Important announcement

It is with great sadness that we must announce that the Edinburgh International Book Festival will not take place in August this year due to the risks surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This is not a decision we have taken lightly, however the safety of our authors, audiences, supporters, staff and suppliers, and also that of the people who live and work in our wonderful city, is of paramount importance.

A message from Book Festival Director Nick Barley:

“So often you tell us the Book Festival in August is a highlight of your year, and it feels very strange that our marvellous tented village of joyful, inspiring, thought-provoking events won’t be taking place in 2020. We will certainly miss seeing everyone coming together in Charlotte Square Gardens.

We very much hope to be able to programme a series of online events to take place this summer. We don’t know yet if this will be possible, or what form it might take, but offering a place where writers can share their stories, ideas and perspectives with others is what we do, and we’ll be exploring the options available to us to help writers continue to connect with readers.

We will be back! The Edinburgh International Book Festival is an integral part of Scotland’s cultural life, and we will return next year. In the meantime, please keep reading and please keep supporting your local independent bookshops, many of whom are offering a mail order or door drop delivery service.

We very much look forward to seeing you all next year. Look after each other and stay safe.”

We will continue to keep you updated via our social media channels. You can access a huge range of past Book Festival events for free via our YouTube channel and podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Acast and Spotify.