A new free paper has been launched for the Edinburgh Festival.

It will be edited by Glasgow Herald Student Journalist of the Year Helen Pidd, and Dan Lerner.

The three times weekly arts and entertainment newspaper Fest will have a 30,000-per-week circulation and should reach 360,000 readers in August, around half the total visitors to the festival.

The paper was founded by Dan and Helen, and is bucking the nation-wide media advertising downturn with backing from London's prestigious arts and entertainment magazine Time Out, as well as other high profile advertisers including Forth 1 Radio and easyInternet.

Fest has also struck a deal with The Independent to distribute 2,000 copies with its own Saturday edition.

Dan said: "With confirmed interviews with big name directors, comedians and musicians, Fest is the only paper committed to writing for a young discerning audience."

Fest will circulate 10,000 free copies per edition on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with the first edition hitting the streets on Monday, August 5.

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