Achi news desk-
Ms Sturgeon said the announcement of the cancellation of Aye Write was ‘very bad news’.
On X, formerly of Twitter, he said: ‘I know money is tight, but I really hope a way has been found to get Aye Write back on track.
‘Books, culture in general, are so essential to our well-being – and never more so than in the troubled times we live in today.
‘Book festivals are opportunities to celebrate the wonder of literature and those who create it. We must not lose that.’
Other authors striking out in a city the size of Glasgow now without a book festival.
Damian Barr, author of Maggie and Me, was due to appear at this year’s festival.
‘Aye Write has been such an essential part of my life as a writer and reader,’ he says on X.
‘This is such a shocking and damaging loss to the Scottish literary ecosystem. Surely the money will exist?’
Aye Write organizers said in a statement: ‘Unfortunately, our application for funding in 2024 to Creative Scotland was not successful so Aye Write and Wee Write will not be able to be held as festivals this year.
‘Although requests from events for financial support continue to exceed the funds available – particularly in the current difficult economic climate – it is inevitable that some events will miss out, and we recognize that making decisions about the recipients of funding awards is extremely challenging.
We appreciate that there will be considerable disappointment that both festivals will not be held this year.
‘We will be organizing some temporary Aye Write events during 2024 and also developing our application for funding for 2025, which, if successful, means returning for the holidays in May next year.’
A spokesman for Creative Scotland said: ‘We recognize the significance of Aye Write to audiences and the literature sector and understand that this is disappointing news.
‘Currently we can only support around 30% of applications to our Open Fund due to restrictions on the money available to us and difficult decisions need to be made on a daily basis.
‘As demand for these funds continues to increase, Creative Scotland continues to advocate for more resources to support culture and creativity across Scotland.’
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