Edinburgh Book Festival Ends Baillie Gifford Sponsorship Due to Activist Pressure
A group of left-wing workers is actively organizing for a fossil-free, genocide-free books industry.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival has decided to end a 20-year funding partnership with sponsors Baillie Gifford following pressure from anti-Israel and climate campaigners. Baillie Gifford, an investment company supporting eight major literature festivals, has faced criticism from the campaign group Fossil Free Books for its investments in fossil fuels.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival, known as the largest festival of its kind globally, cited the “intolerable” pressure on their team as the reason for ending the partnership. The group Fossil Free Books is demanding organizers to find alternative sponsors if Baillie Gifford does not divest from the fossil fuel industry. They claim that 800 authors and other book industry workers support this demand.
The group also successfully persuaded the Hay Festival to withdraw support from the asset manager recently. Left-wing figures, including authors, comedians, and politicians like Labour’s Dawn Butler, Baroness Chakrabarti, Farhana Yamin, and Grace Blakeley, have pledged not to participate in the festivals if their demands are not met.
A spokesperson for Fossil Free Books, representing a collective of workers in the books industry, emphasized the importance of having literary events funded by institutions that do not profit from human rights abuses. They highlighted the necessity of a just transition that protects the jobs and livelihoods of all workers in the industry.
This group is not funded by any external entities. One of the key voices supporting Fossil Free Books is youth climate justice activist Mikaela Loach. Last year, she addressed the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers 2030 event, emphasizing the interconnected nature of various struggles in the world.
Fossil Free Books is urging Baillie Gifford to divest from not only fossil fuels but also what they refer to as “Israeli occupation, apartheid, and genocide.” Their social media posts reflect their solidarity with Palestinians and condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The pressure from activists has led to the end of the partnership between Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford. The festival’s chief executive expressed regret over the decision but emphasized the need to focus on delivering a successful event without the distractions caused by the controversy.
Baillie Gifford’s partner, Nick Thomas, denied having significant investments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and clarified that only 2 percent of their clients’ funds are linked to companies with ties to fossil fuels. He criticized the activists for their campaign of coercion and misinformation, which he believes will hinder funding for the arts in the country.
