Money rolls in for Borders Book Festival

by OUR LITERARY STAFF

The Borders Book Festival's fourteenth offering in 2017 turned out to be a veritable best seller, according to the Trust's newly published annual report and accounts for last year.

Close to 31,000 visitors flocked to the four day celebration of literature, authors and celebrities, setting the tills ringing with £126,000 received in ticket sales and total revenue rising to £336,900, far above the 2016 total of £284,265. The organisers reckon the 2017 festival injected £2.3 million into the Scottish Borders economy, another record figure.

There were over 100 separate performances by more than 120 participants with the likes of John Cleese, Michael Parkinson, Judy Murray and Joanna Trollope wowing the audiences.

The directors say in their report: "Ticket prices were kept affordably low. But we also gave away free tickets to low income families and foster families via social services and a local housing agency. Fifteen hundred children and their teachers attended the Schools Gala Day on the first day of the festival".

The importance of the role played by two of the directors who are also trustees and consultants to the event - Alistair Moffat and Paula Ogilvie - is highlighted.

"The programme, put together with great devotion and expertise by our creative directors is the key to putting on a successful festival", says the report.

An accompanying set of annual accounts shows Mr Moffat and Mrs Ogilvie each received £25,000 for work associated with the festival, 13 per cent more than the £22,000 paid to them in 2016.

"The festival's remuneration sub-committee determines the amount to be paid to principal consultants Alistair Moffat and Paula Ogilvie who are also trustees. During the year under review the board approved payments of £25,000 each as part compensation for their contribution of skill and experience in the field of literary festivals.

"These approved amounts were in respect of fees to self-employed individuals, not wages or salaries. Neither Mr Moffat or Mrs Ogilvie receive any remuneration for the directorship of the company. In some years, for cost saving reasons, the consultancy fees actually paid to them need to be reduced below the board-approved levels".

In addition, the accounts show, travel and subsistence payments of £302 and £456 were made to Mr Moffat and Mrs Ogilvie respectively. And Mrs Ogilvie was paid £1,000 towards home office expenses.Mrs Ogilvie's husband David received £5,000 in consultancy fees for services provided to the festival.

"Since its inceptiuon the festival has been supported enthusiastically by Scottish Borders Council, both financially and through the encouragement and assistance of councillors and officers", the report says. "We would not have developed the festival to its current standing without this partnership.

"Sponsor income rose from £55,000 to £85,000 and grant income from £55,000 to £69,000. But the contributions from our public sector partners remained critical to our ability to put on the festival the way we did".

The directors explain that as a grant receiving charity putting on high cost book festivals for the public benefit they aim broadly to cover operating costs rather than making profits. They also aim to limit their dependence on public sector grants.