Mellor and Cobden join Edinburgh International Book Festival

Edinburgh International Book Festival has hired Rachel Mellor and Noëlle Cobden to the roles of children and schools programme manager and communities programme director, respectively.

Cobden has been hired to a newly created position that will allow Mellor to focus on children’s and school events during the festival itself, which takes place every August.

Nick Barley, director of the festival, said: “The creation of the communities programme director role represents an important step for the festival in its ambition to work in new ways, with new audiences - and I'm convinced that our year-round community activities will also lead to new ideas for the August festival.

Noëlle Cobden and Rachel Mellor

“The new role will allow the children and schools programme director to focus on maximising the opportunities to deliver a world-leading programme for young people every August. In Noëlle Cobden and Rachel Mellor we have found two talented programmers whose ideas and experience will greatly enhance the Book Festival team."

Mellor is an events specialist who is currently with Pan Macmillan, while Cobden joins the festival from Horsecross Arts in Perth.

Janet Smyth, the former children and education programme manager, stepped down from the festival in May.