Listen
New chapter for the Book Festival
16/08/2008
The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) has for the first time been able to commission and publish work, through the latest allocation from the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.
Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani today announced the award of £32,568 as the new book, Lights Off The Quay, was launched.
The Festival compiled this specially commissioned work from four of Scotland's leading contemporary authors and published them in one publication. As well as funding the work and its publication, the Expo funding will allow the authors to tour with the work, promoting it to an even wider audience - an event has already been confirmed in 2008 European Capital of Culture, Stavanger.
Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:
"The Scottish Government is delighted to provide this support to the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The Festival's 25-year record in promoting literature can only be enhanced by this support designed to showcase the best of Scottish-based talent both at the Festival and beyond.
"Lights Off The Quay is a fantastic publication and a fine example of how Scotland's tradition of literary talent continues with these fine contemporary authors. Such talent is what our Expo Fund is all about - showcasing great Scottish-based work at the Festivals and supporting touring opportunities to reach new audiences."
Catherine Lockerbie, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:
"This is an incredibly exciting project, a whole new development for the festival. I was overjoyed to be able to commission these four writers, who represent the very best of contemporary writing, and even more overjoyed when they all instantly agreed. The work they have produced is quite breathtaking - testimony to the extraordinary literary talent present in Scotland."
This funding for EIBF marks the ninth successful project from the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund, launched on March 27, which supports new productions, events or exhibitions involving Scottish-based participants that premiere at any of the Edinburgh Festivals. The fund can also be used to support touring of events or performances after their premiere at the festival and allow successful work to reach new audiences.
The planned expenditure for the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund is £6 million over three years (2008-2009 to 2011-2012).
Resources of £1.308 million have been allocated in 2008-09. The assessment process and funding is administered by the Scottish Arts Council.
The Expo Fund is available to all 12 Festivals in Edinburgh to support the development of Scottish-based work.
The main role for co-ordinating and delivering the portfolio of Expo projects falls to Festivals Edinburgh, led by Faith Liddell. A panel comprising members of the Thundering Hooves steering group and Festivals Forum has recommended the projects for funding in 2008-09.
To date, other projects which have received Expo funding include: Edinburgh International Festival (£277,916); The Bank of Scotland Imaginate Festival of Theatre for Children and Young People (£26,400); Edinburgh's Hogmanay's Feet First event (£225,000); Edinburgh Mela (£41,492); Edinburgh International Film Festival (£60,000); Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (£49,370); The Edinburgh Arts Festival (£45,000). Earlier this week, an initial £200,000 was announced for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe' Made in Scotland initiative. The remaining successful projects will be announced in due course.