Literary festivals are blowing up (at least in the UK), as evidenced by the new festivals that popped up this year alone, even though it’s increasingly difficult to get sponsors and funders in these times. To get the funds flowing for writers, there may be a new trend in the works:
“A combination of the recession in book advances and the decline of traditional book sales has made the writers who attend these festivals for nothing suddenly conscious of their role as ‘the talent.’ Not only do they want to get paid for their efforts, the literary agents who represent them have begun to explore the commercial possibilities of running speaker agencies as part of their overall service. […] The days when festivals can rely on writers speaking in public for a few bottles of plonk must be numbered.”
(via Book Bench)
