Protests against arts sponsorship in Britain are killing culture. Be careful what you wish for
Martin Prendergast
Book festivals previously sponsored by Baillie Gifford seek donations
June 2024
Baillie Gifford book festival protesters are losing the plot
The Observer view on Baillie Gifford sponsorship row: writing is on the wall for book lovers
Baillie Gifford will no longer sponsor Borders and Cheltenham literature festivals
Nils Pratley on finance
Book festival activists are making absurd demands over Baillie Gifford
Nils Pratley
Growing sponsorship row leaves UK summer arts festivals in turmoil
Filthy lucre is everywhere, but book festivals are an easy target for protesters’ fury
Martha Gill
May 2024
Edinburgh international book festival ends Baillie Gifford partnership
Festival bows to pressure from authors and activists over investment firm’s links to Israel and fossil fuel companies
April 2024
Edinburgh international book festival announces ‘relaunch’ as sponsor row remains unresolved
New director Jenny Niven calls controversy over lead sponsor Baillie Gifford’s fossil fuel links ‘the nature of the beast’, but activists are still calling for authors to boycott the event
August 2023
‘It’s a zeitgeist-capturer’: climate crisis and trans rights are talk of Edinburgh festival
Walkout by authors over fossil fuel links plus controversies about identity, racism and sexism are hot topics at politically charged event
Book festivals deserve sponsors, not boycotts
Letters: Readers respond to the row over Baillie Gifford’s sponsorship of the Edinburgh international book festival
Author walks out of Edinburgh book festival over sponsor’s fossil fuel links
Of course Greta Thunberg is right to call out greenwashing, but the reality can be messy
Charlotte Higgins
Authors threaten boycott of Edinburgh book festival over sponsors’ fossil fuel links
June 2023
Edinburgh book festival hoping Greta Thunberg will bring back audiences
Fallout from Covid crisis has left event struggling financially after last year’s ‘traumatic’ fall in sales
August 2022
This Is Memorial Device review – memories of fictional indie heroes burn brightly
An adaptation of David Keenan’s novel about a Scottish band who nearly supported Sonic Youth is lovingly detailed
June 2022
Edinburgh International book festival announces new hybrid format
Director Nick Barley says lessons from the pandemic include providing a more accessible festival, so half of this year’s offering will be available online
April 2022
Free Books Fest aims to give excluded readers their first ‘journey with a book’
Event in Peckham, London, this weekend will allow visitors to pick a title they want alongside a range of author events
August 2021
Edinburgh festivals’ recovery could take a decade, says director
Book festival boss says next year will be a staging post in recovery that could take until 2030
About 509 results for Edinburgh international book festival
