From Independent Publishers to Literary Festivals

Exploring the Challenges and Changes in the Publishing Industry and the Impact of Cultural Policy

Abstract

This article examines the complex nature of cultural policy, economy and labour and their importance to the creative industries. Through an exploration of the publishing industry and the rising popularity of literary festivals and events, the article considers the challenges and the future of modern publishing and the role of funding and local policy in creating a diverse and inclusive literary identity. Furthermore, the article considers the role of publishers and literary festivals in facilitating and enabling this by creating sites for cultural and literary engagement in the face of a constantly changing industry dominated by algorithms, ebooks and new forms of production and distribution. The article therefore takes a closer look at the potential for literary festivals to fit into a modern publishing culture and the literary field as a whole, and uses local literary festival LiteratureXchange as an example of the potential of these events.