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Isla Rosser-Owen joins LAS Board

Posted on 12th December, 2025 in LAS, Members, News, Press release

Before the LAS out-of-office goes on next week, we are very pleased to share that Isla Rosser-Owen has joined the LAS Board of Trustees.

“I’m excited to be joining the LAS board at a point when I’m reconnecting with the Scottish literature scene. It’s a pleasure to be in the company of so many talented literature professionals and to be at the heart of sector conversations. I look forward to contributing where I can and helping to shape LAS’s future direction.”

Isla Rosser-Owen, CEO of Wigtown Festival Company

Isla is the newly appointed CEO of Wigtown Festival Company, based in Scotland’s National Book Town. After university in Edinburgh and SOAS, where she studied Arabic and Near & Middle Eastern Studies respectively, Isla initially developed a career in publishing, working primarily as an editor for many years. After volunteering for Islay Book Festival, Isla took over as chair and festival director and led the organisation through a period of expansion and positive change for six years. Isla first joined Wigtown Festival Company in 2018 as cultural producer, with a remit for literature and sector development, before moving on to Bradford Literature Festival to take a lead on the programming team as senior creative producer. Isla returned to Wigtown in this new leadership role in August 2025, overseeing the future strategic, creative, and operational direction of the organisation as it begins an exciting new chapter having recently moved into its own premises.

“We are delighted to have Isla’s expertise and professional background enriching our Board discussions and are grateful for her enthusiasm for contributing to the sector. We all look forward to working with her on our programme celebrating 10 years of LAS as a SCIO in 2026.”

Mairi Kidd, Chair of Literature Alliance Scotland

Literature Alliance Scotland is a registered charity, overseen by a Board of Trustees nominated from within the LAS Membership: we aim for a representative spread of the broader sector LAS supports. Many of our trustees are also published writers and bring with them extensive experience as freelancers as well as from previous roles within the Literature sector in Scotland and further afield.

If you are a current LAS member interested in nominating yourself or someone else from your organisation to join the Board of Trustees, please get in touch with our Chair, Mairi Kidd, for an informal discussion: [email protected]