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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Val McDermid hits out on Baillie Gifford 'virtue signalling'
Speaking ahead of the return of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which parted company with Baillie Gifford after a 20-year partnership in the wake of protests from climate activists, McDermid said the company had been 'unfairly pilloried.' Read more: The Fife-born writer warned of the risk of festivals and the arts having to be over-reliant on public funding and the support of private philanthropists in future. McDermid was speaking two years after climate activist Greta Thunberg pulled the plug on a sold-out appearance at the Edinburgh book festival in the wake of reports of Baillie Gifford's links to the fossil fuels industry, saying she did not want to be associated with 'greenwashing.' Crime writer Val McDermid has spoken out over criticisms of Baillie Gifford's sponsorship of festivals. (Image: The University of Edinburgh) At the time, Baillie Gifford insisted it was not a 'significant fuel investor.' It claimed only two per cent of its clients' money was invested in companies with links to the fossil fuels industry, compared to five per cent it said was invested in companies developing 'clean energy solutions.' The Edinburgh International Book Festival is now staged at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. However, the campaign group Fossil Free Books stepped up action against book festivals backed by Baillie Gifford in the spring of last year. Hundreds of writers backed an open letter warning the festivals to expect escalation, including the expansion of boycotts, increased author withdrawal of labour, and increased disruption.' Organisers of Edinburgh's event announced the end of its Baillie Gifford partnership two weeks later, blaming the 'withdrawal of several authors and threats of disruption.' Organisers of the annual book festivals in Wigtown and the Borders also announced the end of their involvement with Baillie Gifford. The Edinburgh book festival, which is by far Scotland's oldest and biggest celebration of literature, which has seen its government funding more than doubled in the space of 12 months, to a record £820,000. A further £160,000 increase planned for the next financial year is expected to see the festival's government funding rise by more than £1.5m by 2027-2028 compared to the last three years of Baillie Gifford's involvement with the event, which it supported through its schools and children's programme. The government has agreed to provide £300,000 in funding for the next three years to plug the gap created by the loss of Baillie Gifford's support. McDermid is one of 641 writers due to appear across almost 700 events in the forthcoming two-week programme of events, which will run from August 9-24. She told The Herald: 'Last year was difficult for this book festival. This year hasn't been easy, but I think we can all see a light at the end of the tunnel now. 'The festival has come back with a really strong programme, with a lot of interesting themes and writers. I think people will really show up. 'It's been a tough experience for the festival to pull it back from losing its principal funder. 'I know how hard the festival director Jenny Niven has worked with her team to recover the financial position, but it's still been difficult. 'There's no question that the festival has got less to play with than it had before.' McDermid was among a group of leading Scottish authors who backed an open letter which described the targeting of book festivals as 'deeply retrograde' and 'ill thought-out' over their sponsors. Others included Alexander McCall Smith, Andrew O'Hagan, Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Doug Johnston, David Greig and Liz Lochhead. Many of the writers who backed the Fossil Free Books campaign have accepted invitations to appear at this year's Edinburgh book festival, including Ali Smith, Hannah Lavery, Jess Brough, Raymond Antrobus, Chitra Ramaswamy, Andrés N Ordorica, Harry Josephine Giles and Katie Goh. McDermid, who is due to make four appearances at the festival this August, said: 'The Edinburgh book festival was pushed into a corner last year by a group of people who, I think in many cases, saw it as an opportunity to put their name in public lights. 'The level of hypocrisy among some of the people involved was quite staggering. 'A lot of people just jumped on a bandwagon without thinking about it. 'There was a lot of virtue signalling, rather than sincerely held opinions from people who had actually researched the topic and knew what they were talking about. 'No-one is saying that Baillie Gifford is white than white. But there is no such thing as a clean sponsor. 'If you dig deep, everybody who sponsors an arts event has got something in the cupboard that you would be uncomfortable with.' 'What do you do? Are we not going to have book festivals anymore? Are we not going to have the arts unless they are sponsored by rich individuals. How clean are they?' McDermid suggested there was a risk of a return to the Renaissance era, 14th to the 17th century, when 'rich patrons' were relied on to fund the arts. She added: 'The arts shouldn't be dictated to by one individual or even one political party. 'I don't think the arts should be entirely funded by state funding. That would be wholly dangerous and potentially pernicious. 'There needs to be a mix of funding sources, including ticket sales, individual philanthropists and corporate sponsors too. 'We have to be careful where we take money from, but I think Baillie Gifford was unfairly pilloried in the circumstances.' A separate campaign group, Art Workers For Palestine Scotland, has targeted a number of other arts organisations backed by Baillie Gifford in recent months, including the [[Edinburgh]] International Festival and Fringe Society, over the company's links with defence firm Babcock International. [[The Herald]] told last year how Baillie Gifford had more than £60 million worth of shares in the owner of Rosyth Dockyard in Fife, which has previously worked with state-owned Israeli arms manufacturers.
