Library Live

An Evening with Jim Kay: The Art of Harry Potter
2019-10-08 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Performance Space
Jim Kay will be talking about his inspiration behind the art for the book and what it was like to illustrate J.K. Rowling’s words. Jim will reveal some of the stories behind his work, the artists that have inspired him and how he goes about creating images of the key characters from the Harry Potter novels. This is a chance to get a fascinating insight in to Jim Kay’s work directly from the artist himself.
Jim Kay’s inspired reimagining of J.K. Rowling’s classic series has captured a devoted following worldwide. This stunning new fully illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings more breathtaking scenes and unforgettable characters to life – including Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum. Fizzing with magic and brimming with humour, this full-colour edition will captivate fans and new readers alike as Harry, now in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, finds himself competing in the legendary Triwizard Tournament and facing death-defying tasks, dragons and Dark wizards.
Jim will be signing copies of the books after the event but due to time restrictions we ask that anyone attending doesn’t ask for illustrations or doodles in their book. An exclusive dragon print by Jim Kay will be available free to everyone attending each event.

Dashehra Diwali Celebration
2019-10-12 13:00 - 18:00
Visit Central Library during the afternoon to start the celebrations off with performances, crafts and much more.
Free for everyone. No need to book just drop in.

Family Reading Day
2019-10-19 10:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Literature Festival presents…
Join us for a day of fictional fun! Enjoy FREE arts and crafts in our marketplace, and let your imagination run wild in our special story den…
Ready Steady Lift Off!: 10.30 – 11.30am
Navigate, sing, paint and play your way through astronaut training in this immersive theatre show for families, with live performance, music and storytelling. Once you’ve decorated your rocket, orbited space, encountered strange creatures and overcome cosmic catastrophes, you can fly your rocket home. Warning: Don’t wear your best party clothes!
Suitable for ages 3 to 8. Tickets £5

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Story Time: 11.45am – 12.15pm & 1.30 – 2pm
It’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 50th birthday! Eric Carle’s world-famous story is the most read children’s book in Britain. Celebrate this well-loved book with a range of crafts, games and story reading by our expert storyteller.
Suitable for ages 2 to 5. FREE – booking advised

Chris Haughton: 12.30 – 1.15pm
Join Chris Haughton for a fun-packed afternoon of stories, funny trailers, clever props, dancing and drawing games. An exciting new voice in children’s literature, Chris is the acclaimed picture book creator of A Bit Lost, Oh No George!, Shh! We Have a Plan and Goodnight Everyone. Children and adults alike will delight in his cast of quirky characters.
Suitable for ages 3 to 5. Tickets £5

Giraffes Can’t Dance 20th Anniversary Dance Party: 2 – 2.45pm
Would you bet on a long-legged, wobbly-kneed giraffe to win a dance contest? We know we wouldn’t! Come and join us at the Jungle Dance as we celebrate 20 years of Giles Andraea’s bestselling book, Giraffes Can’t Dance. Unleash your inner animal and dance like your favourite jungle character with Annabel Newfield.
Suitable for ages 2 to 5. Tickets £5

For tickets call the MLF box office on 0843 208 0500 or use the link below

A morning with Jacqueline Wilson
2019-10-26 11:00 - 12:00 | Performance Space
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Join us for this very special event with best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson. Celebrating publication of her new book, We Are The Beaker Girls, Jacqueline will discuss creating the world of Tracy Beaker and why the little girl from a children’s home has proved so popular. There will be the opportunity to ask questions and buy books. Please note there will be no book signing after this event but printed bookplates with Jacqueline’s signature on will be available with every purchase from the book stall. Customers purchasing the Book + Ticket option will receive a signed copy of We Are The Beaker Girls.
Description
The new title, We Are the Beaker Girls, sees Tracy and Jess having found happiness living above The Dumping Ground – not the care home where Tracy Beaker spent her childhood, but a seaside antique shop! As well as a bit of match-making for her mum, Jess is keen to make new friends in her new town. But it’s not plain sailing as she is being picked on by a local kid who’s got it in for her. When Jess uncovers the truth about her new enemy, Jordan, whose life has been a lot like Tracy’s, things are set to change for the Beaker Girls.
Jacqueline Wilson
Since writing The Story of Tracy Beaker in 1991, Jacqueline has been heavily involved with charities who work with children and young people in care, and recent care leavers. She has met countless young people and their foster carers from a wide variety of backgrounds, and through her books, is keen to dispel the common myths around the achievement and parenting abilities of those brought up in the care system. The Tracy Beaker books (The Story of Tracy Beaker, The Dare Game and Starring Tracy Beaker) have together sold over 3.5 million copies. The Story of Tracy Beaker was adapted into the long-running and award-winning series by CBBC and became their most successful ever show. The success resulted in two spin-off series, Tracy Beaker Returns and The Dumping Ground, which continues to run on CBBC. As well as the TV series there has also been an adaptation for the stage by the Nottingham Playhouse and a successful part-work magazine.

