Author Event

‘Reminiscent of du Maurier and extremely hard to put down. The Blue Hour is destined to be a big hit.’ Mick Herron When a bone at the centre of a famous sculpture is identified as human, the life the recently deceased artist Vanessa Chapman led with her companion Grace on the remote tidal island of […]

‘This is what governs all of life. We agree to rules. Most of us. There are some, though, you know, who do not obey, who are not asked to observe them.’ When Brooke Orr starts a new job at the Asher and Carole Jaffee Foundation, helping an 80-year-old billionaire to give away his vast fortune, […]

“New technologies may divert our attention, but music created in the moment can still be found where it always has been, in the feet, fingers, voices and spirits of musicians in every corner of the world.” Legendary music producer Joe Boyd (White Bicycle: Making Music in the 1960s) invites you to open your ‘minds and […]

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT. ‘Some stories sink down into your bones.’ Award-winning novelist Susanna Clarke (Piranesi) joins us to discuss how writing and reading have shaped her life. From her worldwide bestseller Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, to her enchanting new story The Wood at Midwinter. […]

‘Andrew O’Hagan has made more than a great book – he has made a social miracle.’ Joshua Cohen Scottish author Andrew O’Hagan joins us to discuss his gripping new state-of-the-nation novel Caledonian Road with host Dave Haslam. Art historian and celebrated critic Campbell Flynn is beguiled by his provocative student Milo Mangasha who leads him […]

Two masters of folk horror join us to discuss their chilling, atmospheric new books, both set in a single location over a significant period of time. The Hotel by Daisy Johnson begins with a hotel built on a possessed plot of land - its origins evident when a woman is accused of witchcraft – and […]

EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES Join ex-Horrible Histories historian and chart-topping You’re Dead to Me podcaster Greg Jenner, as he goes back in time to explore Roman Britain! You can expect myth-busting, quick-fire quizzes and to discover mind-boggling truths about everything from Roman gods and emperors to invasions and life in a fort! So, hold […]

Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers (The Overstory) makes a rare visit to the UK in support of his compelling new, Booker Prize-longlisted novel Playground. The tiny island of Makatea in French Polynesia unites four people: Evie, one of the first female divers, now in her 90s; Ina, an artist who creates large sculptures from the […]

Rob Parker, Manchester Libraries and Instituto Cervantes invite you to very special CRIME CENTRAL!! With SL McManus, Teresa Solana and Nick Triplow! Bringing the best from all over! Featuring the best and brightest crime writing talent both locally and from around the country - the big names are all coming to Manchester! Go behind the […]

‘Did I have a grievance? Most of us, without looking far, could find something that had harmed us, and oppressed us, and unfairly held us back. I tried not to dwell on it, thought it healthier not to, though I’d lived my short life so far in a chaos of privilege and prejudice.’ One of the finest writers […]