Library Live

Crime Central
2025-06-25 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Performance Space
CRIME CENTRAL RETURNS 25 JUNE 2025
With the brilliant Rachel Wolf, H Critchlow and Antony Johnston!
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 scenes!
Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the crime world.
Meet your favourite authors!
With giveaways, audience interaction, book signings, the chance to ask questions and more – while bringing a crime fiction buzz back to this great northern city.

Lords and Ladies of Middleton Manor
2025-06-30 17:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Join us for an evening exploring the fascinating Assheton family of Middleton. Meet a medieval Middleton Bowman and discover everyday life through close-up encounters with original historic documents from the Assheton collection. Free event with refreshments.
Free – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

John Robb: 'Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis' - Oasis Week Q&A
2025-07-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
For those in the mood for a Talk Tonight, on 15th July, expect to find esteemed Northern music journalist and frontman of the Membranes / Goldblade JOHN ROBB in-conversation about his brand new book ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ at Manchester Central Library.
Part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, John will be appearing in-person for an intimate talk and Q&A with local tour guide and Oasis expert Joe Feeley about the book in the Henry Watson Music Library.
‘Live Forever…’ promises a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. And John Robb was there every step of the way.
In this, the definitive book on Britain’s biggest band, he peels back the layers of Manchester’s best-known musical export, revealing a tale of ambition, ego, talent and a whole lot of attitude. From the estates of South Manchester to the dizzying heights of global stardom, Live Forever is a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. But it is also a portrait of Britain around the turn of the millennium and the cultural forces and places that shaped, and were shaped by, two cocksure upstarts from Burnage – from art to fashion, and from football to politics.
Playful, funny and irreverent, and drawing on dozens of interviews and first-hand stories, this book puts Oasis squarely in the pantheon of music royalty as the last great rock ’n’ roll stars.
The Q&A will be chaired by local tour guide Joe Feeley. Alongside his expert tours of Manchester city centre, Joe also leads the legendary Rock And Goal Tour and has recently launched the Wonderwalk Oasis Tour. A musician and guide with real Oasis pedigree, Joe grew up with the Gallaghers, was in school with Liam and Noel, and their families in Ireland also share history. His Wonderwalk tour offers a deep dive into Oasis’s roots and the wider Manchester music scene, and his personal connection to the band means he has insights and stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Joe and John will be chatting about ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ and more at Manchester Central Library on Tuesday 15 July.
Copies will be available at the event courtesy of Blackwells, and John will be available for signings after the event.
Tickets are free, but any donations to the library warmly welcomed.
Tickets available from 10AM on Friday 20 June:
John Robb: ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ Q&A Tickets, Tue, Jul 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite

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“Oasis Week” at Central Library is part of the Manchester City Council ‘MCR Live 25‘ – a summer of music, art, markets, and unforgettable vibes all summer long. It includes:

music-themed markets
pop-up shops
a festival bar
impromptu performances
a fabulous guitar-themed trail
artworks and exhibitions across the city.

For full details, go to visitmanchester.com/mcrlive25.
This event is part of “Oasis Week” at Central Library, kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust.
For more information, and to secure your tickets for some of the limited-capacity events of “Oasis Week” at Central Library head to: librarylive.co.uk

Not just any old iron! Afternoon Lecture
2025-09-23 13:00 - 14:15 | Performance Space
Manchester Town Hall has been closed since January 2018 for an extensive restoration programme that will repair and upgrade the building to modern standards. The work will include the conservation of many of its original heritage features.
Our series of Heritage Lectures aims to shine a light on some of the fascinating work that’s been going on behind the scenes. We’ve already heard about the work on our paintings, mosaic flooring, clock, stained-glass windows, organ, furniture, the Albert Memorial, Albert Square and the original lighting.
Join us in Central Library for a chance to hear from Will Jones and Peter Meehan of Heritage Project Contracts. The lecture is free to attend but please book your place.
In this lecture we’ll be learning about the conservation, preservation and restoration of historic ironwork, some of which can be seen around the building: from the dizzying heights of the golden ball that tops our clock tower and cast iron brattishing on our complex series of roofs, to the enormous – and very cumbersome – portcullis gates in the basement.
Tuesday 23 September2025, The Performance Space, Central Library
Session #1 – 12.45pm arrival for a 1pm start (ends 2.15pm)
Session #2 – 5.15pm arrival for a 5.30pm start (ends 6.45pm)
The lecture is free but you’ll need to book your ticket online.

