Nick Barley worked in London as a publisher and editor of art books and magazines throughout the 1990s. In 2003, he moved to Scotland to become editor of the cultural magazine The List, and was subsequently named 2005 PPA Editor of the Year. In 2006, Barley was appointed director of The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City. Since October 2009 he has been director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, launching Unbound, a free mini-festival of literary performances, and the Newton First Book Award.