Book festival turns the page on sponsor troubles to safeguard future

The festival is now housed in its new home at the University of Edinburgh Futures Institute

As a former Edinburgh City Council festival and events champion I was delighted to read in Monday’s News that three Scottish book festivals have joined forces with counterparts across the UK to become members of an arts organisation they hope will “futureproof” their existence after all nine lost key sponsorship from fund manager, Baillie Gifford.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) has an integral role in the city’s festival and events calendar and has an enviable international reputation. Their 20-year funding partnership with Baillie Gifford ended last year after protests surfaced about the sponsors fossil fuel investment and many were concerned about its long term future. At the time the festival issued a statement saying that it was no longer able to deliver a “safe and successful” event amid “threats of disruption”.

This followed an open letter signed by over 50 authors who threatened to boycott the 2024 festival because of Baillie Gifford’s investment “of up to £5 billion in corporations that profit from fossil fuels”.

The book festival’s website proudly proclaims: “Every August we present the largest public celebration of the written word in the world, bringing together over 500 events with the most exciting writers and thinkers on the planet to ignite imaginations, foster human connection and challenge the status quo.”

Now housed in its new home at the University of Edinburgh Futures Institute, on the site of the former Royal Infirmary on Lauriston Place, it can look forward to staging events there and in nearby venues such as the festival’s programme of discussions and interactive events which have provided a valuable platform for the public to exchange views on all manner of topics, whether they be ethical, political or cultural.

Edinburgh’s reputation as an international festivals city is one that should be nourished, not jeopordised and the long term future of the festival has now taken steps to safeguard its position as the number one literary event in the UK, if not internationally.

The political parties up in the city chambers are all too aware of how valuable our festivals are to the city and the cross party support is welcome – and needed.