Edinburgh International Book Festival – Page 5 – The NEN

Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford end 20-year partnership

The Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford have ended their 20-year partnership.

The board and management of Edinburgh International Book Festival believe their ability to deliver an event this August that is safe and successful for audiences, authors and staff has been severely compromised, following the withdrawal of several authors and threats of disruption from activists.

Jenny Niven, chief executive of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “It is with great regret that our board of trustees and Baillie Gifford have collectively agreed to end our partnership.

“We are hugely grateful to the firm for its considerable support over two decades, including through some challenging times for the festival, and we are proud of what we’ve achieved together during that time.

“The pressure on our team has simply become intolerable. We have a major global festival starting in 10 weeks’ time and we need to focus all of our efforts and energy on delivering a safe and successful event for our audiences.

“Undermining the long-term future of charitable organisations such as book festivals is not the right way to bring about change.

“It diminishes the voices of those who feel strongly about these complex issues, and it will be infinitely harder to build and sustain well-funded cultural institutions in the future than it is to put them out of business today.

“We speak to all our supporters about these complex issues and continue to believe that Baillie Gifford is part of the solution in transitioning towards a more sustainable world and that the firm operates in line with our Ethical Fundraising policy.”

Allan Little, chair of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “Our team cannot be expected to deliver a safe and sustainable festival this August under the constant threat of disruption from activists. This was a pragmatic response to that reality.

“Funding for the arts is now in a perilous position and we should all be clear that without the support of our partners and donors, the future of festivals like ours – and all of the benefits these events bring to authors and readers alike – is in jeopardy.

“We are a charity that provides an important platform for authors and readers of all views and political opinions to agree, disagree, challenge, and provoke. Book festivals around the world are forums in which rigorous, intelligent debate can take place. Our festival should be a place where progressive and nuanced discussion can happen in a safe and respectful space.

“Indeed, our programme this year is designed to give a voice to those directly affected by conflict and those engaged at the most senior levels in its resolution. We will explore the real challenges involved in transition, green tech and climate finance, misinformation and the need for new economic models.

“We are determined to have those debates and to have them out in the open, but we need everyone to come to the table. We have made several invitations to Fossil Free Books, and other groups, to attend this year’s festival and regret that they have not responded to those offers.”

Nick Thomas, partner, Baillie Gifford, said: “Our collaboration with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, spanning decades, was rooted in our shared interest in making Edinburgh a thriving and culturally vibrant place to live and work.

“In recent years we have been proud to support the Schools’ and Children’s programmes, providing free books and creating opportunities for young readers to meet authors.

“The activists’ anonymous campaign of coercion and misinformation has put intolerable pressure on authors and the festival community. We step back with the hope that the festival will thrive this year and into the future. We hold the activists squarely responsible for the inhibiting effect their action will have on funding for the arts in this country.

“Baillie Gifford is a long-term investor with high ethical standards and a complete focus on doing what is right by our clients. The assertion that we have significant amounts of money in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is offensively misleading. Baillie Gifford is a large investor in several multinational technology companies, including Amazon, NVIDIA, and Meta.

“Demanding divestment from these global companies, used by millions of people around the world, is unreasonable and serves no purpose. Much as it would be unreasonable to demand authors boycott Instagram or stop selling books on Amazon.

“Nor is Baillie Gifford a significant fossil fuel investor. Only 2% of our clients’ money is invested in companies with some business related to fossil fuels. We invest far more in companies helping drive the transition to clean energy.

“We remain committed to contributing positively to our community through philanthropic support.”

This year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival will take place from 10 – 25 August, with the full programme due to be launched next week (Tuesday 4th June).

Baillie Gifford has supported the Edinburgh International Book Festival since 2004. The firm’s funding for this year’s book festival has already been provided and deployed.

North Edinburgh Community Festival: Fabulous fun in the sun!

I was delighted to join my friends from Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen Writers group at North Edinburgh Community Festival at West Pilton Park on Saturday, and the sun split the skies once again – that’s the third year on the trot!