Sunday Spooktacular
2019-10-27 16:00 - 20:00
As part of Manchester’s Halloween in the City weekend, we are celebrating with a totally Spooky Sunday at Manchester Central Library.
We have many tricks and treats planned for those children brave enough to enter the haunted library!
Marvel at the magical drag queen storytellers
Discover the demonic disco
Create some creepy crafts
Watch a fearsome film
Take the trick or treat trail
Suitable for (very brave) children aged 7-12.
All children must be accompanied adults and all adults must be accompanied by a child. We don’t want anyone getting scared on their own!
To find out what else is happening at Halloween in the City visit www.visitmanchester.com/Halloween

First Person – Theatre Performance
2019-10-28 14:00 - 16:30
Two players enter a virtual world and compete for the ultimate prize: happiness. Made especially for public spaces and influenced by video games; First Person is a quirky fusion of fast paced promenade theatre and physical performance. Grab your headphones, predict your winner and cheer them on. Part of the Big Imaginations Festival. 30 min performance at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.
Suitable for 4+
Free drop in, but places are limited
(Wear comfortable shoes)

Get Ready for Halloween!
2019-10-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Looking for inspiration for a Halloween outfit? Why not drop in to our Media Lounge and have a go a creating those important witches hats, wands and more? We will assist by using sewing machines for the finishing touches.
Free – family drop in

Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration
2019-11-02 13:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Come and join us in a unique and special ancient Mexican celebration Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). In Mexican culture it is believed that during this time of the year your lost loved ones come back to visit. Family and friends gather together to honour their relatives and friends by cooking their favourite dishes, dancing, playing music, and telling their favourite stories. Visiting their graves and create elaborate beautiful decorated altars in their homes to welcome them. This is all a part of celebrating the cycle of life.
This exciting event will feature traditional dances performed by Colibri Mexican Folkdance UK, followed by a craft workshop for children where they can have lots of fun participating in Day of the Dead themed activities. During the workshop there will also be a free screening of a children’s film on this theme.
An authentic example of a typical Mexican altar (ofrenda) that is present in every Mexican households at this time of the year will also be on display in the Archives+ area on the ground floor of the library for 3 weeks.
Free drop-in, suitable for all ages

How Children Think
2019-11-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join us for our family fun day all about how children think about the social world. There will be fun activities to discover how children reason and co-operate with their friends and family! Take part in FREE story time sessions with puppets. music and crafts. Suitable for children aged 0-8 and their adults

Reading faces and hands: The science of speechreading and sign language
2019-11-09 11:00 - 14:30 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Join us for a free event exploring how language is more than just what we hear. Seeing the face of someone talking helps us understand what they are saying. Signed languages, such as British Sign Language (BSL), use hand and body movements to ‘say’ anything that can be expressed in spoken language. Take part in fun activities to discover how seeing the person is important in communication.
Free – register here

M123 meet-up
2019-11-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Media Lounge
Are you a resident in the city centre? If you have a M1, M2 or M3 postcode, come along to our new monthly meet-up in the Media Lounge. Be the envy of your friends by creating bags using mixed media. Pop along and meet your neighbours, chatting is encouraged and little ones can come along too!
Free-please drop-in

Story Selector
2019-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Jewish Museum Pop-up Space
Children’s storyteller Robin Simpson will be performing the exciting, curious and fascinating stories behind objects in Manchester Jewish Museum’s story selector machine. Come along and help him decide the direction the stories go and see the objects behind the stories.
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Roving Robots Coding Workshop
2019-11-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Do you want to learn how to code? Come along to our new series of coding workshops for all. Families, adults, grandparents, in fact anyone aged 8 years and above is welcome to join us in learning how to code these cute and friendly robots.
Free – please drop-in

Explore your Archive Week
2019-11-25 15:00 - 2019-11-29 16:00
Visit Central Library and help us to create our own cabinet of wonder. In these sessions we will showcase material which you may not normally have the chance to see. Help us search for hidden gems from our collections to add to our wonderful new treasure.
Free – please drop in

Junior Jam: Noisy Toys
2019-11-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Children’s Library
Junior Jam – our jam-packed music sessions for 4-8 year olds!
With an exciting theme each month – from Space Travel to Loop the Loop – help your little ones develop their musical skills in a fun, friendly and accessible way.
Sessions are free and take place at the Children’s Library at Manchester Central Library. Places are limited (20 children per session) so sign up in advance to secure your spot.
Two 50-minute sessions will take place at 10am and 11am.
All instruments are provided.

