A book festival featuring Nicola Sturgeon received 拢300,000 of taxpayer鈥檚 cash weeks after her ex-chief of staff was appointed as a director. The former first minister is among the headliners at this year鈥檚 Edinburgh International Book Festival with an event to launch her memoir, Frankly. It comes as her former top adviser, Liz Lloyd , was hired as a director of the literary event in May. Last week, John Swinney鈥檚 government announced a 鈥渙ne-off鈥 拢300,000 lifeline for the festival to continue its long-running schools programme. It comes after the book festival lost its chief sponsor Baillie Gifford last year following a campaign by eco activists over the firm鈥檚 fossil fuel ties. Lothian Tory MSP Sue Webber said: 鈥淭axpayers will be asking questions about how the SNP suddenly found this money a matter of weeks after Nicola Sturgeon鈥檚 most senior former adviser was appointed a director of the festival. 鈥淲hile the book festival is -ultimately crucial for -Scotland鈥檚 culture and – Edinburgh鈥檚 economy, many will be thinking this is not a mere coincidence. The SNP was only scrambling to find this funding because Baillie Gifford was hounded out from its long-held sponsorship by climate activists. 鈥淪NP ministers should come clean on how this funding was awarded and if there was any lobbying from former colleagues who were once at the heart of the nationalist government.鈥 Lloyd worked for the Scottish Government for nearly a decade as -Sturgeon鈥檚 top aide, working closely with current FM Swinney who was then deputy FM. Lloyd was -Sturgeon鈥檚 chief of staff from 2014 until 2021 then a strategic adviser until the ex-FM quit in 2023, when Lloyd also left her post. The book festival said it would be 鈥渟purious鈥 and 鈥渕isleading鈥 to suggest any link between Lloyd鈥檚 appointment and the announcement of the cash, which it said had been planned for months. The event鈥檚 -government funding has more than doubled in the past year to a record 拢820,000. Announcing the 拢300,000 grant on Wednesday, SNP Business Minister Richard Lochhead said it would help schoolkids continue to access free literary events. The book festival had previously warned its ability to deliver a successful event had been 鈥渟everely compromised鈥 by the ending of its relationship with finance firm Baillie Gifford. The deal was cancelled after activists with the Fossil Free Books campaign targeted book festivals across Britain. The Scottish Government said: 鈥淭he Edinburgh International Book Festival is one the country鈥檚 most significant cultural institutions. Its schools programme has been crucial in fostering literacy and cultural engagement among young people. 鈥淪upported by the increase in funding for festivals announced in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this funding secures those benefits for young readers across Edinburgh, helping schools that might otherwise struggle with travel costs鈥 Glasgow鈥檚 Aye Write literary festival had to cancel last year鈥檚 event after its bid for funding from government quango Creative Scotland was turned down. It is set to be revived.