EDINBURGH is to host an international festival of magazines.
Taking place in August, the event is being organised by the industry's representative body, the Professional Publishers Association.
Set for August 25 and 26, in the capital's Dynamic Earth venue, 'MagFest' aims – says its organisers – “to reach out to writers, editors and designers by sharing expert knowledge and magazine publishing successes from Scotland, the UK and around the world”.
Adds the PPA: “The magCulture exhibition will be located in the impressive Ozone space at Our Dynamic Earth and will feature 40 stunning national and international magazines, all exemplifying excellence in magazine design.”
The exhibition opens to the public at noon on Sunday, August 26 and entry is free to MagFest delegates.
A PPA statement quotes Kathy Crawford Hay, business manager of PPA Scotland, as saying: “We are so proud to launch the UK's first festival dedicated to magazines. At MagFest we aim to build a platform that not only promotes publishing in Scotland but also provides a showcase for national and international titles and reaches out to a new generation of creative writers, editors and designers.
“As well as our practical industry sessions, MagFest will be a hub for sharing ideas and networking with peers and investors. We believe this new event will provide an invaluable opportunity for Scotland’s publishing sector to interact with influencers at a global level, and for the international publishing and creative community to come together in celebration of magazines.”
Among the participants is Linlithgow-based Matthew Ball, former art director of Rolling Stone magazine, who who will be leading a masterclass on magazine cover layout.
Other speakers include Christopher Ward, Redwood; John Bird MBE, The Big Issue; Chris van der Kuyl, brightsolid; Andrew Losowsky, Huffington Post; Max von Abendroth, European Magazine Media Association; Matt Phare, ShortList Media; Barry McIlheney, PPA and Richard Nicholls, Future Foundation.
For more information, visit www.magfest.co.uk