Congratulations to the organisers and the entertainers who made it such a special day, and also a big thanks to the young festivalgoers who took part in our Citizen Big Board Game!

Looking forward to next year already!

There are lots more pictures on the North Edinburgh News Facebook page

Edinburgh International Book Festival reveals first author events for 2024

The Edinburgh International Book Festival has announced its first author events for 2024, with a brand-new series called The Front List, taking place at the city’s iconic McEwan Hall throughout August, in a new partnership with Edinburgh Fringe producer, Underbelly.

The Front List will showcase an exciting programme of writers with nine events in the beloved Edinburgh venue, just a short walk from the wider Book Festival site at Edinburgh Futures Institute.

The Front List programme will open on 10 August with modern legends of stage and screen, Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, sharing some hilarious tales about their classic comedy characters from Victor and Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium.

On 12 August James O’Brien will appear fresh from his popular LBC radio show to discuss the current state of the UK and his book How They Broke Britian, while cult favourite author of Heartstopper – now a smash-hit Netflix series – Alice Oseman takes the stage on 13 August.

On 14 August, every millennial’s parasocial best friend, Dolly Alderton, will discuss her work, including her achingly funny second novel Good Material, and on 17 August the iconic, Booker Prize-winning Salman Rushdie appears live from his home in New York to offer a searing insight into his unforgettable new memoir Knife.

YA favourite Sarah Crossan will appear at a special event for secondary school students as part of the Baillie Gifford Schools Programme on 21 August, while on 22 August prolific historical novelist Philippa Gregory explores her epic new take on feminist history in her enlightening new non-fiction title, Normal Women.

The programme will close with two exclusive pre-release events with authors talking about their new titles in public for the first time: Richard Osman – whose Thursday Murder Club series claimed a staggering 3 slots on The Sunday Times’ top 10 bestselling books of 2023 – discusses We Solve Murders, the first in his brand-new mystery series, on 24 August; and on 25 August the conversation-changing author and mental health activist Matt Haig, whose most recent book The Midnight Library has sold 9 million copies and counting, returns to the Festival to discuss his upcoming novel The Life Impossible.

Chairs for these events include Jackie Kay, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Wren James, Mishal Husain, and Chitra Ramaswamy, with more to be confirmed.

Tickets for The Front List events will go on sale to the public at 10am on Thu 25 April, with tickets available to book at https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on and https://underbelly.co.uk/.

Most events in this series will be streamed live and made available on-demand for digital audiences, and all events will be BSL interpreted and captioned.

Edinburgh International Book Festival Director, Jenny Niven said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be presenting such a stellar line-up in a venue that will enable us to welcome more people than ever before, in partnership with our friends at Underbelly.

“These are just the first of our 2024 events, with a further incredible 500-plus still to be announced.

“Our Front List line up gives a taste of what’s to come ranging from history to mystery, hope to romance, politics to comedy – and featuring some of the best interviewers in the business, including Mishal Husain and our very own Jackie Kay. This marks the first release of events as we open an exciting new chapter for the Book Festival – we can’t wait to welcome audiences this August.”

Underbelly Co-Director, Charlie Wood said: “This is such a great partnership to be part of, bringing together two of Edinburgh’s summer festivals in a crown jewel of the city, allowing a wider audience to see these amazing writers discuss their work in a venue with a fabulous and long history of speakers.

“We’re delighted that the Book Festival will be part of our wider and soon to be announced McEwan Hall programme.”

The 2024 Edinburgh International Book Festival runs from 10 – 25 August, and takes place for the first time at the new Edinburgh Futures Institute on Lauriston Place.

The full public programme will be announced on Tuesday 4 June.

