With typical eccentricity and aplomb, and in the surroundings of a magnificent Regency church, Margaret Atwood yesterday brought the Edinburgh International Book Festival, sponsored by The Times, to a rousing climax with a bravura performance that included a contribution from the pulpit by a former Bishop of Edinburgh — dressed in a leopard-skin robe — and musical accompaniment from a choir clad in sun hats.

This was the launch of Atwood’s latest novel, The Year of the Flood, held in St John’s Church on Princes Street.

To their evident delight, an audience of 200 was treated to the performance of environmentally friendly hymns, readings by the Canadian novelist from her vision of dystopia, and the sight and sound of Richard Holloway, the former bishop, playing a character called Adam One and preaching the love of all things green.

The event, one of only a handful to be held “offsite” in the festival’s history, had sold out within 40 minutes of tickets going on sale. “As in so many matters, Edinburgh and Scotland are again a first,” said Atwood. “This evening is a hybrid, a book reading with music and some of the hymns that are fundamental to the book.”

The Year of the Flood imagines the world after an unspecified “Waterless Flood” in which two women struggle for survival, helped by nature-loving “God’s Gardeners” but opposed by many more malevolent forces.

The Edinburgh extravaganza was part of what has been described as the “greenest world book tour”, in which Atwood travels by carbon-efficient modes of transport, raises money for bird protection charities and documents her experiences on her website.

This was a combined event from the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, and it showed: blue rinse met pink dye in the hairstyles of the Edinburgh audience, with a typically respectable book festival crowd mingling easily with younger eco-warriors.

Atwood’s performance told a segment of her story of Ren, a trapeze dancer who survives locked in the sex club where she works, and Toby, one of God’s Gardeners, who has barricaded herself inside a luxurious spa.

Every three chapters or so, the book features a “hymn” and these were adapted for performance by Orville Stoeber. Combining traditional forms with lyrics about genes and neurons, the overall effect was part satirical and part straight — Simon and Garfunkel crossed with Little Donkey.

Atwood, signing books after the fund-raising event, felt that the spectacle had been a success. “We were a little afraid that Adam One might trip on his robe, and we only had one rehearsal,” she said.

“This just lent itself to [a performance], and I suggested that BirdLife International and the RSPB could make themselves known to people through the arts.”

Holloway, beaming above his cloak of many colours, said that it had been a thoroughly refreshing occasion. “It was fabulous,” he said, “although I wouldn’t wear this often. This is obviously a first, and was entirely inspired by Margaret. It might be that it will catch on with other authors, and I think the book festival would be open to it.”

A rousing reprise of When Adam First at the end of the reading was met with enthusiastic singing from some people and bemused mumbling from others.

Suzy Sutherland, 36, from Dunfermline, said that she had enjoyed the spectacle. “I think it was a bit bizarre. It was nice to do something a bit different, especially as the book is so bizarre. Good on her for doing something a bit more entertaining than just sitting there.”

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