£30,000 shortfall threatens Kids' Lit Quiz

IT IS promoted as an international literature competition, designed to make reading fun for children and encourage them to study great literary works. Yet the first Scottish world final of the Kids' Lit Quiz, due to be hosted in Edinburgh in August, is in jeopardy due to a lack of funds.

The quiz final, which involves teams from Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, New Zealand and South Africa, is scheduled to take place at Stewart's Melville College on 14 August to coincide with the International Book Festival and celebrate Edinburgh's status as the first Unesco City of Literature. But the event may now have to be cancelled unless organisers can make up a 10,000 shortfall in cash.

Despite having approached government bodies including Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Educational Institute of Scotland, organisers have been unable to drum up financial support for the quiz, which would be used to host and feed the foreign teams arriving from abroad.

"We've been all over the place looking for funding but we just haven't got anywhere," said Lindesay Burton, Kids' Lit Quiz Scottish co-ordinator. "I think the government should give us something just to show willing. I thought advocating literacy was one of their highlights. Scotland isn't rising to the occasion. For such an international event we want to be able to show Scottish hospitality."

The first International Kids' Lit Quiz – which is aimed at children aged between ten and 13 – was held in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2005 and won by a team from Dunblane. Since then it has been hosted in various locations across the world, with winning teams being brought together from a total of 211 UK schools that take part.

Wayne Mills, 61, the founder of the quiz, said from New Zealand: "Without funding it would be a huge shame as teams are preparing for the final and have already bought tickets and made arrangements well in advance at a time when Edinburgh is fully booked out due to the Book Festival."