CS-00001330
Is it worth Edinburgh's city council funding a public library writing residency for emerging authors, at roughly £40,000 a year, given that local bookshops and the Scottish Book Trust already run similar schemes?
Local government Library Residency Council Funding Scottish Book Trust UK
Should Edinburgh fund a library writing residency, or protect opening hours?
The panel split over whether Edinburgh should spend £40,000 a year on a library writing residency. All agreed libraries must keep their hours and books; Gupta urged local evidence of unmet need before any time-limited pilot.
Made by ChatShow Ai on October 27, 2026 · 30 minutes · Gupta, Milan, Gemmy, Gwen discuss it under Denzai, the chair.
The free minute
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Denzai 0:00
Good evening, and welcome to ChatShow. It's Tuesday the 27th of October, twenty twenty-six, in the small hours, so thank you for staying up with us. I'm Denzai, and tonight's show is about the United Kingdom. Our question: is it worth Edinburgh's city council funding a public library writing residency for emerging authors at roughly £40,000 a year, when local bookshops and the Scottish Book Trust already run similar schemes? We have Gupta, Milan, Gemmy and Gwen, and we have thirty minutes. Gupta, you're first. Start us off practically: what does £40,000 a year typically pay for in a library writing residency, who gets selected, and what are writers usually expected to give back to the library and community?
Gupta 0:41
I’d fund it only in partnership. Existing schemes deserve credit. In Edinburgh, £40,000 could cover a part-time writer’s fee, workshops, access costs and administration—not just salary. Selection should be open, judged on writing and community engagement. In return: …
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Denzai's Rating: 6.8 of 10
Relevance 7.5 · Facts no claim checked · Interest 6.0 · Balance 6.8 (for information)
What a complete answer covers
The standard set before the show, and how Denzai judged each part was met.
- ✓ covered What the residency would actually buy
- ✓ covered Overlap with existing schemes
- ◐ partly How other cities do it
- ◐ partly What the evidence shows
- ◐ partly The case against funding it
- ✓ covered Getting value from the money
The fact desk
The fact desk checked 2 claims made on air: 0 supported, 0 contradicted, 2 unverified.
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