Francine Houben guest at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

Francine Houben will be joining the discussion panel on ‘Libraries in the Digital Age’ at the 2015 Edinburgh International Book Festival on Friday 21st August.

With the world’s knowledge accessible from anywhere via a computer screen, why should we continue to value physical spaces for literacy? In the discussion on ‘Libraries in the Digital Age’ Francine Houben and other key thinkers reflect on the role libraries play, not only in raising literacy but also in providing invaluable public spaces in cities. The event is part of the debate series ‘Spaces for Literacy’, which questions what the future hold for our libraries.

Other guests include Robyn Marsack, director of the Scottish Poetry Library (both the world’s only purpose-built library for poetry and an online repository of the best Scottish poems), and Claire Warwick, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research at Durham University. Warwick’s work is concerned with the way we encounter reading and cultural heritage in both physical and digital spaces. The event is chaired by Marc Lambert, the Director of the Scottish Book Trust.

The event is presented in partnership with Theatrum Mundi and takes place at Friday 21st August from 3:45pm - 4:45pm at the Scottish Power Foundation Studio.

More information and tickets

The Edinburgh International Book Festival began in 1983 and is celebrated annually in Scotland's capital city. An important feature of the Book Festival's programme is a high profile debates and discussions series. Writers and thinkers from all over the world gather to exchange thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics. Each year, the festival grounds at Charlotte Square Gardens are transformed into a magical tented village, which welcome around 220,000 visitors.