Not just any old iron! Evening Lecture
2025-09-23 17:30 - 18:45 | Performance Space

Blooming in the West – Flowers from China
2025-12-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
In this talk, Dr Fang ZONG will introduce some traditional garden plants of China and their journeys to the West. Their cultural symbolism, presence in art and medical applications will also be discussed. The seasonal plants will be highlighted, for example, bamboo, flowering plum and evergreen pine as the ‘Three Friends of Winter’.
Dr Fang ZONG was a biomedical academic researcher and tutor (PhD in Medical Science from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden), and is now a museum professional, providing research, consultancy, and curation of Chinese culture. She has been working at the Manchester Museum for more than 10 years and was part of the team which established the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery. She was personally awarded an Exceptional Performance Award by the University of Manchester in 2024.
Book your tickets now.
This event is part of the Manchester Confucius Institute Public Talk Series.
Photo By Zhao Mengjian 趙孟堅 b. 1199 – d. circa 1264 Taipei: National Palace Museum., Public Domain

United in Rebellion: The Story of the Anti-Nazi League
2025-12-13 13:30 - 14:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
Join us for this talk inspired by Geoff Brown’s book, ‘A People’s History of the Anti-Nazi League, 1977-1981’. Discover how the Anti-Nazi League (ANL) emerged from the streets, schools and music scenes of late 1970s Britain to confront racism and the far right.
Free – book tickets here and click ‘Book Now’ below.

The Temperance Movement: What Did #QuitLit Look Like 100 Years Ago?
2026-01-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Long before today’s sober-curious conversations, Bookstagram posts, and bestselling quit-lit titles, people were already using words, stories, and literature to challenge drinking culture.
This talk explores the original temperance movement, which emerged as a powerful social force in the Northwest before sweeping across Britain and beyond. Drawing on historical examples, it looks at how early temperance advocates used novels, pamphlets, tracts, and personal stories to influence public opinion, reshape attitudes to alcohol, and support people in rethinking their relationship with drink.
By revisiting these early forms of “quit lit”, the talk reveals striking parallels between 19th-century temperance literature and today’s modern sober narratives – showing that storytelling has long been a central tool in movements for change.
Whether you’re interested in social history, literature, wellbeing, or the contemporary sober movement, this session offers a fascinating perspective on how the past continues to shape present-day conversations around alcohol.
Chaired – Yvonne Norris (Researcher, PhD, MMU)
Speaker – Dr Annmarie McAllister – expert and a leading scholar on the temperance movement
Alongside a guest panel including leading voices from present-day sober communities from across the Northwest.

Crime Central
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
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 scenes!

Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the crime world.

Meet your favourite authors!

With giveaways, audience interaction, book signings, the chance to ask questions and more – while bringing a crime fiction buzz back to this great northern city.
Tickets are on a ‘pay what you can’ offer.

Knowing Yesterday, Shaping Tomorrow: The Inaugural Lou Kushnick Memorial Lecture with Professor Abdul Alkalimat
2026-03-12 16:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust, in partnership with the University of Manchester, is launching a new annual lecture in honour of our founder, Professor Lou Kushnick. Lou was a tireless advocate for anti‑racist education and a driving force behind both the Education Trust and the RACE Centre. Since his death in early 2025, he has been deeply missed.
This new lecture series celebrates his legacy, beginning with an inaugural talk by Professor Abdul Alkalimat. Professor Alkalimat – internationally respected scholar-activist and a founding figure in Black Studies in the United States – was a friend and colleague of Lou’s.
Professor Alkalimat opens this new lecture series by commemorating Lou’s important work. He will respond to four key questions: Who was Lou Kushnick? Why am I speaking about him? Why was he concerned about racism? And why should we be concerned about racism? His perspective will reflect his African American identity, but will also connect with the trans-Atlantic perspective he shared with Lou.
We welcome friends observing Ramadan and our programme will allow for Maghrib and Iftar.
There is a dedicated prayer space in Manchester Central Library.
Complimentary hot food, tea and coffee will be provided.

Book your free space on eventbrite here or click on ‘Book Now’ below.

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About Professor Abdul Alkalimat

Abdul Alkalimat (born Gerald A. McWorter) is a founder of the field of Black Studies and author of many books and papers about Black liberation. He wrote the first college textbook for the field, Introduction to Afro-American Studies, which has seen seven editions, the last one free and online. A lifelong scholar-activist with a PhD from the University of Chicago, he has lectured, taught, and directed academic programs across the US, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and China. Two of his early contributions were serving as chair of the Chicago chapter of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and co-founding the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC) in 1967. Raised in Chicago’s Cabrini Rowhouses, he is now professor emeritus of African American Studies and Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
His most recent books are:
* The History of Black Studies, published by Pluto Press 2021
* Dialectics of Liberation: The African Liberation Support Committee, published by Africa World Press 2022
* The Wall of Respect: Public Art and Black Liberation in 1960s Chicago, co-edited with Romi Crawford and Rebecca Zorach and published by Northwestern University Press 2017
* New Philadelphia, written by Gerald A. McWorter and Kate Williams-McWorter for the New Philadelphia (IL) Association and published by Path Press 2018.
Much of his work is freely available at http://www.alkalimat.org.

