Political Censorship, Public Money and Book Festivals

 Image

The grandly titled Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is turning Scotland into a cultural laughing stock.

The EIBF's new director, Jenny Niven, assumed office with fine words promising great things including spaces where:

"...people can come together to really chew through the more difficult, more controversial topics in society." 

But this year the festival has invited former SNP leader and First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to plug her new book while banishing the editors and contributors to 'The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht' which made it to the Sunday Times best sellers list.

The underlying controversy is about Sturgeon's self-ID and gender identity legislation which is, of course, the biggest policy failure in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

So hearing directly from its critics would seem a good idea!

Yet instead of chewing through a difficult and controversial topic the EIBF recruits Sturgeon's former chief of staff (Liz Lloyd) while denying a platform to women who say self-ID and men declaring they have magically 'become women' is absurd.

To add insult to injury SNP ministers, Sturgeon's former friends and allies, recently made a grant to EIBF using £300,000 of taxpayers' money. 



 



Popular posts from this blog

A National Scandal

Image
I hope you are paying attention @NHSConfed https://t.co/Jh06QFjAIm — Maya Forstater (@MForstater) February 9, 2025 Devastating and justified criticism of Fife NHS and their appalling handling of Sandie Peggie's right to dignity and privacy at work. The affair is turning into a national scandal.
Read more

Kentucky Fried Seagull

Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall is one of my favourite - and endearingly bonkers - TV chefs. The River Cottage chef has a some imaginative ideas for adding seagulls to the national diet - including a recipe for Kentucky Fried Seagull - would you believe. Here's what HFW has to say on the subjecy -  I think I'll contact Hugh - and ask if he'll join the TAPAS campaign. "Vermin with wings? Chicken of the sea? Or just an opportunity missed?" "First and foremost, before we all go on a mad seagull killing frenzy. In the U.K it is against the law to kill seagulls or interfere with their nests under the countryside and wildlife act. Some Councils are allowed to cull them however, and usually do this by either poisoning or shooting them. How to catch your seagull. Remember this is against the law in the U.K. I don't want the Men in Blue knocking at the door because someone said that Foodimum told them it was okay to catch and eat seagulls. It isn...
Read more