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Gordon Ramsay protégé Stuart Ralston chef to close Aizle in Edinbrurgh
The Gordon Ramsay protégé, who was awarded a star in February this year for his other Restaurant Lyla, said that the decision to close 'didn't come easy', as he thanked staff and patrons who had worked and dined there since it opened in 2014. Lyla, and Ralston's other restaurants in Edinburgh Noto and Tipo, are unaffected by the closure. Aizle, in Edinburgh (Image: NQ) Announcing the decision on social media, he said: 'After an incredible decade, I have made the decision to close the doors to my first restaurant, Aizle. 'Firstly, thank you to our amazing team that have moulded Aizle to what it is, to all the producers, and to our guests, we have loved having you. I look forward to continuing our path, together. 'When I first opened Aizle on St Leonard's Street, I wanted to do something that would challenge me as a young chef, provide a place that people would choose to work in and serve food that would make people happy.' READ MORE: Inside the 'revolutionary' Scottish restaurant where there is no menu From washing dishes to a new Michelin Star - Edinburgh chef celebrates win 'If I wasn't a chef - I would have loved to have gone to art school' The Fife-born cook paid tribute to all those who had helped build the restaurant and said that a new project is in the pipeline, adding: 'Over the past 11 years, we've moved homes, met brilliant people along the way, served some great food and together, built a restaurant to be proud of and had some incredible staff throughout the years. Anyone who was a part of Aizle , thank you. 'A decision that didn't come easily to me, but the time has come to focus even greater on Lyla, Noto and Tipo, as well as our new project.'
Scotsman
15-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Inside plans to transform the century-old National Library in Edinburgh founded by McVitie's biscuit money
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was founded by a generous grant from the entrepreneur behind one of Britain's much-loved biscuits and a donation of books from the Faculty of Advocates, which could no longer manage its extensive collection. Now the National Library of Scotland (NLS) is marking its 100th year as it unveils plans for a major overhaul of its landmark Edinburgh building to create a weddings and events space and 'let in light' to the 1950s construction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The National Library of Scotland is based on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh. | NLS The library is planning a major appeal to revamp its George IV Bridge building to "open it up" to the public. Due to be unveiled in its next five-year strategic review in September, Amina Shah, national librarian and chief executive of NLS, said the project would involve creating a new, flexible, 'open' space in the library where large scale events could be held. Plans are also likely to include ways of making the building, which she described as 'austere', more welcoming to passing visitors, including the creation of more natural light and increased accessibility. The National Library's history The existing building was finished and officially opened in 1956, more than three decades after the concept of the National Library was established in an Act of Parliament - and following years of delays in the wake of the Second World War. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The collection was boosted by a £100,000 donation from Sir Alexander Grant, managing director of digestive biscuit maker McVitie and Price, followed by a second grant of the same size to help fund the new building. It is believed that by the time the plans eventually came to fruition, architectural tastes had changed, making the new construction, on the site of the former Sheriff Court in Edinburgh, less well received. Ms Shah said: 'When you walk past it, it's austere. It's a listed building, so it's difficult, but we need to let light in.' She referenced a motto used by Fife-born industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who donated millions to establish free public libraries around the world. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: '[Andrew] Carnegie said 'let there be light'. There is this whole idea about libraries and light, but actually our building looks closed from the outside. We want to open it up. 'We feel really passionately and strongly that Scotland deserves a beautiful national library space.' However, Ms Shah would not be drawn on the potential cost of the project, saying it was still in its early stages. She recently consulted colleagues at Cambridge University library, which held a capital appeal for a staged project, which she said could be used as a blueprint for the plan. 'A lot,' she answered in response to a question about the cost. 'I think the key is for us to think about stages. We could do bits and pieces in a planned and organised way, rather than asking for an infinite amount of money, which it might be difficult to achieve. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We will definitely start looking at that seriously in our next financial strategy. Just as our ancestors decided it would be a good idea to have a National Library without a building at all, just £100,000 to start, they built that on a conversation and an ambition and certainly, we'll be thinking about what the library could do in the future.' Amina Shah is national librarian and chief executive of the National Library of Scotland. | NLS Ms Shah hopes the library can shake off an historic image of it as a closed, formal building for specialist researchers. Visitor numbers to the library have increased by 30 per cent since the previous five-year strategy was launched in 2020. However, Ms Shah feels there is more to be done. She said: 'We're keen to have a more welcoming space on George IV Bridge. The main building of the National Library was built at a time where it was about keeping books in and people out. But now, we want to be really much more welcoming, so that it's not intimidating for people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The library and its collections belong to everybody in Scotland, and we want to make sure that everybody knows that, and that they feel welcome and we reach out to them.' Work has already begun to change the public impression of the library, including the creation of a new 'treasures gallery', established in 2022, which allows the library to rotate some of its collection on display to visitors and tourists. NLS has also recently begun to tour rare and interesting books around Scotland, including Mary, Queen of Scots' last letter, which will next year be loaned to Perth Museum. How a donation from a biscuit entrepreneur allowed the creation of the National Library of Scotland The history of the National Library of Scotland dates back to the late 1600s, when the Advocates Library was founded in Edinburgh. Under the 1710 Copyright Act, the library was given the legal right to claim a copy of every book published in Britain. It subsequently added books and manuscripts to the collections by purchase as well as legal deposit, creating a national library in all, but name. However, by the 1920s, the upkeep of such a major collection was too much for a private body. With an endowment of £100,000 provided by Sir Alexander Grant, managing director of digestive biscuit maker McVitie and Price, the library's contents were presented to the nation. The National Library of Scotland was formally constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1925. Sir Alexander gave a further £100,000 — making his combined donations the equivalent of around £6 million today — for a new library building to be built on George IV Bridge. Government funding was secured that matched Sir Alexander's donation. Construction started on the building in 1938. However, work was halted due to the Second World War. The library was finally officially opened in 1956. 'It's just a connection with history,' Ms Shah said. 'When people actually see the live document, they get really excited and thrilled by it. So we're really excited to dip our toe in the water of this new way of working with local libraries and museums.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Money has been made available through external funders for this specific project, However, the library is looking at other ways of making money out of its assets to expend the initiative. Ms Shah said the library needed to look to alternative funding sources, including potentially charging certain users. A pilot programme with VisitScotland has seen US tourists given special tours of Gaelic archives, which are the largest of their kind in the world. 'We're working on a small-scale project at the moment with VisitScotland, where we're taking visitors from the States and giving them tours of our Gaelic collections,' said Ms Shah. 'They pay for that in advance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A 1939 letter delaying the construction of the National Library of Scotland building due to the Second World War. | NLS 'These are the sorts of things that we're really keen on looking at. We want to attract more tourists. We want people to be able to drop in and be wowed by the amazing collections that we've got, and feel curious to find out more about their Scottish heritage. We're trying our best with limited resource or within the resource that we have. 'If we want to survive, we need to innovate and thrive, and we need to think of different ways of doing things. And what we have found is that many people from overseas do want to support us. 'We want to make it easier for people to join the library, whether that's for people in Canada or America who could use our resources online. We're working on ways to make that more accessible. We don't want to monetise it for people from Scotland, but in our new strategy we are thinking about entrepreneurial ways forward.' Ms Shah hopes a new events space could emulate the New York Public Library, which features in the Sex and the City film as a possible wedding location for Carrie and Mr Big. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There, they do weddings and they do events,' she said. 'They have a brilliant event space. Currently, our event space isn't really of that size. It's great, we've got a brilliant event program, but we just feel that with a much more flexible, opened-up space, we could offer so much more for the people of Scotland.' She is also aware of the public interest in 'the stack' - the 11-storey book and paper archive beneath the George IV Bridge library's ground floor. 'People love the stack,' she said, referencing a recent renovation to the V&A's East Storehouse in London, which has opened up the workings of its own archive collection to visitors. 'People can see the conservators at work and you can see the behind the scenes. It used to be that we would try to hide away all that, but there's some really interesting ways, I think, that museums and libraries and others are working to let people see that stuff.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Shah describes the work of the library as being like an iceberg, 'It's not just all floating above the water,' she said. 'What you see is one thing, but actually there's a lot of work that goes underneath, and it's very important work. It's really important that we continue to collect, protect and share the nation's printed and recorded memory. That's what we're here for. 'It's important because [the behind-the-scenes work] is part of that iceberg. We want to stimulate people's curiosity about it.' Despite the 11 storeys, the library is running out of space in its archive, storing a copy of everything printed, from knitting patterns and football programs to government information, children's books, adult books and maps. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A second storage building was taken on in the 1980s on Edinburgh's Causewayside. However, Ms Shah estimates that has just a decade of capacity now still remaining. This is despite work to maximise storage, including the creation of a dedicated factory in Edinburgh's Sighthill area that makes special preservation boxes designed to be space effective. She said the library was in discussion with other organisations, including National Museums Scotland, National Galleries Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland, over possible collaboration on storage and archiving. The renovation plans come as the library marks its centenary year with a new exhibition launching next week dedicated to the importance of libraries. Dear Library will feature the favourite books of celebrities ,including Ian Rankin, Pat Nevin and Val McDermid, as well as Alan Cumming, and is billed as a 'love letter to libraries'. A man who needs no introduction to fans of crime fictions, Rebus-creator Ian Rankin is taking part in numerous events at this year's festival. We're particularly looking forward to 'The Whisky Knight' at 10pm on Friday, September 12. A mixture of chat and song, it will see Sir Ian joined by singers-turned-crime writers James Yorkston and Colin MacIntyre, along with debut novelist Natalie Jayne Clark. Thie audience will also be able to enjoy a wee dram. | AFP via Getty Images Titled Dear Library after a poem by Jackie Kay, whose archive the library acquired last year, the exhibition also features librarians and libraries in popular culture, protest banners and badges reflecting libraries under threat, and vintage film footage bringing past libraries to life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Shah said: 'While there's a huge amount to celebrate and think about for us - as in what is it to be a national library and in this day, and what will it be in 100 years' time - we have a leadership role for the sector. 'We need to think about the network of really strong school libraries, public libraries, university libraries, mobile libraries, college libraries, prison libraries. I like to think of it more as a connecting role, so that we bring all these others together and consider what we can do for them. 'Libraries as a concept is something that if it wasn't invented already, you'd make it up. Communities coming together to share knowledge, share information. 'It's one of the last really accessible spaces that belong to people and I personally feel that we need it more than ever in an increasingly divided world. Libraries and literacy are the foundation blocks in communities that allow some of that to happen. You know, they support well-being. They support equalities. They empower individuals.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, the number of libraries is declining, both in terms of public facilities and in Scottish schools. A recent report from the Scottish Book Trust found the number of libraries in Scotland had dropped from 604 in 208 to 507 last year. A separate study from the National Literacy Trust found reading enjoyment among children and young people in the UK had fallen to its lowest level in two decades. 'Sometimes, libraries are absolutely recognised for the brilliant community, engaging and empowering resources that they are, and they can be right in the centre of the hub of the community,' said Ms Shah, who worked in the public library sector in Dundee for 14 years. 'But other times they can be neglected. And funding is challenging for local authorities and they have to make difficult decisions. 'But it's actually the most vulnerable people in society who use libraries often, and often the people who are the policy makers don't realise that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd filming in Glasgow for new BBC drama
