Library Live

Manchester Literature Festival presents John Murray Proof Party
2025-10-25 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Performance Space
DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES LIV LITTLE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT.
You’re invited to our first proof party with John Murray Press and Dialogue Books!
Be among the first to hear from three exciting new voices as they give us an exclusive sneak peek into their 2026 novels and writing. Then take home a goody bag with two exclusive proofs, a sampler and John Murray fiction zine.
Young Irish writer Djamel White introduces All Them Dogs, a darkly atmospheric queer thriller set in the underworld of West Dublin, where old loyalties and dangerous new attractions collide. Djamel White is the recipient of a Literature Bursary Award and an Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland.
Ashani Lewis, acclaimed author of Winter Animals and Everest, presents Suckerfish, a sharp, intimate exploration of a mother-daughter relationship complicated by identity, chaos, and ambition. Ashani Lewis is a novelist, short story writer and remarkably won both the Betty Trask Prize and a Somerset Maugham award in 2025.
Liv Little, founder of gal-dem and author of Rosewater, shares Bitter Melon, a lyrical father-daughter road trip through Jamaica, infused with grief, memory, and unexpected reconnection. Liv Little is an author, creative director, and broadcaster whose work spans television, film, and editorial.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Creative Connection
2025-10-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Performance Space
A brilliant celebration of creativity and inclusion bringing disabled and non-disabled students from Manchester and Salford together to create, build connection and celebrate the songs they have developed with professional musicians over the week. Come and join us for this joyous day presented in partnership with Create.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Free – booking advised. Email miriam@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk to reserve your place

Manchester Literature Festival presents WritersMosaic: Mona Arshi, Karen McCarthy Woolf & Roger Robinson
2025-10-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Nature writing has seen a powerful resurgence in recent years, but we must ask—whose voices are being heard? And who is being welcomed into the landscape?
In this thoughtful reading and conversation, John Siddique of WritersMosaic hosts acclaimed poets and co-editors Mona Arshi and Karen McCarthy Woolf and T.S. Eliot Prize-winner Roger Robinson. Together, they reflect on Nature Matters, the new Faber anthology, and explore the deep connections between earth, spirit, and the human experience—from a perspective too often underrepresented in the genre.
This event offers a chance to listen differently, to hear how nature lives in language beyond the usual frames, and to be in conversation with writers who bring a vital, expansive gaze to the page.
Mona Arshi’s poetry collections include Small Hands, Dear Big Gods and Mouth. She was poet in residence at Cley Marshes, Norfolk in 2020 and is co-editor of Nature Matters: Vital Poems from the Global Majority.
Karen McCarthy Woolf is the author of two poetry collections and editor of numerous anthologies including Mapping the Future and Nature Matters: Vital Poems from the Global Majority. Her verse novel Top Doll was shortlisted for the T S Eliot and Jhalak Prizes and she is the winner of the Jerwood Prize for Poetry 2025.
Roger Robinson is a writer and educator who has taught and performed worldwide. He was chosen by Decibel as one of 50 writers who have influenced the black-British writing canon. He won the T.S. Eliot Prize with A Portable Paradise and collaborated with Johny Pitts on Home Is Not A Place.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with WritersMosaic. Supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Get Online Week
2025-10-21 13:00 - 16:00
Get Online Week is coming to Central Library!
Join us for an afternoon packed with digital discovery, hands-on help, and exciting tech experiences — all part of Good Things Foundation’s annual campaign to help everyone unlock the benefits of being online. Activities include:
Ground Floor: Digital Marketplace
Explore a buzzing hub of stalls offering free advice, demos, and digital support:

📱 NHS App Help – Chat with NHS staff and learn how to manage your health online
📚 BorrowBox Demo – Discover how to download free eBooks with ease
🏛️ Council Website Tips – Learn how to apply for services or report issues online
📶 Virgin Media O2 – Find out about free data SIMs and social tariffs for low-income residents
🧬 Family History Help – Dive into your ancestry with support from our expert volunteers.

Business and IP Centre, 2nd Floor at 2pm: 3D Printing Workshop
Ever wondered how 3D printing works? Come along to find out! This hands-on workshop is perfect for beginners and tech enthusiasts alike.
🎟️ Reserve your free spot here.

