Paisley Book Festival
Renowned Scottish crime writers, a former first minister, a record-breaking explorer and one of the nation's most famous newsreaders will all star at this year's Paisley Book Festival!
About Paisley Book Festival
| 15th May 2026 to 17th May 2026 | |
| See event website for details | |
|
Paisley Town Hall Paisley Town Hall Abbey Close, Paisley PA1 1JF |
|
| See event website for details | |
| Event organiser/part of Paisley Book Festival | |
| Visit the event website here | |
| Facebook information can be found here | |
| Follow paisleybookfest on Instagram |
Now in its seventh year, the festival has grown into a significant fixture in the national and regional literary calendar, drawing people to the town from across Scotland.
Centred around the theme Everyday Heroes, Everlasting Icons, the three-day event - from Friday May 15 until Sunday May 17 - will welcome leading writers, thinkers and creatives to explore who their role models are and what makes a hero.
Christopher Brookmyre and Doug Johnstone will celebrate their collective 50 years of publishing in a special anniversary event hosted by fellow author and ‘Fun-Loving Crime Writers’ bandmate Val McDermid at Paisley Town Hall.
They will be on-stage with queen of Tartan Noir, Val McDermid, who also has her own event discussing Silent Bones, the latest in her Karen Pirie series.
In the immediate aftermath of her 27 years as an MSP coming to a close, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will share stories about life in the aftermath of leadership from her best-selling memoir, Frankly.
The Young Team creator Graeme Armstrong, former BBC broadcaster Sally Magnusson and Mollie Hughes - the youngest woman to climb both sides of Mount Everest - are among those who will feature in a line-up which also sees a special Paisley edition of The Book Club Scotland.
David Keenan, the former owner of renowned Glasgow record shop Volcanic Tongue, will discuss his new novel, Boyhood, while Jenni Fagan will share her latest book The Delusions, one of Scotland’s most hotly-anticipated releases of 2026.
Ahead of Scotland’s appearance in the World Cup, The Hampden Collection Makars are hosting an event to celebrate the lost heroes of Scottish football. Julie McNeill, Gaffer of the Hampden Collection and Poet in Residence at St Mirren FC, Donna Matthew, Makar for the Scottish Women’s National Team Poetry Society, and Hugh McMillan, Makar for the Scottish Men’s National Team Collection, will bring to life untold stories and take audiences down memory lane.
The varied festival programme will also feature a Neurodiversity Writers’ Salon, providing a space for an open and inclusive conversation around neurodiversity in relation to writing and publishing, hosted by author of These Mortal Bodies Elspeth Wilson and Waterstones’ Book of The Year winner for Only Here, Only Now Tom Newlands.
The Saturday line-up will also feature a special one off event - A Paisley Flyting hosted by Gubsmacked, Scotland’s funniest poetry night. Iconic Scottish poets Leyla Josephine, Iona Lee and Colin Bramwell will reimagine the courtly medieval Scottish tradition of Flyting - a poetry rap battle in all but name - which promises to be a no-holds-barred poetry punchup.
Health and the future of healthcare will be under the spotlight with Professor Devi Sridhar and Edinburgh GP and author Gavin Francis, who will challenge myths surrounding healthcare and mental health in the UK.
The Book Club Scotland: Paisley Edition will see Kirstie Buchanan and Christina Lessani, whose midweek Glasgow events have been sellout successes, bring it to Paisley for the first time, diving into the ACOTAR fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas.
Author, journalist and broadcaster Sally Magnusson, meanwhile, will take part in the Reclaiming History’s Heroines strand of the festival by celebrating her latest novel, The Shapeshifter’s Daughter, which brings to life the Norse tale of Hel.
Sturgeon will close the festival at Paisley Town Hall on the Sunday.
Paisley Book Festival 2026, which also includes an extensive schools programme and a busy family fun day with free events on Saturday May 16, is supported by Creative Scotland.
Tickets are available now, with access to many events on a ‘pay what you can’ basis as part of work by festival organisers OneRen to ensure accessibility to the arts and culture in Renfrewshire. Events will take place at Paisley Town Hall and Paisley Central Library.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Renfrewshire, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Renfrewshire? Follow us on Facebook and join the What's On Scotland Group!Sponsored Links
Other Events at Paisley Town Hall or Paisley Book Festival
The Big Comedy Roadshow
Presented by Scotland's original home of live comedy Gilded Balloon, The Big Comedy Roadshow is the ultimate night out for comedy fans! Don't miss it at Paisley Town Hall on Saturday 25th April!
