Jenny Brown

Jenny Brown established the Edinburgh-based literary agency Jenny Brown Associates in 2002.   It’s now one of the leading independent agencies in the UK, representing 80 writers and known for fostering new writing talent in Scotland. She grew up in Edinburgh and graduated in English from the University of Aberdeen.

After working as Assistant Administrator of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, she became founder Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 1982, a post she held for ten years. From the Book Festival she presented book programmes for Scottish Television, and in 1995 co-ordinated the Readiscovery campaign, Scotland’s year of reading, and projects included a book bus which took writers to schools all over the country. 

In 1996 she became Literature Director for the Scottish Arts Council. In 2004 she was one of the four founders of Edinburgh’s designation as first UNESCO City of Literature. 

She has been Chair of Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival since its inception in 2012 and is a Board member of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

She has honorary doctorates from the Universities of Aberdeen, St Andrews and the Open University.