After 23 years as a summer festival held annually in Charlotte Square Gardens, in 2020 the Edinburgh International Book Festival faced an unprecedented challenge. With the impending cancellation of the 2020 festival due to the coronavirus pandemic, the team made every effort to preserve the festival as much as possible. The celebrations would continue in the form of an online, digital only event.

An eclectic 140 events took place over two weeks, with audiences able to, for the first time, tune in from all over the world. Interviews and discussions were broadcast live from the festival’s studio in the heart of Edinburgh. The festival’s spirit of open conversation and shared ideas was kept alive despite the adversity that 2020 brought.