Manchester Literature Festival presents Hannah Ritchie
2025-10-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Join us for an energising and empowering evening with bestselling author and data scientist Hannah Ritchie, one of the most refreshing new voices in the climate conversation.
In her surprisingly hopeful new book, Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers, she answers big climate questions with clarity and the right dose of optimism. From “Is it too late?” to “Are we too polarised?” Hannah uses clear data and practical information to cut through the noise and misinformation. With her lively, engaging style, she’ll guide us through the facts and show that while the challenges are real, so too are the solutions.
“Let’s get this book into the hands of as many policy makers, politicians and fellow citizens as possible.” – Rutger Bregman
Hannah Ritchie is a Senior Researcher at the Oxford Martin Programme in Global Development at the University of Oxford and Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher at Our World in Data. In 2022, she was named Scotland’s Youth Climate Champion and in 2024 she was selected as one of Prospect magazine’s ‘Top 25 Thinkers’. Her debut book, Not the End of the World, was praised by Rutger Bregman, Bill Gates and Margaret Atwood. Sponsored by Weightmans. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Feminist History with Kate Mosse
2025-10-20 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Join us for an inspiring evening with internationally bestselling author and Founder Director of the Women’s Prizes Kate Mosse, as she shares insights from her groundbreaking new non-fiction book, Feminist History for Every Day of the Year.
This richly illustrated collection celebrates 366 remarkable women and girls – one for every day of the year – whose courage, creativity and vision have shaped history. From the trailblazers you know – Mary Wollstonecraft, Malala Yousafzai, Simone Biles and Sophie Scholl – to warrior queens, pioneers, activists and unsung heroes, Kate will share empowering stories from across the globe and throughout history.
Kate Mosse is a bestselling novelist, playwright, and non-fiction writer, including the multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy, The Joubert Family Chronicles and The Taxidermist’s Daughter. Her highly-acclaimed non-fiction includes Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries: How Women (Also) Built the World. A champion of women’s stories, Kate founded the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, as well as the global #WomanInHistory campaign.
Sponsored by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents How to Get Published with Kate Mosse
2025-10-20 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Have you dreamed of a writing career but don’t have the confidence to give it a go? Or feel that there are too many barriers to the publishing world to getting your work published? Join bestselling novelist and Discoveries Chair of Judges Kate Mosse for an inspiring talk about her journey and the Women’s Prize Discoveries writing programme and prize, designed to address the specific challenges women writers face. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Women’s Prize Trust and Library Live.
Free – booking advised. Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Marcus du Sautoy
2025-10-19 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
In this fascinating talk, celebrated mathematician and leading scientist Marcus du Sautoy invites us to explore his new book Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity and rethink the boundaries between art and mathematics.
From prehistoric stone circles to Zaha Hadid’s sweeping curves, to Shakespeare’s rhythms and Radiohead’s musical experimentation, Marcus discusses how symmetry, prime numbers, fractals and hyperbolic geometry have inspired artists, architects, writers and musicians across the ages. Hear how creativity and logic are not opposing forces, but deeply interconnected ways of understanding the world and why a creative mindset is vital for discovering new mathematics.
Marcus du Sautoy is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. In 2008 he was appointed to the university’s prestigious professorship as the Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science, a post previously held by Richard Dawkins. He works extensively with a range of arts organisations bringing science alive for the public, from the Royal Opera House and Glastonbury Festival to Complicité theatre company.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Jung Chang
2025-10-19 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
International bestselling author Jung Chang brings us Fly, Wild Swans, the long-awaited sequel to her iconic memoir Wild Swans—a book that defined a generation and remains banned in China.
Fly, Wild Swans picks up where Wild Swans left off, tracing Chang’s life and China’s transformation from the end of the Mao era to Xi Jinping’s authoritarian rule today. Chang explores how the political and cultural shifts of the last five decades have shaped her life and that of her mother, offering an immersive and deeply moving account of what it is like to live in a communist dictatorship and the threats modern China poses to the international world order.
Jung Chang is the bestselling author of Wild Swans, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Her acclaimed works on Chinese history have been translated into over 40 languages and she holds a CBE for services to literature.
‘Wild Swans made me feel like a five-year-old. This is a family memoir that has the breadth of the most enduring social history.’ Martin Amis, Independent on Sunday
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live
Book tickets here or ‘Book Now’ below