People as Infrastructure: The Architectural Wisdom of Informality
2026-04-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Join us for Manchester Confucius Institute’s first public talk of the year, launching our anniversary exhibition, Building China: People’s Infrastructure.
Explore the spontaneous and ingenious adaptations found in China’s urban marketplaces, where everyday materials become functional art. This talk delves into the world of informal architectural practices that thrive without formal design processes, reflecting a bottom-up creativity that challenges our conventional views on sustainability and technology in building. We’ll discuss how these grassroots innovations might teach us new ways to think about architecture and urban infrastructure.
After the talk, there will be an opportunity to visit the Manchester Confucius Institute’s 20th anniversary exhibition, Building China: People’s Infrastructure, on the Lower Ground Floor of the Central Library (exhibited from 1 March until 30 May 2026).
Free – booking required via Eventbrite here or via the ‘Book Now’ button below
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About the speaker:
Ziqiu Ren is a spatial filmmaker and architectural researcher. Her research is established at the intersection of urban studies, ethnographic theories, and creative media. She is currently a PhD Candidate in Architecture at the University of Manchester, working on Chinese food marketplaces, supported by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). She is an associated researcher at the Urban Studies Lab.
he Manchester Confucius Institute Public Talk Series
Manchester Confucius Institute public talks are free, informal and informative lectures aimed at anyone with an interest in Chinese culture and language.
Find out more about the Manchester Confucius Institute

People’s Infrastructure: Everyday Life in Changing China
2026-05-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Join us for Manchester Confucius Institute’s second public talk linked to our 20th anniversary exhibition , Building China: People’s Infrastructure
This talk moves from the visual culture of the 1950s and the institutional landscapes of the 1970s to contemporary studies of markets, parks, sidewalks, and sites of urban redevelopment. Across these moments, infrastructure is approached as something maintained through labour, inhabitation, and routine use. Attention shifts between rural and urban settings, historical transformation and present conditions, to show how social life and material systems remain closely intertwined. ‘People’s infrastructure’ offers a lens for understanding continuity and change in China’s recent past and present.
After the talk, there will be an opportunity to visit the Manchester Confucius Institute’s 20th anniversary exhibition, Building China: People’s Infrastructure, on the Lower Ground Floor of the Central Library (exhibited from 1 March until 30 May 2026).
Free – booking required via Eventbrite here or via ‘Book Now’ below
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About the speaker:
Deljana Iossifova is Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies and lead the Urban Studies Lab at the University of Manchester, where she also acts as Academic Director of the Confucius Institute. She was trained as an architect at ETH Zurich and holds a PhD in Public Policy Design from Tokyo Institute of Technology, which she obtained following years of professional practice in East Asia. Her research examines the dynamics between architecture, everyday life, urban transformations, and global environmental change.
The Manchester Confucius Institute Public Talk Series:
Manchester Confucius Institute public talks are free, informal and informative lectures aimed at anyone with an interest in Chinese culture and language.
Find out more about the Manchester Confucius Institute.

A Brush With History - Restoring Our Town Hall's paintings. Afternoon Lecture.
2026-05-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Performance Space
Our Town Hall Project Heritage Lecture Afternoon Session 1pm

A Brush With History – Restoring Our Town Hall’s paintings. Afternoon lecture.
In this Heritage Lecture, we’ll be learning about the conservation work undertaken by Beth Jowett of Elizabeth Jowett Conservation of Paintings, one of several expert conservators who have been taking care of the Town Hall’s collection of paintings.Beth will talk us through the detailed work she’s completed, having undertaken three batches of paintings totalling 16 oil paintings, including their frames too.
The afternoon lecture is free to attend but please book your place.
1pm Tuesday 12 May 2026, The Performance Space, Central Library.

A Brush With History - Restoring Our Town Hall's paintings. Evening Lecture.
2026-05-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Our Town Hall Project Heritage Lecture Evening Session 5.30pm

A Brush With History – Restoring Our Town Hall’s paintings. Evening lecture.
In this Heritage Lecture, we’ll be learning about the conservation work undertaken by Beth Jowett of Elizabeth Jowett Conservation of Paintings, one of several expert conservators who have been taking care of the Town Hall’s collection of paintings.Beth will talk us through the detailed work she’s completed, having undertaken three batches of paintings totalling 16 oil paintings, including their frames too.
The evening lecture is free to attend but please book your place.
5.30pm Tuesday 12 May 2026, The Performance Space, Central Library.

Crime Central
2026-05-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Crime Central is the monthly crime and thriller fiction event at Manchester Central Library.

AUTHORS APPEARING IN MAY ARE ZOE SHARPE, SIMON MICHAEL AND DAVID PENNY!!
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 scenes!
Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the crime world.
Meet your favourite authors!
With giveaways, audience interaction, book signings, the chance to ask questions and more – while bringing a crime fiction buzz back to this great northern city.

Behind the Scenes Tour
2026-05-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Entrance Hall
What do George V, Gypsy Rose Lee and Bernard Bresslaw have in common?
Which musician was once thrown out of the Language and Literature Library?
What would you find now in the space where Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren – amongst many others – played their first roles?
All these questions – and many more – are answered on a tour of Manchester Central Library which will take you to all the areas not normally accessible to the general public and tell the story of this iconic building. Tours last around 90 minutes and include the chance to see some of our rarest treasures and archives.
Please meet in the main entrance (Shakespeare Hall) of Central Library from 5.45pm. The tour starts at 6pm.
Did you know, you can join our Library Lovers scheme and enjoy a free tour, plus discounts in our shop and cafe, and invites to other events and exhibition launches? Find out more and join online.
Book you place on this tour on eventbrite here or click on ‘Book Now’ below.

Mieczysław Fogg - 1930s Cabaret to Wartime Resistance
2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Join us for a unique event celebrating Mieczysław Fogg, Poland’s legendary crooner on the 125th anniversary of his birth. Dive into the vibe of 1930s cabaret and discover how his music became a symbol of wartime resistance. With stories from cultural researcher and journalist Juliette Bretan, a visual journey through his inspiring life and melodies from singer songwriter Katy Carr. His unforgettable voice continues to affect contemporary musicians and listeners. Don’t miss out on this Polish Heritage event brought to you by Anna Kucewicz and Eva Szegidewicz.
Free – reserve a place on Eventbrite here or click on ‘Book Now’ below

Heartstone: KFOR AND KOSOVO +25 Event
2026-06-12 15:00 - 16:30 | Performance Space
On June 12th, the photo-documentary exhibition, ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’, is at the centre of an extraordinary event being staged at Manchester Central Library as part of Manchester’s Festival of Libraries.

Produced by internationally acclaimed photographer, Nick Sidle, covering the period 2000-1, in the aftermath of the 1999 Kosova war, the exhibition tells an uplifting visual story of the resilience of ordinary people recovering from a period of horrific ethnic cleansing and the role of the KFOR peacekeepers in bringing the stability and security from which peace followed. Many in the Greater Manchester region supported at the time with funds, blankets, toys and other items.
This event will bring together online for the first time some of the civilians pictured in the images, who have been located 25 years later in Kosova, and others who were part of this period in the North West and other parts of the UK. In Kosova, the event is taking shape from the National Library of Kosova opened by Kosova’s Minister for Culture, Saranda Bogujevci, herself a survivor of the Podujeva Massacre and one of those evacuated to Manchester in 1999.
Admission is free and there is no booking required, but please come early to be secure of a place at this event.
Header Photo by ©Nick Sidle.

Music Q&A: ‘It's Time the Tale Were Told - A People's History of the Smiths'
2026-06-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
‘It’s Time The Tale Were Told – A People’s History of The Smiths’ is the story of one of the UK’s most influential indie bands and Manchester’s greatest musical exports.
Featuring the words of over 500 fans of the band, this joyous new book has been collated by author and journalist Iain Key, plus publisher Richard Houghton (Spenwood Books) will be coming to Central Library to tell us about it. From memories of their earliest club shows through to the last ever gig at London’s Brixton Academy, this is a portrait of The Smiths as painted by the fans.
With personal photographs, memorabilia, anecdotes and first-hand accounts of more than 100 gigs, readers will get a front row view of the indie music legends. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr, The Smiths’ 1985 album Meat Is Murder topped the UK album charts and their other three studio albums reached No 2. The band broke up in 1987 and turned down all invitations to reunite.
Iain Key is a recognisable face on the Manchester Music Scene from many years in the late ’80s and ’90s.A journalist for the tastemaker music site Louder Than War, Iain has written over 500 pieces including music, book and gig reviews. Iain has also produced weekly music shows for the last 4 years for Louder Than War Radio, focussing on both new music and interviews with new and established acts. Iain has also edited People’s Histories of The Clash and Billy Bragg for Spenwood Books.
Iain will be speaking to the publisher of Spenwood Books, Richard Houghton, Expect an intimate, in-person talk, Q&A and book signing with the author.

Tickets are ‘pay-what-you can’ – available via Eventbrite here or clicking the ‘Book Now’ button below, simply ‘pay-what-you can’.
All donations go to Manchester Libraries.
