Talks

Making and sharing music is easier than ever thanks to digital technology. But can you make money? Join us and hear from a panel of musicians and music technology experts: Afrodeutsche: the British born Ghanain/Russian/German composer, producer and DJ based in Manchester. Her productions cross a wide range of styles including classical solo piano, techno, […]

As part of our celebration of LGBT History Month, join us for a special In Conversation with Christine Burns, hosted by Carl Austin-Behan. Trans people have been on a long journey for recognition and respect. Former campaigner Christine Burns has a lifetime’s experience of that journey and uses it to enable untold stories to be […]

The Gaming and Apps industries are BIG business. Nearly 2.2 billion people play games worldwide, and the global market for video games was worth $138 billion dollars in 2018, set to rise to $180 billion in 2021. Nearly half of that will come from Mobile revenues. Our panel of industry experts will discuss what it […]

Michael Bristow, BBC World Service’s Asia and Pacific editor will talk about his eight-year stay in Beijing and why he decided to write about the country’s modern history. To assist him he asked for the help of his language teacher, who was born just two years after the communist party came to power in 1949. […]

Manchester Histories are delighted to welcome Billy Bragg to open the commemorations of Peterloo 2019. Songwriter, musician and activist Billy Bragg will be in conversation with writer and broadcaster Dave Haslam, with an introduction from Young Identity, Manchester’s young spoken word collective. At a time when opinion trumps facts and truth is treated as nothing more than […]

Clearing out his parents house after his mother’s death two years ago, Michael Wood found a box of memorabilia. There were photos, letters, postcards, and books that had belonged to his father, whose family had lived in Failsworth in Manchester from the 1720s. Among them was a photograph from 1884 showing a group of eleven […]

In partnership with the University of Manchester and The Guardian, we will be hosting a series of discussions to mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre. Join our panel of speakers, as they debate whether the root causes of the Peterloo massacre are already playing out in 2019 Britain. When in 1819 tens of […]

A public talk from Dr Shirin Hirsch (Manchester Metropolitan University and People’s History Museum) on the colonial context and implications of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, alongside spoken word performances of black voices past and present, responding to the themes of slavery, oppression and protest.

“Poetry isn’t an escape or even a luxury. I’d argue it’s a necessity, a means of living more deeply with reality.” Tracy K Smith Manchester Literature Festival are delighted to welcome Tracy K Smith to Manchester for a rare UK event. The Poet Laureate of the United States, Tracy is the author of four poetry collections […]

In partnership with the University of Manchester and the Guardian, we will be hosting a panel, including Professor Francesca Gains, as they discuss representation in politics. On 16 August 1819, the peaceful protestors at St Peter’s Field had gathered to call for parliamentary reform, demanding for their views and concerns to be represented in a Parliament […]

Rebecca Mordan, Scary Little Girls Productions and co-cordinator of the Heritage Lottery project interviewing the Women of Greenham Common peace camp, explains the work and shares anecdotes from these extraordinary campaigners.  Evening finishes with a Q&A with Rebecca and local Greenham Women who have contributed to the Greenham Women Everywhere project. A partnership project between […]