Meet Jenny, the powerhouse behind the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2024. From launching book festivals in Beijing to directing award-winning poetry, spoken word and language events, she brings a wealth of experience to one of the world's most iconic celebrations of literature and ideas.
Here Jenny talks to egg about her journey. She also explains why it’s important we discuss controversial subjects and how she balances work and family life in one of Scotland's leading cultural roles.
Take us back to the beginning. Tell us about you.
I grew up in the south-west of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway. I studied Scottish literature, film and TV at Glasgow Uni. After graduating, I worked in Glasgow and then moved away from Scotland for 10 years. Edinburgh became home in 2014.
Have you always had a love of literature?
I can’t remember a time when I didn't read or wasn't read to. Our house was always full of books. My mum is a writer, my dad was a teacher and we had massive bookshelves that were absolutely full of books. I can still remember some of the most dog-eared ones that we read over and over again.
How have books influenced you?
Books have had an impact on me throughout my whole life. Every kind of significant change has been marked by the books that have come on the journey with me.
Amongst many other awards, you were named in the top 10 of The List’s ‘Hot 100’ people influencing Scotland’s arts and cultural landscape in 2023. How did you get to where you are now?
Book festivals have actually been a lens through which I've been able to explore the world. The first book festival I worked on was with an amazing woman, Alex Pearson, in Beijing. She had opened a bookshop and community lending library in the Embassy District. It was very international, full of really interesting Chinese and international folks all doing interesting things just prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. I got involved with her to start running a small event series, which just exploded and pretty soon we were running an annual festival that took place both in Beijing and in Chengdu, down in southwest China and Suzhou outside Shanghai. We brought writers over and toured them across the three cities, which was amazing. It was a fantastic platform so that people could understand what was happening in the country at that time, talk about their books or journalism.
I did that for about 6 years and then moved to Australia. I worked in the Melbourne Writers Festival there and then at the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. It’s where I really got to grips with Australian literature. I think reading is a great way to understand people's perspectives and their history.
When I returned to Scotland, I was head of literature at Creative Scotland for about 5 years. I've always been interested in the writer development, where the writer and the reader meet and how you have to support every bit of the chain to get fantastic books and amazing events and publishing masterpieces.
What will you bring to the Edinburgh International Book Festival?
My mission is to make it as widely relevant for as many people as possible. There can be a bit of a perception that book festivals ‘aren’t for me’, or maybe they're just for middle class people. Everybody has an interest in reading and has the right to be in that room asking questions and hearing first hand from interesting people.
I think it's our job to make sure that the programme is open to everybody and it feels accessible. We’re programming a really wide range of books that appeal to lots of different people for that very reason. I want to continue to foster the amazing interest in reading that inspired me.
I’m also going to ensure we have lots on offer for young Scots. Reading and a love of literature can bring children so much confidence.
Finally, expect a lot more experiences, workshops and unusual events. It's fun to be able to experiment with other ways you can present books, whether that might be up Arthur's Seat, at the Botanics or in the amazing Elliot’s Studio.
How do you think literature connects with other art forms?
I think most creative people work in more than one area, more than one discipline. So, bringing them all together with music and with spoken word, visual arts and design is always really exciting. It’s a big passion of mine.
We need more places where people can come together to really chew through the more difficult, more controversial topics in society. How do we hear really good information away from all the kind of social media noise? How do you have real conversations with real people?
Maybe sit in a bit of discomfort with ideas that are not your own. Ones that don't align with your perspective, but think we've got an interesting opportunity and a responsibility to create spaces where those sorts of conversations can happen.
How do you get the work-life balance right? Has it been a hard journey?
On the family front, I don't know anybody that would tell you that they've figured out how to get it right. I have three kids. They're 10, 8 and 5. Things are lively at home. But my husband is actively and equally involved in everything which makes work possible. We do everything on as much of a 50/50 basis as possible. I still manage all the WhatsApp and emotional load but the other stuff is balanced out.
I think you need to recognise that you can't do absolutely everything. You shouldn't beat yourself up about always feeling that you're only quite doing 75% right in each area. I think we're all doing our best. Thankfully my kids love reading and festivals, which really helps!
What can people expect from this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival?
Well, we’re excited to bring people into our new festival site at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. It has the wow factor. We're able to offer something quite different and fresh feeling in the new venue. Prepare to be inspired.
It’s an opportunity to come and hear amazing writers and thinkers. A chance to start conversations with people you might not otherwise have done so. To buy some books, to create memories and to have your opinion shifted and your knowledge expanded. That's always been one of the most exciting parts of the whole kind of Edinburgh Festival experience for me as a punter. I'm just excited about being able to offer that for as many folks as possible.
egg proudly sponsors Edinburgh International Book Festival 2024. To find out more about the programme and explores this year’s theme: Future Tense, visit www.edbookfest.co.uk