Scottish actor Richard Gadd will be filming in the west end of the city later this month in a new project in collaboration with the BBC and HBO. Richard Gadd is set to make a splash in Glasgow for a new filming venture with the BBC. The Netflix Baby Reindeer star, who rose to fame for his performance in the dark comedy series, is taking on a new project in collaboration with HBO. The Fife-born actor will feature in upcoming series Half Man, which will be filmed across Glasgow's west end. Crews are reportedly set to descend on areas of Dumbarton Road later this month. Locals in the area have been warned of the upcoming shoot, which could result in traffic disruptions and parking restrictions. Mam Tor Productions has indicated that it will be working on a series named The Clinch. But this coincides closely with details surrounding Half Man, which is currently being filmed in the city and falls under the Glasgow-based production umbrella, according to Glasgow Live. Half Man delves into the lives of brothers Niall, portrayed by Jamie Bell from Billy Elliot, and Ruben, played by Richard Gadd himself. A dramatic turn of events at Niall's wedding, precipitated by Ruben's unexpected arrival, triggers a violent outburst that propels viewers through the siblings' tumultuous history. The series, set in and around Glasgow, spans nearly 40 years from the 1980s to the present day. In a letter to local residents in the Glasgow area, Mam Tor Productions described the show as an "ambitious dark comedy-drama" set in and around Glasgow that "will capture the wild energy of a changing city". The drama "covers the highs and lows of two brothers' relationship, from meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults," including "all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way". Gadd expressed his excitement, as he said in a statement ahead of his new gig: "I am delighted to confirm I will be playing Ruben in the newly crowned Half Man for the BBC/HBO alongside the incomparable Jamie Bell. When I wrote the show, I did it with him in mind, never thinking for a second we would manage to land him." He continued: "So I could not be happier for everything that has come to pass in getting him on board. He is one of the greatest actors of his generation and I am so looking forward to seeing what he does with the role. Thanks to all the staff at the BBC, HBO, and Mam Tor Productions for making it all happen. I cannot wait to work with you all in the months ahead." The eagerly anticipated series will feature six 45-minute episodes and is set to premiere in 2026, available on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland in the UK, and across the pond on HBO in the USA.
The Courier
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Dundee's Brian Cox among big names in Kirkcaldy festival programme launching this weekend
Succession star Brian Cox features alongside a host of local talent in a packed programme of Kirkcaldy events launching this weekend. Lang Toun Fest is Kirkcaldy's first arts and culture festival. And other big names taking part include Fife-born author Val McDermid, who is interviewing former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Hacienda DJ Graeme Park will also return to his roots for a special benefit gig in aid of Sarcoma UK. However, a host of community talent is also included in the five-week extravaganza. Lang Toun Fest kicks off on Friday May 30 with the Lang Toun Jazz Proms opening concert. It officially closes with Fife Pride on July 5. More than 125 events are already organised, with more being added. They include live music, literature, performance, yoga, comedy, food demonstrations, talks, walking tours and exhibitions. Thousands of printed programmes are now available at venues across Kirkcaldy. The idea for a community-based festival came from discussions among the Kirkcaldy Partners group, comprising individuals and groups from across the town. They share a passion to showcase all that's positive and creative about the Lang Toun. And they took the chance to build on existing initiatives such as the Adam Smith Festival of Ideas, Fife Pride and the Kirkcaldy Walking Festival. Plans are now under way to make the Lang Toun Fest an annual event. Love Oor Lang Toun development manager Ryan Strachan said: 'Lang Toun Fest 2025 is a celebration of arts, culture and local talent.' Full details on all the Lang Toun Fest events can be found at:
