Nothing Ever Happens by Nouele P. St John book review

Nothing Ever Happens by Nouele P. St John, reviewed by local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes Nothing Ever Happens by Nouele P. St John is the most recent novel published in Renfrewshire’s growing noir scene, and it’s a cracker. Jenny Winters spends her days working in the Glasgow Airport Security Vetting Team, a job she likes,... Read More

Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen book review

Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen reviewed by local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes Muckle Flugga, the first novel from award-winning Scottish poet Michael Pedersen, draws you in from its first line. Named for the second most northerly island in Scotland, it captures the life of its sole inhabitants, the recently widowed lighthouse keeper known as The... Read More

How To Kill a Witch by Dr Claire Mitchell QC and Dr Zoe Ventidozzi

How to Kill a Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Ventidozzi, reviewed by Lisa-Marie Hughes How To Kill a Witch is the debut book by Witches of Scotland’s Dr Claire Mitchell QC and Dr Zoe Ventidozzi, whose campaign lead to the then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, offering a public... Read More

Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan book review

Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan, reviewed by local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes Caledonian Road, penned by three times Booker Prize-nominated Andrew O’Hagan, is a literary giant destined to become a classic.  Campbell Flynn is a middle-aged celebrity commentator and art historian. Coming from humble beginnings in Glasgow, he rises to the upper echelons of the... Read More

Paisley Arts Centre to reopen soon

The modernisation of Paisley Arts Centre into a unique and intimate performance venue and creative hub has been completed and will soon reopen to the public Work has been ongoing to transform the performance facilities, audience experience and venue space at the Arts Centre as part of a wider regeneration of Paisley’s cultural venues... Read More

Paisley’s Learning and Cultural Hub wins national award

Paisley’s Learning and Cultural Hub – the new home for Paisley Central Library – has won the physical category at the EDGE Awards. EDGE brings together national and international library practitioners at their conference in Edinburgh. The new library facility opened in November 2023 following a £7 million investment from Renfrewshire Council and is... Read More

Paisley Book Festival 2024

The Paisley Book Festival 2024 programme launch announces a stellar line-up of authors set to take the town by storm The 2024 Paisley Book Festival highlights at Paisley Town Hall include: Sally Magnusson (Music in the Dark) on Thu 25 Apr, 8pm Andrew McMillan (Working Lives) on Fri 26 Apr, 5pm Pat Nevin (The... Read More

The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone book review

The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone, reviewed by local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes The Space Between Us is a masterful step into sci-fi from Scottish Crime writer Doug Johnstone. In Edinburgh, dozens of people experience strokes at the same time after seeing strange lights in the sky. Three of these people find themselves in... Read More

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. Gill book review

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. Gill, reviewed by local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes Our Hideous Progeny is part re-telling, part sequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic horror classic, Frankenstein. 1853, Victorian London. Our protagonist Mary Saville is the great niece of Victor Frankenstein, who has been missing for some years in murky circumstances.  Mary and her... Read More

Confidence by Denise Mina book review

Confidence by Denise Mina reviewed by local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes. The multi-award winning Denise Mina has been heralded as crime writing royalty by Val McDermid and legions of readers, and with Confidence, she certainly keeps the title intact.  Lisa Lee, a young, urban explorer and vlogger disappears from North Berwick after posting a video from an... Read More