Our Story

The West Port is Edinburghs Soho, a heady mix of booze, bosoms, bespoke tailoring and BOOKS. It would almost be churlish not to celebrate this profusion of pages so we run an annual book festival that plays out over ten wonderful West Port* venues, ranging from singular second-hand bookshops to crisp art spaces and whisky-scented pubs. This year the 2011 WPBF will run from 13-16 October. All events are free.

Run on generosity and goodwill, rather than on any kind of feasible budget, the West Port Book Festival has evolved from a brittle idea into a redoubtable reality. Our aim has been to offer free events to a diverse audience who share our passion for books, bookshops and fun. We have also been creative, dipping into the dressing up box, casting our eye around for new talent and transforming local shops into intimate, innovative venues. Although fond of the past, we're also enthusiastic about the future. We organised the world's first Literary Twestival in 2009.

As a freewheeling community festival run by volunteers we're completely reliant on the generosity of our supporters. It really does make a difference if you can donate even $20 (12) or lend us a PA system, then we really would love you forever. Bottles of whisky for authors also go down a treat. This year we're going to be selling West Port Book Festival badges and hand-printed bags and t-shirts to raise money for the festival.

We've managed to scrape together enough pennies to run for the past three years, but there's no room for complacency. We need to go from broke to book festival in 50 days with the help of as many generous supporters as possible. You don't have to be in the US to donate through IndieGoGo; if it's any help, $20 is approximately 12.

Find us at: http://www.westportbookfestival.org

* West Port venues can include places that aren't technically in West Port but share our love of all things bookish.

** The photo of Hannah & Peggy, the directors, in Edinburgh Books is by Chris Scott: http://www.chrisdonia.co.uk

The Impact

The West Port has seven bookshops, one bindery, two vintage clothes shops, one rum club and much more. It's a lively and eclectic stretch just off Edinburgh's historic Grassmarket, below the castle. However, it's also an area unfortunately known for its strip joints and the customers they tend to attract. So, our aim has always been to promote the area's bookish assets at a time when bookshops, and other independent shops, need all the help they can get. 

Our festival has been running for four years now and has, we hope, made a difference to the brilliant shops in the West Port, and also to the local community. We hope we've made a difference, too, when it comes to giving bookish events, new authors and new ventures a chance. We began with an aim to be a book festival that people who'd never been to a book festival would like to come to: our audiences tell us we're succeeding.

What We Need & What You Get

We've always been a fan of 'making do,' as were our grannies before us, so we need very little - but what we need, we can't run without. The cost of our (beautiful, exquisite, beloved, collected, treasured) print programme is covered by the adverts within it. For everything else, we need your help. We're completely run by volunteers and no one gets paid. They might get some nifty presents though...

Here's the cost breakdown:

printing costs    325
venue hire    150
sound system    239
stools   44
misc (paper plates, emergency biscuits, duct tape, bottled water, etc.)    50
bank charges for one year and transfer costs   160
travel and accommodation for authors    350
author presents     150
grand total     1468 ($2390)

If we don't raise the full amount we'll go ahead anyway. It would be much more amusing if we did have the money though and it would save us from chewing our nails in a filthy manner that our grannies would not be proud of.

Other Ways You Can Help

You can let people know about our campaign, or you can send us 'in kind' donations of anything that will get through customs. West Port Book Festival, c/o Edinburgh Books, 145-147 West Port, Edinburgh, EH8 9NJ.