Covid prompts long-term plans for Book Festival to extend its reach

A new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh will see the 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival move from its normal outdoor home in Charlotte Square gardens in the heart of the city to a combined indoor and outdoor space at Edinburgh College of Art.

The move aims to create the flexibility needed to respond to Covid-related circumstances in August, with the College able to offer studio and theatre facilities for both online broadcasting and potential events with a socially distanced audience.

Festival Director Nick Barley said: “With in-person ticket sales impossible to forecast this August, we simply can't justify incurring the costs of the tents and infrastructure we'd normally put into Charlotte Square Gardens. It is highly probable that most events will take place online, and the need for broadcast studios is more likely than large venues for an audience.”

The aim is for the partnership with the University to be a long-term arrangement. Organisers envisage future festivals being hybrid events, with digital events being part of the mix to enable them to “engage with authors and audiences around the world in a more environmentally responsible way.”