The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) has announced that its acclaimed Global Ink programme will expand in 2026, thanks to EXPO funding from the Scottish Government.
The news was shared during this year’s Global Ink event, the Festival’s International Industry Day, and introduced by Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
The announcement comes as part of the Scottish Government’s investment in culture, with an increase of over £34m in 2025/26. The Festival EXPO Fund, established in 2007, is designed to support festival innovation and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists who contribute to them.
The expanded Global Ink programme, running from Monday 17 – Wednesday 19August 2026, and which brings together professionals from Scotland, the UK, and around the world, will now include a new landmark international conference in August 2026. The conference, which is supported by £100,000 of existing EXPO funding, will build on the success of the Book Festival’s existing programme. This initiative will position Global Ink as a vital convening platform, promoting new work and supporting writer development. The event will also platform export-ready Scottish writers, creating international and commercial opportunities and strengthening Scotland’s cultural presence on the global stage.
The new three-day conference will bring together up to 20 leading international Festival Directors and a vibrant online audience. Sessions will address key global challenges such as funding sustainability, programming in politicised environments, and cultural collaboration. The initiative responds to growing international demand for in-person collaboration and sector-wide leadership.
The Global Ink programme also includes panel discussions and networking opportunities. This year’s programme included panels such as “Books That Travel” in partnership with Publishing Scotland, and “Born Digital: Web Novels and the Global Reading Revolution”. These discussions provide a key platform for authors, publishers, translators, festival organisers, and cultural stakeholders interested in international collaboration.
“In Global Ink 2026 we’re creating an expanded opportunity to showcase Scottish writing to the world. Our hope is that as a result many more Scottish writers will have the opportunity to share their work on international festival stages. We value enormously our relationships with Festivals around the world, from India to Argentina, allowing us to collaborate creatively, deepen our knowledge of international literature and to connect through culture at a time when international dialogue and exchange is so necessary. We look forward to working with a range of partners to bring this exciting project to fruition.”
Jenny Niven, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival
“The Scottish Government’s EXPO fund has shaped and supported hundreds of commissions, enhanced the ambitions of thousands of Scottish artists and attracted audiences in the millions for EXPO-supported work since its establishment in 2007.
“The expansion of Global Ink 2026, as part of a £200,000 EXPO fund award for the Edinburgh International Book Festival, is a perfect example of its intent to support festival innovation and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists who contribute to them, and I look forward to welcoming attendees next year.”
Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
The initiative continues the EIBF’s long-standing leadership in international festival networks, including founding the Word Alliance and its active membership in the Global Association of Literary Festivals (GoALF) and the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA).
