Two of America's leading modern writers, and a geographical expansion, mark this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival.

The 2017 programme for the annual book festival will this year feature, for the first time, Paul Auster, as well as two appearances by the acclaimed US writer Richard Ford, as well as the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Limmy, Zadie Smith, David Mitchell, Charlotte Rampling, Val McDermid, Simon Callow, Ian Rankin and many others.

There will be drama: the festival, in a new partnership with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, is to make three short dramas on a stage in Charlotte Square Gardens, inspired by three books, Amy Liptrot's The Outrun, Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project and James Kelman's Dirt Road.

In a "response to the 70th anniversary of the festival city" the festival is also to have two new venues in George Street - the Bosco Theatre and The Greenhouse - as well as events in the King's Theatre and St Mary's Cathedral.

In an event called 'Paul Auster at 70', the author of the New York Trilogy, among many other books, will discuss his life and work at the King's Theatre, while in the cathedral, David Mitchell will be joined by the conductor and pianist David Greilsammer to prevent a new collaboration.

The writer and journalist Andrew O'Hagan is to deliver a keynote speech on the future of Scotland, while there will also be an appearance by the Danish author of the bestselling Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking.

One of the UK's most successful writers for children, Cressida Cowell, will unveil her new series, The Wizards of Once.

The cover of the 2017 programme for the festival, which runs from August 12-28, asks "Who are we now?".

The two new venues on George Street, the festival said, will include writing workshops, live writing, and drop-in activities, as well as its own box office, book shop and seating area, and will "open up the festival to new audiences."

Introducing the programme, which includes writers from 50 countries, Nick Barley, the director of the festival, said: "Seventy years on from the first Edinburgh Festival, the need for artists and performers to come together in celebration of free speech and the power of creativity is as great as it has ever been.

"Against a backdrop of political earthquakes, this year's Book Festival proudly presents an awe-inspiring international array of writers who are closely observing the changing world and - to paraphrase the poet Emily Dickinson - telling it slant."

A series of events are to be presented under the title This Woman Can, and will feature Yazidi teenager Farida Khalaf who will tell her story of being kidnapped and sold into slavery by Isis, the politicians Harriet Harman, Jess Phillips and Catherine Mayer as well as Juliana Buhring, Dervla Murphy and Jennifer Tough, who all embarked upon long distance cycle rides.

Val McDermid will launch her latest novel, Ali Smith will return with her second book in her seasonal series, and the novelist and poet John Burnside will introduce two new works, while James Robertson will appear with Aidan O'Rourke to share songs and stories.

The festival will also see the return of five writers who the Festival paid to embark on journeys across the Americas.

Each of the writers - Harry Giles, Malachy Tallack, Stef Smith, Kevin MacNeil and Jenni Fagan, will discuss their adventures, which was funded by the Scottish Government's Expo Fund.