Sensory Story Time
2019-12-07 10:00 - 10:30 | Performance Space
A new monthly sensory storytime, suitable for children with sensory or autistic spectrum needs. The sessions will consist of a story and 3-4 songs, and will aim to be as visual as possible. Age group 4-7 years (flexible depending upon the individual needs of the child).
All bookings can be made by phone on 234 1990. Places are free but must be booked as restricted to ten places. A social story will be emailed to the child when the booking is confirmed.

Christmas Extravaganza
2019-12-14 10:00 - 16:30
Get your festive season underway with our annual family extravaganza. Listen to a fantastic line-up of local choirs and bands and enjoy a mince pie with us. Create your own Christmas crafts. Enjoy a special festive ‘Story-time with Dad’. There will be performances and activities galore and Father Christmas will be here!
Free – please drop in

Greek Gods: Animate it
2020-01-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Join us for animated fun! Discover stories, myths and characters inspired by the Ancient Greeks. Make an animated scene to tell the stories to your friends, in your own distinct way!
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Cabinet of Wonders
2020-01-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Discover wondrous objects from the depth of the library. Be the first to find hidden clues from our new trail and help us complete our new weird and wonderful Cabinet of Wonders. You can also join us for a film screening.
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Celebrate Harry Potter Day
2020-02-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Join us for lots of enchanting arts and magical crafts as we celebrate all things Harry Potter!
Suitable for families. Under 8’s must be accompanied by an adult
Free – please drop in

LGBTQ+ Family Saturday Spectacular
2020-02-15 13:00 - 16:00
Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with Manchester Libraries!
We’ve lots of events for all families, including a –

Drag Queen Storytime with Angel Delight
Family craft sessions
Green screen photography
Celebration disco

Free – please drop in

World Book Day Costume Workshop with Clore Art Studio Costume Factory
2020-02-17 13:00 - 2020-02-18 15:00 | Media Lounge
Get costume ready for World Book Day on Thursday 5th March!
Let us help you get your character ideas flowing and costumes started! Come along for inspiration and assistance in designing, cutting and stitching felt masks, head-dresses and logos to bring your Gruffalos and Gangsta Grannies to life!
Free – please drop in

International Mother Language Day
2020-02-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join us for a fun packed celebration. Communities from across the city will be delivering cultural performances and traditional crafts to share their heritage and celebrate our multilingual Manchester. Pop into the mushaira poetry pod to meet a local poet or share your own favourite poem with the Poetry Exchange. Listen to a collection of oral histories from the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and sample delicious world food nibbles on the day!
Free – please drop in

Festival of Belonging
2020-03-07 09:00 - 2020-03-14 17:00
Join Manchester Jewish museum in a multi-arts festival, exploring what makes us feel that we belong, how we assimilate in new places and what happens when we don’t belong. We have been thinking about the stories of Jewish people who came to Manchester in playful and creative ways. There’s theatre, comedy, music, installations, family story-telling and a unique foodie film experience to enjoy!
For more information and tickets:
https://www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com/whats-on-2/

Spanish Story Time
2020-03-07 14:00 - 14:30 | Lower Ground Floor Link
Come along to a new session of stories, songs and activities in Spanish, suitable for 4-7 year olds
Monthly on a Saturday from 2.00-2.30. No need to book. Dates for 2020

7th March
4th April
2nd May
23rd May
27th June
19th September
10th October
14th November
12th December

Free – please drop in

Roving Robots Coding Workshop
2020-03-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED
Do you want to learn how to code? Come along to our new series of coding workshops for all. Families, adults, grandparents, in fact anyone aged 8 years or more, is welcome to join us to learn how to code these cute and friendly robots.
Free – please drop in

