than that, taking in nonfiction and manifesto writing as well, but we’re all excited to think together about the new directions that environmentally-minded work is now pursuing. Anyone who’s planning to be at Wilderness, we hope to see you there. But you know what they say about all work and no play: after the event, we’re going fly fishing.

Hell, maybe beforehand, too.

The Oxford American has just published a brief essay, on a topic near and dear to most folks: where, when in south Mississippi, to answer the call of nature.

Some news from both sides of the pond — on this side, at long last, after months of preparation, the fair isle of Nowhereisland has finally made landfall today in Weymouth, with a welcoming ceremony and march taking place as I write this. Their Twitter stream has a good range of photos, well worth a look. Congratulations to all the staff, crew, and fellow Nowherians (earlier this year I had the honour of being a Resident Thinker), and best of luck and best of weather to them on their onward journey. If you’re anywhere in the South East or London area, do stop in at the Embassy — they’ll be glad to see you.

In other news, back at home, I’m delighted to note that UptownMessenger.com, where until recently I served as a weekly columnist, has joined with three other New Orleans-area online news organizations to form the New Orleans Digital News Alliance. Combining the breadth and depth of shared reportage with the openness and transparency that digital journalism affords, this alliance is sure to be a force for the public good in years to come — especially as the landscapes of media, in New Orleans and elsewhere, continue to change at unprecedented rates. For now, more information about the Digital News Alliance is available on UptownMessenger.com.