For more information on Edinburgh International Book Festival visit:

https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

Words from the Wards: Book Festival announces public writing project celebrating old Royal Infirmary

Edinburgh locals and those with a connection to the city are being invited to share stories and memories of the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, now redeveloped as the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Futures Institute, as part of a new mass-participatory writing project at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Celebrating the Book Festival’s move to its new home at EFI, Words from the Wards will see collected stories from both Edinburgh residents and those from further afield, shared as part of a programme of multi-artform events that will take place in the iconic Category A-listed building during the Festival in August.

The Old Royal Infirmary was central to the city’s life, with generations of Edinburgh residents and visitors passing through its doors, corridors and wards. With the 20,000m² space now transformed into a world-leading venue for collaboration, conversation, and creativity, Words from the Wards will allow the memories already created in the building – from new births and mourned passings to the careers of the doctors and nurses who worked there – to be celebrated.

Alongside the public submissions, Words from the Wards will also feature contributions from leading Edinburgh writers and artists, including Dr Gavin Francis, Michael Pederson, Hannah Lavery, Sara Sheridan, Lisa Williams and Kirstin Innes.

Submitted stories from the public will be published at the Book Festival’s ‘On the Road’ blog at www.ontheroad.edbookfest.co.uk, creating a time capsule of memories about the Old infirmary through the eyes of those who worked and visited there throughout the years.

A selection of the submitted stories will be read by their authors, alongside the professional writers, at special events on-site at EFI on one of the former hospital wards during the Festival.

During the Book Festival there will also be a tie-in with Edinburgh Futures Institute Culture and Community team’s ongoing Recycling a Hospital project, which will see a new object created from materials preserved from the building’s original interiors (floorboards and slates), and poetry written by community members, installed within the space. The object, called ‘The Spirit Case’, will become a hub for gathering further stories, with Book Festival visitors invited to engage with the existing stories and contribute their own reflections and memories of the building.

Noëlle Cobden, Communities Programme Director at Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We’re incredibly excited that the Book Festival’s new home is the Edinburgh Futures Institute – not just because of the visionary ideas and projects at its heart, but because of its building’s rich and meaningful history.

“The Old Royal Infirmary is where many local residents – and those now further afield – took their first breaths, and its walls have witnessed uncountable moments of hope, fear, joy, and grief.

“We want to capture and honour the experiences, relationships and memories that people connect with the building’s previous life, as the Book Festival becomes part of its future. We hope that as many people as possible will share their stories with us, as our fantastic associated writers will also do, and can’t wait to discover the hidden, personal histories which make this place so special.”

Writer Kirstin Innes said: “Like many, many people born in Edinburgh, I began in this building. Of course, I don’t remember that but I do remember being 19 and going back there, visiting my grandfather in the early stages of dementia, after he’d had a stroke.

“Thinking about this commission has already started conjuring scents and sounds – hospital bleach, my footsteps on the stone staircase, the scrape of a chair on aged linoleum. This place means so much to so many of us – it’s an honour to be asked to write something about it.”

Working with architecture firm Bennetts Associates, the University of Edinburgh has been transforming the iconic, category-A listed Old Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh into Edinburgh Futures Institute to develop a space for multidisciplinary collaboration, data-led innovation, education, research, and partnership.

The Edinburgh Futures Institute includes state-of-the-art teaching facilities, rooms for co-working with industry partners, incubation areas for businesses, labs for innovation and prototyping, and exhibition and performance spaces.

The revitalised building is transforming the local area, creating a major public piazza, new garden spaces, and several new points of access from Lauriston Place, Middle Meadow Walk and Quartermile – opening this historic site once again to the public and welcoming Edinburgh communities, residents and visitors, as well as University of Edinburgh staff and students.

Stories and Scran: A real Winter Warmer in West Pilton!

It was a full house at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Saturday for Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Stories and Scran event.

Guests braved plunging temperatures to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea provided by Scran Academy and to hear a rich variety of stories and poems from EIBF’S Citizen programme participants.

Hosted by EIBF’s Ryan Van Winkle, the packed programme also included brilliant contributions from authors Kate Foster and Douglas Johnstone, and there was another welcome opportunity to see the touching documentary produced by North Edinburgh Arts’ Adult Drama Group.