READ MORE
National Theatre Live: The Audience
Returning to cinemas for the first time in over a decade, Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II in the Olivier and Tony Award-winning hit production, directed by Stephen Daldry.
READ MORE
Simon Reeve - To The Ends Of The Earth
Join adventurer Simon Reeve at Paisley Town Hall for an inspiring evening of stunning imagery and stories designed to nudge you out of your comfort zone and embrace the wild world!
READ MORE
Skipinnish
Skipinnish are a powerhouse of contemporary Scottish music, don't miss your chance to see them live at Paisley Town Hall on Thursday 21st May as part of their Spring tour!
READ MORE
An Intimate Acoustic Evening with Wet Wet Wet
An Intimate Acoustic Evening with Wet Wet Wet will see the band perform a full set of reworked Wet Wet Wet classics, with the odd story and anecdote from their history thrown in for good measure!
READ MORE
National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World
Filmed live from the West End, don't miss this National Theatre Live screening at Paisley Town Hall on Wednesday 24th June of the darkly funny tale, Playboy of the Western World!
READ MORE
Rude Science
Expect enormous bottoms, f*rt machines, snot cocktails, vast whoopee cushions, pee-powered fireworks and ear-wax-oozing mannequins as Stefan Gates bring his Rude Science show to Paisley Town Hall!
READ MORE
The Big Phat Brunch
Brunchables of Paisley, the hottest thing in going out is coming your way... Big Phat Brunch touches down on Saturday 8th August at Paisley Town Hall and it's gonna be mayhem!
READ MORE
New Dawn Fades: A Play About Joy Division & Manchester
Hugely acclaimed play, New Dawn Fades: A Play About Joy Division & Manchester, comes to Paisley Town Hall on Friday 4th September!
READ MORE
Tam Cowan: On The Road
Tam Cowan will bring his unmistakable wit, sharp observations and decades of stories from the heart of Scottish media to Paisley Town Hall on Sunday 6th September!
READ MORE
Stuart Mitchell & Friends: On The Road
The one liners have been sharpened, the quick replies are flowing fast and this time – he's bringing his pals... don't miss Stuart Mitchell & Friends at Paisley Town Hall!
READ MORE
Love Hurts - Rock Anthems & Power Ballads
Experience a thunderous night of legendary rock anthems and power ballads as the spectacular Love Hurts show comes to Paisley Town Hall with the heartbreak soundtrack of a generation!
READ MORE
Karen Dunbar: Aw Roon The Hooses!
Bafta award winner Karen Dunbar comes to Paisley Town Hall on Thursday 29th October with her brand-new show 'Aw Roon The Hooses'!
READ MORE
John Lydon: I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right
Music icon John Lydon, frontman and lyricist of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL), will take centre stage at Paisley Town Hall on Thursday 12th November!
READ MORE
Showaddywaddy
Don't miss 'The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World', Showaddywaddy, when they return to Paisley Town Hall on Friday 13th November!
READ MORESponsored Links
Similar events you might like...
Renfrewshire Bookbug Sessions
Free, fun and fantastic! Renfrewshire Libraries run several interactive song, rhyme and story Bookbug sessions throughout the week!
READ MORE
An Evening with Sunday Times Bestselling Author and GP Gavin Francis
Join The Ginger Cat for an evening with multi-award-winning author and GP, Gavin Francis as he discusses his new book, The Unfragile Mind, followed by an audience Q&A at Bridge of Weir Parish Church.
READ MORE
An Afternoon with Bestselling Author Ann Cleeves
Join bestselling author Ann Cleeves at Erskine Arts as she discusses the The Killing Stones, which features the return of Detective Jimmy Perez for the first time since the Shetland series!
READ MORE
Darren McGarvey: Trauma Industrial Complex: The Live Show
Erskine Arts is thrilled to welcome back the brilliant Darren McGarvey for a sold-out, razor-sharp live show and book signing exploring his gripping new release, Trauma Industrial Complex!
READ MORE
Paisley Book Festival
Renowned Scottish crime writers, a former first minister, a record-breaking explorer and one of the nation's most famous newsreaders will all star at this year's Paisley Book Festival!
READ MORE
Paisley Comic Con
BGCP returns to the Lagoon Leisure Centre on Saturday 20th June for the 2026 edition of Paisley Comic Con!
READ MORE
Christopher Brookmyre: Quite Ugly One Evening with special guest host Martin Stewart
In partnership with The Ginger Cat Bookshop, award-winning author Christopher Brookmyre comes to Erskine Arts for a special live event where he will discuss his new book Quite Ugly One Evening!
READ MORESponsored Links