A new magazine featuring poetry with a connection to Paisley releases its first edition this Friday.

The pamphlet-style magazine, Paisley Poems, showcases work from 13 local poets. The poems range from depictions of life in Paisley past and present, to musings on life’s big questions.

The featured poets are: Sarah Baird, Alec Beattie, Eleanor Capaldi, Ryan Goodwin, Kate Gordon, Trisha Heaney, Kathryn Metcalfe, Maxine Rose Munro, David Rae, Max Scratchmann, Morag McDowell Smith, RK Wallace, and Lindsey Shields Waters.

Copies cost just £1.50, and from this Friday they will be available to buy online at www.paisleypoems.scot, as well as in local shops Abbey Books and Rainbow Turtle. The magazine will also be on the shelves of the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh.

Paisley Poems is a true Paisley affair, and is printed by Print Studio Scotland on Seedhill Road.

Founded by 23-year-old Hannah Wilson, Paisley Poems was started with help from Renfrewshire Council’s Culture, Heritage, and Events Fund – created to support Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture 2021.

Hannah said: “The quality of submissions we received was overwhelming, and it was a tough job to whittle it down to just 13 poems.

“Hopefully the first edition gives a good flavour of the different voices of the town, and we’ll be opening up for submissions again soon, so there’ll be plenty of opportunities for more people to get involved!”

Paisley 2021 bid director Jean Cameron, said: “We are delighted to have helped fund the first volume of Paisley Poems through our Culture, Heritage and Events Fund.

“The town has such a rich history of written verse, dating back to our original weaver poet Robert Tannahill – so it is fitting the current generation of talent be given this platform to show their work as part of the UK City of Culture bid.

“I look forward to seeing the first edition when published this week and hopefully this is the first of many – I wish the team every success for the future.”