Yes, it may have been freezing outside but there was a warm welcome and a cosy atmosphere in the local community centre. A real winter warmer!

Citizen Winter Warmer events: Stories and Scran

The Edinburgh International Book Festival has announced Stories and Scran will take place on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd December as part of the third season of Citizen Winter Warmer events: a community celebration bringing together local voices and authors and artists.

Audiences are invited to savour a sumptuous 3-course meal provided by the Scran Academy (included in the price of the ticket) and hear new writing from local people who have taken part in the Citizen project.

This year’s first event will take place at Fisherrow Centre in Musselburgh and will showcase the diverse voices and creative talent from local groups including illustrations from students at Edinburgh College of Art and the Book Festival’s own Adults Writing Group and The Citizen Collective. Special guests include Chitra Ramaswamy.

This will be followed on Saturday 2nd November with another Stories and Scran Winter Warmer event in North Edinburgh.

Join us at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre for tasty food and brilliant storytelling in a heart warming event at the heart of the community.

Savour a sumptuous afternoon-tea provided by Scran Academy (included with your ticket) and hear new writing from local people alongside special guests including including Kate Foster and Doug Johnstone.

This year’s North Edinburgh event showcases the diverse voices and creative talent from local groups including a film from the North Edinburgh Drama Group and the Book Festival’s own Adults Writing Group.

For more information visit: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/stories-and-scran-2

Founding Edinburgh Book Festival Director recognised with Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh Napier

Jenny Brown has worked with many of the biggest names in Scottish literature

A leading figure in Edinburgh’s book scene, and founding Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, has been recognised with an Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University.

Jenny Brown established the literary agency Jenny Brown Associates in 2002, and previously served as Head of Literature at the Scottish Arts Council and presented book programmes for STV.

She is now Vice-Chair of Edinburgh International Book Festival, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Jenny was awarded her new title of Doctor of the University, and collected her Honorary Degree, during Edinburgh Napier’s graduation ceremony at the Usher Hall today (Wednesday), in recognition of her major contribution to literature and publishing.

Jenny Brown Founding director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival receiving an Honorary Doctorate At Edinburgh Napier University

Jenny said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be receiving this Doctorate – it’s a real honour. I’ve had a long association with the University. I’ve talked to the publishing students, I’ve had lots of interns at my literary agency from the publishing course, and I’ve been to the creative writing studios quite a number of times. So it’s a lovely honour.

“It’s thrilling to have somebody who has worked in literature all their life recognised this way. I’m not an academic, I’m somebody who believes in the power of reading and power of writing – and somebody who believes very strongly that Scottish writing has got a lot to offer on the international stage.”

Giving her laureation, David Bishop, creative writing lecturer at ENU’s School of Arts and Creative Industries, said: “If anyone who knows the value of a story, it’s Jenny – a woman who revolutionised the way Scotland thinks about reading, writing and publishing.

“A 40-year career in the arts, festivals, publishing and literature has given Jenny a unique perspective on the ability of writers to move and inspire us, and on the power of stories to entertain, to educate and to enthral.

“There is no doubt Jenny’s involvement has been a significant part in the renaissance of Scotland’s writing and publishing industries.”

Jenny was born in Manchester but grew up in Edinburgh. At the age of 24, she was given six months to pull the first Edinburgh book festival together in 1983. It proved so successful it returned two years later and became the annual fixture it is today.

Today she runs an acclaimed literary agency in Edinburgh with a roster of bestselling and multi-award-winning authors. She has worked with William McIlvanney, the godfather of Tartan Noir, and helps keep alive the work of acclaimed writers such as George Mackay Brown and Alasdair Gray.

In addition to her storied career in literature, Jenny has been a consultant for the creation of Edinburgh Napier’s acclaimed BA English programme, taken on students from the Publishing Masters as interns, and been a frequent guest speaker on the University’s Creative Writing programme.

