Growing our
Cultural Commons

The Cultural Commons CIC is a community interest company based in Scotland, dedicated to cultivating inclusive literary and artistic communities. We advocate for the public ownership of shared cultural assets and champion circular economies that preserve and celebrate collective arts.

Through our projects, we aim to create welcoming, accessible spaces for reading, dialogue, and collaboration. Our work supports literary translation programmes, works to establish cultural spaces, fosters the circular economy of second-hand books, and develops research projects on public arts.

Our Projects

In Other Words, founded in an old Edinburgh Police Box, was the city's smallest speciality bokshop.

Edinburgh’s smallest speciality bookshop, in an old Police Box

Trick of the Light production, The Bookbinder, hosted at Tills Bookshop.

Performance of The Bookbinder at EdFringe 2024. By Trick of the Light.

Literary seminars at the Feminist Library, Florence.

The Feminist Library in Florence, hosts translation work groups, 2025.

Literary Translation book launch event.

Translation focused talks at Tills & Company in Edinburgh.

A translator standing with her book at a book launch.

A writer and translator at their book launch.

Contact Us