Paisley Book Festival is seeking a Digital Writer-in-Residence for its 2021 Festival

Following on from the success of its inaugural Festival, Paisley Book Festival is delighted to add a new strand to its 2021 Festival.

Thanks to funding from Creative Scotland’s Sustaining Creative Development Fund, the Festival is inviting submissions from an experienced writer for its new Digital Writer-in-Residence scheme. It is looking for a published writer who will work with local communities and help the Festival reach wider audiences.

This residency is open to all forms of writing including prose, poetry, playwriting, writing for children, and genre writing, as long as it is inspired and influenced by Paisley and the 2021 Book Festival theme, Radical New Futures. Writers must have a proven track record of publications (at least one book/collection published) as well as a history of community engagement and of delivering writing workshops.

Keira Brown, Producer, Paisley Book Festival said: “We are so thankful for the support from Creative Scotland to allow us the opportunity to introduce this new programme, which is not only a great opportunity for a writer but one which the local community will reap benefits from also. Connecting to Paisley and its people, as well as our book festival theme Radical New Futures, which addresses this idea of new narratives emerging from this pandemic, this will be a fantastic addition to the Book Festival.”

The first-ever Paisley Book Festival took place in February 2020, with a diverse programme of events exploring contemporary ideas around radicalism.

Headline names included Jackie Kay, John Byrne, Kirsty Wark, Janice Galloway, and the Fun Lovin ’Crime Writers. Acclaimed writers from across the UK engaged local audiences in a love of reading and writing, and took part in a variety of events, from discussion panels, masterclasses, and workshops to storytelling performances. The Festival exceeded all expectations with many events selling out.

The Writer-in-Residence will be contracted on a part-time basis for ten weeks from November 2020 – March 2021 and would be expected to be present at the Book Festival to host or chair events, which have been curated by them as part of their residency.

For further information contact: Wendy Niblock PR | wendyjniblock@btinternet.com | 07961 814834