About Us

In 2020, the inaugural festival was inspired by the actions of the 1820 Paisley Radicals, celebrating Paisley as a place where people value their unique rich history, and featured names such as Jackie Kay, John Byrne, Kirsty Wark, Janice Galloway, and the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. In 2021, with the theme Radical New Futures, the festival continued to focus on grassroots rebellion, revolution, and activism, but also celebrated resilience, as we found ourselves responding to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and making the shift to being a fully digital festival.

The Paisley Book Festival is a platform for celebrating books, reading and writing in Paisley over the course of three days. It is a festival with creativity and innovation at the heart of its programme, showcasing some of the best and most diverse voices being published today in Scotland and beyond.

The festival connects readers and writers with bold, contemporary ideas, engages established audiences, inspires new ones and serves as an effective marketplace for the writing and publishing world.

Now entering its seventh year, the theme for Paisley Book Festival 2026 is Everyday Heroes, Everlasting Icons.