Published: 03 Apr 2019
Scottish Books International, Scotland’s first international books promotion service, has launched a new fund to support Scottish writers wishing to travel overseas to promote their work.
The fund will enable Scottish writers to take up opportunities and invitations to appear at literary festivals or events around the world, building audiences for Scottish writing overseas and relationships between Scottish writers and international festivals, publishers and organisations. With an available budget of £15,000 for 2019/20 the Author International Travel Fund will accept applications on a rolling basis for a period of one year. Writers can apply for a maximum of £1,000 to support travel costs. For further information please visit: https://scottishbooksinternational.org/doanything
On the launch of the new fund, Sasha de Buyl, Manager of Scottish Books International commented: “It’s very exciting to be launching our first project as part of Scottish Books International and especially one that will have such a positive and immediate impact. Being able to access support for travel costs for writers can act as a major factor influencing which writers are included in an artistic programme, and so the Author International Travel Fund stands to have considerable impact on how far our writers and writing can travel, and who they can reach.”
Scottish Books International has been established as a result of Creative Scotland’s Literature and Publishing Sector Review which called for greater coordination around the promotion of Scottish literature and is managed by a steering group comprised of representatives from Creative Scotland, Jenny Brown Associates, Publishing Scotland and Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Mairi Kidd, Interim Head of Literature, Languages & Publishing, Creative Scotland, said: “International demand for Scottish work is strong and can open up hugely exciting opportunities for our artists. Creative Scotland is delighted to support this fund which aims to get our writers in front of audiences across the world.”
Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said “The Edinburgh International Book Festival has built its reputation on bringing world renowned authors into the UK from around the globe and introducing Scottish audiences to new voices from abroad. How wonderful that we can now expand our support for our home-grown talent by sending Scottish writers to engage in international dialogue with fellow authors and to showcase their work on these major international platforms. This kind of cultural exchange is more important than ever and we are proud to be a part of it.”
Marion Sinclair of Publishing Scotland commented: “This is a very welcome start for the new service and sits squarely within its aims – that of providing targeted assistance to writers for overseas travel, with short application times and decisions. Writers have the opportunity to attend festivals, launches for their international editions, or meet their overseas publishers, helping to bring Scottish writing to the world.”
About The Author International Travel Fund
This fund has been established by Scottish Books International to support writers who have been invited overseas to promote their work.
The fund aims to:
The types of things that this fund will support include:
For further information and to apply please visit: https://scottishbooksinternational.org/doanything/.
Scottish Books International works on behalf of the literature sector in Scotland and is dedicated to the international promotion of books, writers, festivals and organisations.
Scottish Books International will take a strategic and co-ordinated approach to showcasing and championing Scotland’s writers, publishers and festivals overseas. Scottish Books International will focus on strategic planning for international activity, identifying and progressing opportunities for increased visibility for writers, publishers, festivals and organisations; identifying potential income sources, and building relationships with key partners in Scotland and overseas.
Scottish Books International is led by Sasha de Buyl and supported by a steering group of Publishing Scotland, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Creative Scotland and Jenny Brown Associates.
For further information please visit: https://scottishbooksinternational.org or follow https://twitter.com/ScotBooksInt
Publishing Scotland is the network, trade and development body for the book publishing sector in Scotland. A membership organisation, founded in 1974, PS consists of 60 publishers across Scotland and a network category of members including the Society of Authors, The Booksellers Association of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Scottish Library Information Council. They are a member of the Creative Industries Federation and Literature Alliance Scotland. Find out more: www.publishingscotland.org
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is one of the world’s largest public celebrations of the written word, providing a forum for democratic discussion and the exchange of ideas. For 17 days every August, it brings writers, poets, politicians, journalists, thinkers and decision makers from around the world to Edinburgh to discuss the things that shape our lives. 1000 authors from over 50 countries appear in a wide-ranging programme of over 900 events for adults and children of all ages. The Edinburgh International Book Festival also runs 3 large independent bookshops, which champion Scottish books and writing alongside international work. The Book Festival takes place in Charlotte Square Gardens and George Street, in the heart of historic Edinburgh, the world’s first UNSESCO City of Literature. The 2019 Book Festival will run from 10-26 August. The programme will be announced on 6 June. Find out more: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery.
For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter @creativescots,Facebook www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland and Instagram www.instagram.com/creativescots.
