It is world-renowned as the birthplace of Harry Potter, Inspector Rebus, Jean Brodie, Sherlock Holmes and Trainspotting.
Now Edinburgh has revealed that its global reputation as a hub for writers, publishers and book-lovers is now worth £50.9 million to the city’s economy every year.
New research has calculated the combined impact of festivals, meet-the-author events, bookshops, literary tourism and publishing companies based in the city.
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The report, compiled more than 20 years after Edinburgh became the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, reveals that literary festivals and events are now attracting an annual audience of more than 250,000.
Edinburgh is said to host more than 50 book launches and meet-the-author events every month.
The report also reveals that more than 140m copies of books by Edinburgh-based authors have been sold to date, excluding JK Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, which are responsible for a further 600m sales.
Around 120 separate businesses and organisations are involved in the city’s literary sector, supporting some 1350 jobs.
The report, commissioned from BOP Consulting by the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, states that the findings “confirm Edinburgh’s role as a nationally significant hub for literature and publishing-related activities”.
However, it also warns of the need for more support for writers, publishers and other literary organisations, and suggests the new Edinburgh visitor levy should be invested in the industry.
The report highlighted how an "increasingly constrained" funding landscape had left some organisations "operating in survival mode". The rising cost of housing and workspaces is said to be risking a "gradual erosion of key facets of what makes Edinburgh an attractive place for literary production".
The report states: “Edinburgh’s literature sector generates multi-layered economic value. In several respects, the economic profile of literature in Edinburgh resists wider national trends.
“Particularly strong contributions from the publishing sector and literary businesses generate significant economic output, employment and levels of specialisation far beyond the UK average.
“In addition to the direct contribution of sector activity, literature also drives substantial spending through tourism, including major events and literary tourism.
“This attracts high-spending visitors and stimulates broader activity across the visitor economy. A strong sector and visitor economy are underpinned by a resilient creative supply chain and resilient audiences.
“However, external pressures threaten this economic ecosystem – with increasingly unaffordable rents and living costs, writers and creatives are being priced out of the city and organisations struggle with a tightened funding environment.
"Edinburgh’s distinctive literary ecosystem defines the city, delivering significant economic, social and cultural value – but an increasingly pressurised funding landscape threatens the sustainability of these impacts at a time when they are needed most."
Publishing companies are said to be worth £19m to the city's economy, with bookshops responsible for £6.4m.
The report adds: "Edinburgh’s strong storytelling reputation, both across the UK and internationally, underpins its enduring status as a leading centre for literature and the exchange of ideas.
"This is supported by a dense literary ecosystem which enables a vibrant culture of events and literary production, and which sustains audiences while creating opportunities for emerging talent alongside established voices.
"Threaded through the cultural fabric of the city, literature shapes how the city is imagined and experienced, reinforcing its sustained character as a place rooted in intellectual and artistic exchange."
Dr Harriet MacMillan, director of the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, said: “Literature is fundamental to Edinburgh. It is not a ‘nice to have’. It is central to how we understand, imagine and shape our city.
“We are fortunate to have extraordinary cultural assets, and we should celebrate our thriving, vibrant literary ecosystem, but we cannot take it for granted.
"There are real challenges ahead. Meeting those challenges will require greater investment and stronger collaboration across the sector.
“Since becoming the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004, we have led internationally, but leadership demands that we keep evolving.
“Our focus now must be on expanding opportunity and ensuring that literature is not only protected, but experienced and enjoyed by everyone who lives, works in and visits Edinburgh.”
