Openness of book festivals rings true with OU

A central feature of the Open University’s story since we began has been never losing sight of our defining principles that are enshrined in everything we do – being open to people, places, methods, and ideas. We’re also fundamentally about opening minds. 

At The Open University in Scotland, we have always been aware of our civic responsibility to contribute to the cultural landscape of Scotland, and part of that commitment over many years, has been to support and partner with book festivals. 

We have students in every region of Scotland and have been proud supporters of book festivals across the length and breadth of the country; from rural book festivals in Ullapool in the Highlands and Cove and Kilcreggan in Argyll, from the Edinburgh International Book Festival to the Aye Write Book Festival in Glasgow.  

They all have different features, different timings throughout the year, and different underpinning themes, but the one thing they have in common is they are all hugely popular. Many of our honorary graduates have been contributors to these festivals too, including Val McDermid and Sir Ian Rankin.  

They are also an opportunity for us to share the OU’s open access ethos for formal courses and qualifications, as well as highlight the wide range of free resources available on our free learning site, OpenLearn. 

Scotland’s book festivals have been thriving in recent years, and readers can’t get enough of hearing from their favourite authors, whether that’s gaining insights into how to develop a credible murder plot, a tell-all biography, or how an author turns a germ of an idea into a gripping novel. 

Whatever the genre, Scotland seems to be hooked on books. As the largest university across the UK, of course we’re interested in encouraging people to read and to be able to express their ideas with clarity, evidence and persuasion, but book festivals do much more than that, with a significant economic impact to Scotland’s economy.

We know anecdotally from our interactions with attendees at book festivals that they enjoy the whole experience, atmosphere and just being part of the world of books, even for a short while. They bring a sense of escapism and can be a positive contributor to well-being and mood. Smaller community book festivals also help to galvanise the community for a common purpose. 

Many festivals innovated and pivoted to online delivery, providing a digital offer that brought book festivals to new audiences, and beamed in authors from locations across the globe."

Despite the restrictions on meeting up during the pandemic, many festivals innovated and pivoted to online delivery, providing a digital offer that brought book festivals to new audiences, and beamed in authors from locations across the globe.

For example, in August 2020 an event we supported at the Edinburgh International Book Festival with Bernardine Evaristo – the first Black woman to win the Booker prize – reached a worldwide audience of over 5,000 people online. 

Having interacted with authors, we know they enjoy meeting their readers, hearing their observations, and generally feeling more connected to their followers. For some authors it can almost be a rejuvenating experience, just getting in front of a live, engaged and inquisitive audience. The atmosphere at festivals is often electric, as audiences wait in anticipation to hang on to every word that’s said, confirming or disputing their pre-conceptions, opinions or even prejudices.      

For the OU, going back to our original principles – bringing people together from all backgrounds, in all localities, to be challenged, to learn something new and to be encouraged to delve deeper and ask more searching questions – all sit in alignment with our everlasting social mission. 

Given that we have moved to a hybrid in-person and online world, and we all need a little bit of positive distraction these days, this is a prime time to take part in Scotland’s book festivals. We’re at the Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival this month, what will you attend in the year ahead? 

Photo: Shirley Manson, Charlotte Church, Michael Pedersen © Edinburgh International Book Festival/Robin Mair.