CRIME writer Christopher Brookmyre is among a host of top authors lending their support to a new book festival.

The Barrhead man will be joined at the inaugural Paisley Book Festival by the likes of Val McDermid, Mark Billingham and Janice Galloway.

Also taking part is playwright John Byrne, who will return to his native Paisley for the Big 80th Birthday Bash, featuring readings from his plays, old and new, as well as some special guests.

The festival, which will run from February 20 to 29 next year, is being staged 200 years after a group of artisans known as the Paisley Radicals stood up against the political establishment to fight for better wages and conditions for workers.

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Rikki Payne, arts manager for event organisers Renfrewshire Leisure, said the 200th anniversary is an appropriate occasion to start a book festival.

However, he added that, while radicalism is the theme, the festival is not merely about looking back but, rather, will examine what the Paisley Radicals might have been speaking out about nowadays.

“We are using the Paisley Radicals as our inspiration and looking at how we honour their ideas and energy now,” he said. “A book festival is a good way of creating a space to look at ideas.

“There are things in the present that need to be addressed and we will be using these voices of the past as the inspiration to pick a way forward.

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“I think the radicals of 200 years ago would look at some of the white upper-class male leadership in the world now and ask what we have been doing for the last two centuries.”

The festival’s opening night event will celebrate Renfrewshire rebels through an exclusive reading from Scottish radicalism author Maggie Craig, poetry from Jim Carruth and music from singer-songwriter Heir of the Cursed.

Jess Orr, co-producer of the festival, said: "From readings, workshops, spoken word, storytelling and live performances around the town, we hope everyone will find something to inspire them in Paisley Book Festival’s inaugural programme.”