There has been a fantastic response from the public.ģ. It has Walter Scott’s quotes throughout Edinburgh’s Waverley train station – the only railway station in the world to be named after a book. The ‘Great Scott’ campaign, celebrating 10 years of Edinburgh being a City of Literature. Last year, they held a ‘Tash Mob’ where everyone read their favourite passage from a RLS book, wearing a moustache.Ģ. Robert Louis Stevenson Day on 13 November, his birthday. What exciting projects are you working on?ġ. All the main reading campaigns are delivered through libraries. Their advocacy is one of main reasons that Edinburgh’s libraries haven’t suffered the cuts experienced by other Scottish libraries.ģ. They asked Ian Rankin to tweet about the proposed cuts and this made the council nervous.

When Edinburgh City Council were going to cut funding to school libraries, the office lobbied on their behalf. The City of Literature Office works as ‘cheerleaders’ for the libraries. Libraries are always involved in the consultation process.Ģ. They are also members of the collaborative group. The libraries – both national and public – have representatives on the City of Literature board. The office works with libraries in three ways:ġ. Ali describes librarians as ‘super heroes of the literary world’ They are fundamental without them the literary network would die. They are the ‘heart’ of the literary network. Libraries pump the blood (books) out to the community. Public libraries are the only community outreach posts the office has across the city. How does the City of Literature office work with public libraries in Edinburgh?

The current vision for Edinburgh, City of Literature, is ‘Literature to the Streets’. The Board develop the vision the collaborative group works on the business plan. It works with a Collaborative Group made up of key literature organisations in Scotland, such as Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Scottish Book Trust. The Trust is an independent body with a Board of Trustees. Had a lovely morning at the Scottish Storytelling Centre with the awesome Ali Bowden, Director of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust.

Ian rankin noughts and crosses