Supertato Party! with Sue Hendra
2025-10-18 10:30 - 11:30 | Performance Space
Come party with Supertato, Katy Ashworth, Pia’s Pet Party & Wild Science Animal Encounter. Plus make a party badge and Party Animal mask with Hya Arts!
There’s a birthday bash at the supermarket, and you’re invited! Join Supertato creator Sue Hendra for silly stories, veggie fun and make your very own veggie superhero to take home. Perfect for ages 3–5 (older siblings welcome!)
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Pia’s Pet Party! with Serena Patel & Wild Science Animal Encounter
2025-10-18 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Join Serena Patel for a party full of animal fun, stories, a pet quiz and even make your own pet character. Then meet amazing real-life animals in a Wild Science show – maybe even a giant spider! Best for ages 5+.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

This, That, What? Storytime with Katy Ashworth
2025-10-18 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Meet Kiki – her brain is full of brilliant ideas that just won’t stop! Katy from CBBC reads her joyful rhyming story and uses playful activities to help children explore big feelings and wild imaginations. Great for ages 4 – 7, but everyone’s welcome!
Free – book advised. Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Sayaka Murata
2025-10-18 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Sayaka Murata, the internationally acclaimed author of Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings, joins us to discuss her provocative and visionary new novel, Vanishing World.
In a society where sex, love and parenting have been reimagined, Amane—born from a taboo act of love—struggles to conform. As an adult, she explores anime relationships and sanctioned extra-marital sex, until she and her husband join Paradise-Eden: a utopian experiment of mass insemination, artificial wombs, and collective child-raising. But can this bold experiment build the brave new world Amane desires, or will it push her to breaking point?
Presented in partnership with Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. Supported by The Japan Foundation and Japan House. Sponsored by The Edwardian Manchester.
Sayaka Murata has sold over two million books worldwide and won many of Japan’s literary prizes including the Akutagawa Prize and Mishima Yukio Prize. A literary phenomenon, her work has been translated into more than 30 languages. She has been named Vogue Woman of the Year.
‘Murata’s skill is in turning round the world so that the abnormal, uncivil or savage paths appear – if momentarily – to make sense’ Financial Times
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live
Book tickets here or ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Kimberly Whittam: Quiet Storm
2025-10-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Author Kimberly shares her journey writing Quiet Storm and how she found her voice. A powerful event about confidence, friendship and being yourself. For Year 7 students.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Free – book tickets by emailing miriam@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival presents Elizabeth Day
2025-10-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
‘One of Us is intelligent, darkly humorous and brilliantly written. It is a story for our time.’ Stanley Tucci
Join award-winning author and broadcaster Elizabeth Day as she discusses her gripping new novel, One of Us. Set against a backdrop of politics and scandal, One of Us follows Martin, once the best friend of rising political star Ben Fitzmaurice, as he’s drawn back into the inner circle. As their stories intertwine, a family – and a nation – unravels under the weight of its secrets.
‘Funny, sharp, sophisticated, this is Elizabeth Day’s writing at its finest.’ Dolly Alderton
Elizabeth Day is an award-winning writer whose novels include The Party, Scissors, Paper, Stone and the Sunday Times bestseller Magpie. Her non-fiction books include How to Fail, Failosophy and Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict. She is also a celebrated
journalist, broadcaster and creator of the chart-topping How to Fail podcast. Each week, she sits down with a guest author, artist or actor to discuss what they have learned from failure.
Sponsored by The Edwardian Manchester.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live
Book tickets here or click on ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Elizabeth Alker
2025-10-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
From Paul McCartney to Pierre Henry, Nils Frahm to John Cage, Radiohead to Polish Sonorism, Donna Summer to Stockhausen via 70s Kosmiche. In her fascinating new book, Everything We Do is Music, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Elizabeth Alker explores how visionary classical composers helped shape the sound of modern pop and rock.
See Elizabeth uncover surprising connections between the genres, bringing a fresh and innovative perspective to music history and some of the songs that have inspired generations of musicians, producers and listeners. Hear about her exclusive interviews with iconic figures Sir Paul McCartney, Steve Reich, Jonny Greenwood and Soweto Kinch, as she reveals a rich, genre-blurring tapestry of influence and innovation.
Hosted by BBC6 Music broadcaster and DJ Deb Grant.
‘Revelation after revelation. Passionate and absolutely fascinating. I love music more for reading it.’ – Guy Garvey
Elizabeth Alker is a presenter for BBC Radio 3, where she hosts Unclassified and the afternoon show, Classical Live. She grew up learning the clarinet, recorder and piano, and curates and hosts a series of cross-genre concerts at the Southbank Centre with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Alice Vincent
2025-10-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Enjoy an evening with acclaimed writer and podcaster Alice Vincent as she discusses her new book Hark: How Women Listen – an intimate, lyrical exploration of what women listen to, what their worlds sound like, and how it feels to be expected to listen in a world of noise made by men.
Alice returns to her roots as a music journalist to examine the role of sound in women’s lives, from the overwhelming noise of motherhood to the quiet power of nature. Prompted by the birth of her child and the sensory overload of modern life, Hark traces her journey to rediscover listening as a restorative, grounding force. Alice invites us to hear more deeply, from nightingales to phantom cries, and to consider sound as a way of reclaiming presence, identity, and connection.
“I loved this exploration of the way sound lands in female bodies. Alice Vincent is on song” – Katherine May
Longlisted twice for the Wainwright Prize, Alice Vincent is a bestselling author, Guardian columnist, and host of the Why Women Grow podcast. Her books include Rootbound: Rewilding a Life and Why Women Grow. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

