Deirdre Brady

Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a registered charity, a not-for profit organisation. It began in 1983 and has since become a key event in the August Festival season, celebrated annually in Scotland's capital city. Biennial at first, the Book Festival became a yearly celebration in 1997. Since its beginnings, the Book Festival has grown rapidly in size and popularity. Today it produces and stages over 900 author events, covering a huge range of topics, offering thought-provoking entertainment and inspiration for adults, children, schools and communities. Each year, well-known writers, thinkers and artists from all over the world gather alongside new and up-and-coming authors to become part of a unique democratic forum in which audience and author meet to share stories, exchange thoughts and opinions and discuss some of the world's most pressing issues. The Book Festival aims to foster a love of books, words and reading, and inspire people of all backgrounds and ages to explore new ideas and expand their horizons. Since 2015, a Communities Programme has taken the essence of the Edinburgh International Book Festival on the road around Scotland. Working closely with local organisations to create events and activities tailored to the area and the needs of each community, the Book Festival puts on author events in Scottish prisons, hospitals and arts centres, and develops activities for groups that face significant challenges, such as homeless people and refugees. In 2020, the Book Festival held its first fully digital, online-only Festival, in response to Covid-19 and the public health guidance in Scotland. Despite challenges, the 2020 Festival was a success which will inform the shape of future Book Festivals in and beyond the pandemic. In 2021, the Book Festival took place from 14 to 30 August in a new home - Edinburgh College of Art - with live events being broadcast online and socially distanced in-person audiences.