Edinburgh Napier’s autumn graduation ceremonies are being held between 24-26 October at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. Once again the nearby Shakespeare’s pub, on Lothian Road, is being renamed The Napier Graduate for the occasion.

Other Worlds: Citizen stories

CITIZEN ADULT WRITERS’ FINAL PERFORMANCE AT BOOK FESTIVAL TONIGHT

As a charitable non-profit making organisation, the work of the Book Festival stretches far beyond the month of August. Indeed, our Communities Programme runs year-round, focused on inspiring and empowering people of all ages and backgrounds.

Our City, Our Stories is an outpouring of this year-round work: an event created both for and by those taking part in the Communities Programme.

This inspiring, recurring, and FREE event showcases new writing from both professional and non-professional writers across our Citizen project (and other community-based groups including Intercultural Youth Scotland and Open Book).

The stories performed make up a collective love letter to Edinburgh.

The final Our City, Our Stories session of this year’s Book Festival takes place this evening at 6.15. We’d love to see you there!

#EdinburghInternationalBookFestival

#EdinburghBookFestival

Tonight: Stories and Scran at Edinburgh International Book Festival

CITIZEN: A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY

Returning for its fourth year, Stories and Scran celebrates the dynamic and thought-provoking work created by Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen participants.

This year’s event showcases the diverse voices and creative talent from local groups across the city including the Tollcross Writing Group, North Edinburgh Drama Group and WHALE Writers plus the Book Festival’s own Adult Writing Group and Citizen Collective.

With sumptuous snacks provided by Scran Academy, what’s not to like?

Stories and Scran

Monday 14 Aug 19:30 – 20:45
Baillie Gifford West Court
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Baillie Gifford West Court
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Book Festival Baillie Gifford concerns: Can We Talk?

DIRECTOR ISSUES APPEAL TO AUTHORS

YESTERDAY (Friday 11 August 2023) Edinburgh International Book Festival received an open letter from over 50 authors querying their sponsorship by Baillie Gifford.

Below is a response from the Book Festival:

Nick Barley, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:

“ Dear authors,

Thank you for your letter about the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s sponsorship by Baillie Gifford.

Writers are the lifeblood of this festival. We exist to offer you and your readers the chance of open discussion about the things that matter to you.

We fully acknowledge your concerns about the devastating impact of fossil fuel exploitation on the climate: as individuals and as a charity we firmly agree.

For these reasons we promise to think about your letter carefully. The last thing we want is to let anyone give the impression we are on opposite sides.

Just as we promise to listen carefully to you, we ask that you allow us some time to consider your comments. We’d also like to share with you the reasons why we have accepted this sponsorship agreement.

Like all arts organisations in the UK, we wouldn’t have enough funds to operate without private sponsorship. We looked very closely at the work of Baillie Gifford and it seems to us that they are in fact investing in companies that are seeking to resolve the crisis.

Those companies include Ørsted, the Danish windfarm specialist. Ørsted was mandated by the Danish government to keep two coal-fired power stations open until 2024 as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and that is the only reason why a small percentage of their income still comes from fossil fuels.

I hope you will talk with me and my colleagues, and discuss the complexities of this issue with us. Surely the best place for such conversations is at Book Festivals like ours. I invite you to the festival because I believe in the power of your words.

I am keen to learn from you about this; to hear your expertise; to understand your perspective. I promise to consider what you say carefully, and keep an open mind about how to proceed.

For that reason I’m proposing that we talk at the festival – with each other and with audience members who share the same concerns. Let’s talk in the Authors’ Yurt, in the bookshop, in the cafe and in the festival courtyard. Let’s talk in our theatres too: I’d like to find a time when we can invite representatives from across the spectrum of opinion to come on stage and have a discussion which will be open to the public. We’ll find a date when that’s possible and you’d be more than welcome to join us.

Can we talk?”

Edinburgh International Book Festival opens this morning