South Manchester Camera Club Exhibition
2025-10-13 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | First Floor
South Manchester Camera Club 2025 Exhibition of Members’ Images.
SMCC welcomes everyone to visit Manchester Central library to view a wide selection of members’ images. Pictures have been captured across a wide section of our members representing their individual skill, technique and style. SMCC is an active, friendly and progressive photography club offering a wide range of speakers, outings and events.
The Club was formed in June 1952 by a group of friends in Didsbury, led by Fred Veal FRPS, FRSA, the Club’s first President. The aim of the Club was to encourage “good friendship through photography” which is now the Club’s motto. The club has a mentoring scheme for Club members by setting up small interest groups. These groups are each led by a couple of experienced leaders and cover Landscape, People, Urban/Street, Macro Photography, Astro Photography and a Basic Skills group.
Each group arranges its own practical outings and review sessions, where images are shared within the groups and constructive and supportive critique is given to help members improve their photography. Members can join as many groups as they want and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
For more information, please contact www.smcc.org.uk
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

Manchester Literature Festival presents Stories From Sweden: Lisa Ridzén & Agnes Lidbeck
2025-10-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Explore the work of two of Sweden’s most acclaimed contemporary writers, Lisa Ridzén and Agnes Lidbeck, as they discuss their powerful debut novels and the shared themes of care, memory and emotional resilience.
In When the Cranes Fly South (translated by Alice Menzies), international bestseller and Swedish Book of the Year winner Lisa Ridzén offers a moving and quietly devastating portrait of ageing and autonomy. As Bo faces the end of his life, the looming loss of his dog and fractured relationship with his son trigger a tender reflection on love, regret, and fatherhood.
“The kind of book you give to someone when you’re really trying to say, “I’ve been thinking about you” but don’t know how.” – Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove
In Supporting Act (translated by Nichola Smalley), Agnes Lidbeck explores female identity with razor-sharp precision. As Anna devotes herself to motherhood and caregiving, she loses sight of her own desires – until an affair challenges the roles she’s accepted and forces her to confront her true self. Agnes Lidbeck is one of Sweden’s most prominent and versatile contemporary writers.
Supported by the Swedish Arts Council in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden, UK, as part of the Stories From Sweden programme. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Jennie Godfrey & Andrev Walden
2025-10-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
MLF are sorry to announce that due to unavoidable personal reasons Jennie Godfrey is now unable to take part in this event. The event will however still be going ahead with Andrev Walden in conversation with Naomi Frisby.
See debut authors Jennie Godfrey and Andrev Walden discuss their brilliant, best-selling novels, The List of Suspicious Things and Bloody Awful in Different Ways, at this intimate event. From 1980s Yorkshire to 1980s Sweden, both novels offer rich portraits of communities seen through the eyes of unforgettable young narrators, navigating secrets, shifting relationships and growing up in a changing world.
A Sunday Times bestseller, Jennie Godfrey’s The List of Suspicious Things follows 12-year-old Miv and her best friend Sharon as they investigate a string of disappearances in their Yorkshire neighbourhood.
Andrev Walden’s vivid and tender coming-of-age story, Bloody Awful in Different Ways (translated by Ian Giles), follows young Andrev as he grows up surrounded by a rotating cast of ‘fathers’ – seven in seven years. His debut novel was winner of the prestigious August Prize and a runaway bestseller in Sweden. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by the Swedish Arts Council, the Embassy of Sweden, UK and Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Sarah Hall & Daisy Johnson
2025-10-11 15:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Join us for a captivating afternoon with two of Britain’s most original literary talents, Sarah Hall and Daisy Johnson, as they discuss their haunting new books exploring nature, myth, folklore and the female body.
In Helm, Sarah Hall (twice Booker Prize–nominated, winner of the BBC National Short Story Award) conjures a ferocious wind in the Eden Valley into a living, ancient force -worshipped, feared, and now under threat from human interference. It’s a story of obsession, ecology, and our enduring connection to the natural world.
In The Hotel, Daisy Johnson (Booker-shortlisted author of Everything Under) invites us into a gothic, mysterious building in the Fens, built on cursed land and steeped in strange power. Women enter and emerge changed — or never leave at all.
Together, these two acclaimed writers explore the elemental forces that shape both landscape and self.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. Supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below.