Tiny Fun Palaces
2020-10-03 13:30 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Join Angela and Siobhan at Central Library to help you make your Tiny Fun Palace in a Bag. Places are very limited!
Booking is essential via Eventbrite
You can also pick up a Free Mini Fun Palace in a Bag from these libraries: Central Library, Fallowfield Library, Forum Library, Longsight Library and North City Library. The Mini Fun Palace Bag contains a few items to get you started with our activities, plus instructions and links to the videos. You will also need a few other recycling items and anything else you have at home to help decorate your makes. Bags are free but we have limited supplies so Early Birds – get to your local Fun Palace Library and make sure you get one – When they’re gone, they’re gone!
Manchester Libraries will also be online for a fun-filled day of Fun Palace activities from our wonderful communities and partners. We love sharing our passions for arts, culture, science and technology, learning new creative skills and making new friends and this year is no different – we’ve just gone Digital! There’s lots of fun for all ages from children to adults.
There are great activities you can follow at home by checking out our special video demonstrations at Manchester Libraries Facebook page.

Festival of Libraries - Sunday Funday
2021-06-13 12:00 - 16:00
Celebrate the Festival of Libraries with a special Sunday opening at Central Library. There will be a special mix of crafts and performance plus a chance to meet some of you favourite characters. Suitable for families with children under the age of 12.
Please note that this will be a specially socially distanced event so pre-booking is absolutely essential. We will be unable to admit you if you have not booked tickets by Saturday 12th June.
Strictly limited tickets are available to book free of charge for the following sessions:
Sunday 13th June, 12-2pm: Book free tickets here
Sunday 13th June, 2-4pm: Book free tickets here
This is a free event but please consider making a donation either in the venue or online to support our cultural recovery
Please note that you must obtain a ticket for each adult and child in your group.
Adults must wear a face mask unless medically exempt

Little Reads Family Day with Chris Haughton & Daishu Ma
2021-10-16 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
MANCHESTER LITERATURE FESTIVAL
Chris Haughton & Daishu Ma 10.00 – 10.45
Music & Drama Family Workshop 11.15 – 12.15
We are delighted to present a very special in person event with Chris Haughton, the acclaimed picture book creator of titles including Oh No George! and Shh! We Have a Plan for an action-packed family event celebrating his story Maybe… He will be joined by author and illustrator Daishu Ma who will translate the stories into Mandarin Chinese as well as introducing us to some of her own wonderful characters.
Families can then join a drama & music workshop by acclaimed Manchester artists Yemi Bolatiwa & Ged Mulherin as they respond to Chris’s naughty monkey characters and encounters with scary tigers.
Ged Mulherin is a renowned drama workshop leader, actor and co-founder of TripleC. TripleC design their workshops to be welcoming, inclusive and accessible. They encourage participants to create characters within role play and develop storytelling through imaginative play. Yemi Bolatiwa is a versatile contemporary soul and jazz singer and workshop leader. Featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing and Kiss FM as a professional recording vocalist, she brings her experience to the community and family settings with big smiles and big energy.
Suitable for ages 2 – 6
Please note: We have reduced the capacity at this venue to increase space between seats so everyone can enjoy the event safely. If you’d like to sit with friends, please book all seats together in the same transaction. Although masks are no longer mandatory under Government guidance, we strongly encourage everyone to wear one when in close proximity to others, particularly when entering and leaving the event. We also encourage everyone to use the sanitation stations and sign in using track and trace when they arrive.
Book on 0343 208 0500

Superheroes: Inspiring Stories of Secret Strength
2021-10-16 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
MANCHESTER LITERATURE FESTIVAL
What do you want to be when you grow up? Curated by Stormzy and the #Merky Books team, Superheroes is a new children’s book celebrating modern day heroes from across the worlds of sport, music, food, the arts and more. Join us to celebrate the launch with an interactive workshop run by performance poet Sophia Thakur and illustrator Denzell Dankwah. This will be a lively afternoon of drawing, poetry and writing to encourage and empower children to harness their power and become their own superhero.
This 2 hour workshop will finish at 4pm
Suitable for ages 9 – 12 yrs. A responsible adult must stay in the venue for the duration of the workshop.
Please note: We have reduced the capacity at this venue to increase space between seats so everyone can enjoy the event safely. If you’d like to sit with friends, please book all seats together in the same transaction. Although masks are no longer mandatory under Government guidance, we strongly encourage everyone to wear one when in close proximity to others, particularly when entering and leaving the event. We also encourage everyone to use the sanitation stations and sign in using track and trace when they arrive.
Book on 0343 208 0500
