University of Aberdeen Ditches 2012 Writers Festival In The Name of Science

02-Aug-2011 Literary Festivals UK is sad to learn that Aberdeen University's Word Festival will not be held in 2012. Apparently the university the uni is hosting next years British Science Festival and there is a lack of resources to cope with arranging both events.

Steve Cannon, secretary to the University of Aberdeen, said: “While we focus on the planning for the Science Festival, we also intend to use 2012 as a planning year for a major new celebration of arts and culture which we aim to launch in 2013.” In other words the Lit Fest got shafted.

Word usually draws around 11,000 visitors annually to the university each May. Given the British Science Festival, held in Bradford this year, takes place in September, we would have thought that a wee bit of application could have resulted in a double influx of tourist pennies for the region. The Science Fest is expected to attract 50,000 people to Aberdeen from across Britain and Europe. Perhaps a little imagination could have seen the two events run in parrallel, especially if they had introduced a science book strand. The two events could have feed of off each other - possibly a bit too out of the box for a university to come up with.

Previous headliners at the literary festival included Nobel Laureate Alasdair Gray, Alexander McCall Smith, Louis de Bernieres, Seamus Heaney, Ian Rankin, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Lionel Shriver, as well as Irvine Welsh. Best get back to the day jobs next year everyone, at least as far as Aberdeen is concerned.

   

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