The Edinburgh International Book Festival has revealed details of its full industry programme for 2024.
Unfolding for the first time at the Festival’s new home at Edinburgh Futures Institute, the three-day strand will be packed with panels, showcases and networking events aimed at writers, publishing professionals, programmers, and anyone curious to learn more about the book industry.
The strand kicks off on Wednesday 14 August with Global Ink, the Festival’s dedicated international industry day. Bringing together trade professionals from Scotland, the UK, and beyond, the day will begin with Trends in Global Literature: What’s Next? Run in partnership with the Global Association of Literary Festivals , literary experts and Festival Directors from across the globe will discuss the emerging trends shaping the world of literature today.
There will be insightful contributionsfrom a panel of leading global experts including Literary Curator and Agent Zoe Xie from China, Newcastle Writers Festival Director Rosemarie Milson from Australia, Macodno Literary Festival Director Anja Bengelstdorff from Kenya, and Douglas Resende, Institutional Relations Coordinator from Brazil.
Later in the day audiences can enjoy From Page to Global Stage, offering fascinating insights into the world of literature in translation chaired by writer and translator Daniel Hahn. Korean writer and Booker International shortlisted translator Anton Hur will be joined by Andrea Joyce, Rights Director for Jenny Brown Associates, and Sam McDowell, an Edinburgh-based publisher specialising in translating Latin American fiction into English. Together, they will uncover the journey of translated works and share their insights on enhancing this sector, addressing current challenges, and exploring barriers to the wider proliferation of translated literature.
Audiences can also browse the Translation Pavilion – run in partnership with Waterstones and Publishing Scotland, this dedicated display will showcase the best of literature in translation. Attendees can discover Scottish authors and current UK titles published in a variety of languages alongside English translations of both established and debut international writers.
Global Ink will round off with its Connecting Cultures event, a showcase discussion on the power of international partnerships, chaired by the Book Festival’s Director, Jenny Niven. The event will feature contributions from Moniack Mhor Director Rachel Humphries, leading author Kirsty Logan, British Council’s Literature Programme Manager Matt Beavers, and Sharmilla Beezmohun, Co-founder of Speaking Volumes Live Literature Productions.
Following this, the day will culminate with the Global Ink Social, a relaxed gathering to reflect on the day’s insights and network with fellow attendees and international partners over drinks.
On Monday 19 August the Festival hosts Book Talk: Industry Insights for Writers, a day of industry events dedicated to offering insight for early-career writers, from getting published to building a sustainable career as a writer. Anatomy of an Industry will see leading names offer an introduction to the key roles and responsibilities in publishing, including Anna Frame, Communications Director at Canongate, and Emma Paterson, Literary Agent at Aitken Alexander Associates.
You Heard it Here First: Writing for Anthologies will open the book on Scotland’s thriving indie publishing scene, with discussion chaired by Heather Parry, author and co-founder of literary magazine Extra Teeth, and featuring voices from three leading anthologies and magazines: Charlie Brinkurst-Cuff (Black Joy), Malachy Tallack (Gutter Magazine), and Andrew Wilson (Nova Scotia 2: New Speculative Fiction from Scotland).
The day will also feature Literary Lifelines, an event about making the most of funding opportunities and building a sustainable living as a writer, chaired by Laura Waddell, with contributions from Culture Ireland’s Sharon Barry, Creative Scotland’s Alan Bett, and Oriana Leckert, Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach at Kickstarter.
The industry strand concludes on Wednesday 21 August with Book Talk: Perspectives in Publishing, a day of talks and panels aimed at publishing professionals, delving into some of the talking points dominating the industry, from rethinking accessibility to the unstoppable rise of AI.
Creativity in an Inflexible World offers insight into the questions of accessible publishing, with contributors including Vidisha Biswas of Footnote Press and Caro Clarke of Portobello Literary.
This event will also be available to livestream for remote audiences on a pay-what-you-can basis. Another session sees a panel of experts discussing the potential earthquakes that emerging technologies and AI might set off in the publishing world, and how best to champion human agency in a changing world.
The panel will feature contributions from Deputy CEO of the Publishers Association, Catriona Stevenson, who has been involved in steering an industry-wide AI Taskforce, and Dr Pip Thornton of the University of Edinburgh, who has been devising radical AI interventions as part of the Writing the Wrongs of AI Project.
And Shifting the Dial: Prizes with Purpose delves into the world of literary prizes, with discussions on how to deepen their impact and secure their future with speakers from the Women’s Prize Trust and New Writing North.
Lilidh Kendrick, Programme Manager, and Kate Seiler, External Affairs Manager: “The Book Festival will welcome over 500 authors to its stages in 2024, and our industry strand – scaled up to comprise ten events over three days – is an exciting opportunity to turn the spotlight on the people behind the books. This is a space to forge creative connections; and to pause, reflect, and act on the talking points shaping the industry, both at home and internationally.
“In a nod to our Festival theme Future Tense, we are proud to be welcoming a host of talented industry professionals to share their perspectives on what the future holds for the book world. We’re delighted to be supporting the professional development of writers at different stages in their careers, and want to give thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for making this possible.”
Ticket booking and full information on the industry events can be found at www.edbookfest.co.uk/industry