The Edinburgh Songwriters Festival will be an all-day extravaganza showcasing the diverse array of songwriting talent in Scotland today. Eighteen songwriters will perform and, in a spirit of co-operation between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the show will be recorded for broadcast on Glasgow-based Celtic Music Radio.

Songwriters and musicians travel from all over the world to experience Scotland's vibrant music scene, the Edinburgh Songwriters Festival will reflect this by featuring artists originating from as far afield as New Zealand, the USA, Ireland and England, all currently working in Scotland. Homegrown songwriting talent will also be represented with artists from Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as the songwriting strongholds of Lanarkshire and Perthshire. Songs will range from the comic to the contemplative and from the modern to the more traditional. The age of the artists taking part will range from 20s to 60s.

The festival will be headlined by Martin Stephenson (formerly of Martin Stephenson and the Daintees), a songwriting phenomenon and unique entertainer who could walk onto any high street in Scotland and gather a crowd around him like the troubadours of old. In addition to the featured artists, there will be a songwriting workshop led by Stephenson and Edinburgh songwriter Tom Fairnie. The workshop will aim to spark the muse of young budding songwriters as well as the more experienced writer. Stephenson works hard to promote the art of songwriting and hosts a number of songwriting weekend workshops throughout the UK.

This is a great opportunity for Edinburgh's songwriters to learn from a master in the art. The Edinburgh Songwriting Festival has been organised by Edinburgh songwriters Mark Barnett and Tom Fairnie. Barnett and Fairnie have promoted songwriting and poetry in Edinburgh via their monthly songwriting night Foakies held on the first Tuesday of the month at the Royal Oak, Infirmary Street. Despite its low key nature, Foakies is a forum for creativity that provides a listening environment in the Capital's most intimate music venue and is enjoyed by new and experienced songwriters alike. To celebrate Foakies' 5th Birthday, the Edinburgh Songwriters Festival promises to be a unique performance of some of the best songs recently added to Scotland's rich songwriting canon.

Admission to the festival and workshop will be free