SEVERAL towns and villages around Scotland are to get their own “mini” book festival next year.
Booked! will see the Edinburgh International Book Festival extend beyond the capital to organise the events showcasing local writers.
Its director Nick Barley said the event would go to areas that did not already have their own literary festivals.
He told a newspaper: “We’re in conversation with lots of different people about doing events all across Scotland. We’ll be rolling out year-round activities with the aim of trying to build connections which we can then bring back to Edinburgh.
“It wouldn’t just be stand-alone events, but mini-festivals. It is our job to try to bring in the widest possible audience for book events, but we are also good at doing festivals.”
Each of the local areas chosen will then have a showcase event at the Edinburgh festival next year.
There are now about 50 book festivals held in Scotland every year, including Wigtown Book Festival, Aye Write! in Glasgow and the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival.
Edinburgh International
Book Festival is the biggest event of its kind in the world. This year about 900 writers are taking part in the the 16-day event in the city’s Charlotte Square Gardens.
This year’s event, which started on Saturday, includes discussions with Reverend Jesse Jackson, Val McDermid, Louis de Bernieres, Joanne Harris, David Mitchell, Irvine Welsh and many others.
Emma Turnbull, literature officer at Creative Scotland, said: “It’s fantastic that through the Booked! programme many more people across Scotland will now have the opportunity to see, explore and enjoy the wonders this dynamic festival has to offer.”
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