Always on
This project successfully funded on 9th December 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Pentlands Book Festival 2025
Juniper Green, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Aim
Pentlands Book Festival is a free festival run by volunteers for a relatively older population less able to access central Edinburgh events
Pentlands Book Festival, http://www.pentlandsbookfestival.org, has been running for 11 years in the villages of southwest Edinburgh. Our aim is to bring artists and audiences together in a sympathetic space, and to create a feeling of community via a shared love of literature and the arts.
We’re a small group of volunteers that started the festival as we have a relatively older and less mobile population that is less able to access the cultural offerings of the centre of Edinburgh. While we are relatively small, we have managed to run a broad festival ranging from promoting local debut authors; Bookbug sessions; short story writing competitions for schoolchildren, through to names such as Val McDermid, Jackie Kay, Billy Kay, Alan Bissett, Lesley Riddoch, and even Peter Sawkins, winner of Bake Off.
We’ve also engaged local poets, musicians, and artists, while using local venues such as public libraries, schools, cafes, and even a funeral parlour.
One key principle is not to charge for entry as we do not want that to be a barrier to anyone attending. We therefore rely on grants and donations at the door to keep us going. Your donation will help us keep PBF alive for future years.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made