Hallé Ancoats Community Choir
2025-10-11 12:00 - 13:30
The Hallé Ancoats Community Choir was founded in 2014 to bring the joy of communal singing into the heart of Ancoats. Led by inspiring choral conductor Stuart Overington, the Community Choir sings regularly across city centre locations and has performed at numerous special events including: ‘With One Voice’ Manchester Arena commemoration; the ‘Somme 100’ event at Heaton Park; and at the Manchester Classical festival in June this year.
Schedule:
12.00-12.20: 1st Performance in the Henry Watson Music Library (first floor)
12.20-12:45: Break
12:50- 13:10: 2nd Performance in Shakespeare Hall (ground floor)
Free – drop in
Please consider making a donation to support our cultural programme if you can, either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Manchester Literature Festival presents Simon Armitage
2025-10-11 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Poet Laureate and Festival favourite Simon Armitage returns to Manchester Literature Festival to read from his two new collections, Dwell and New Cemetery.
In Dwell, inspired by the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, Armitage brings to life the fragile homes of animals and insects, blurring the lines between human and creature, nature and artifice. Rich with riddle, folklore and environmental insight, the poems are a vibrant celebration of life’s ingenuity, beautifully complemented by illustrations from Beth Munro.
New Cemetery, written during lockdown walks near his West Yorkshire home, is a lyrical and often wry reflection on mortality, loss and landscape, beginning with the transformation of a local beauty spot into a graveyard and reflecting the changing world.
Born in West Yorkshire, Simon is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds, a celebrated translator, novelist, playwright, and recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. His collections include Seeing Stars, The Unaccompanied and Magnetic Field.
Don’t miss this chance to hear one of Britain’s most beloved poets live. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Let’s Talk Money – Exclusive Book Launch and Talk
2025-10-07 17:45 - 19:30 | Performance Space
As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we’re proud to welcome Tynan Matembe. This award-winning money coach, global speaker and passionate advocate for financial inclusion will be launching her new book, Conquer Your Financial Giants: Proven Steps to Master Your Money and Build Wealth.
Free – booking advised via Eventbrite

Cultural Welcome Week - 6-12 October
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-13 | Ground Floor
Calling all students!
Manchester Central Library is getting involved with the Oxford Road Corridor’s #CulturalWelcomeWeek.
With events in venues up and down Oxford Road 6-12 October, at Central Library we’re inviting new students to the city to come and join us for a host of FREE activities…
Share your passions for Manga and Anime, Chess, Board Games, Crochet, and Music, at our Central Library Clubs – open to all.
Practice your English and meet new mates at our Conversation Club (ESOL).
Or get a sneak peak behind the scenes of one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings with special guided tours for students throughout the week.
Please come and say hello to Central Library and make it your new home from home!
Welcome to Manchester!
The full itinerary can be found below:

Full Volume Episode 9 ft. Kate Mosse, Jackie Kay, & MLF25
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-31 | Online
Full Volume returns for something of a Manchester Literature Festival Special this October.
With the festival now marking its 20th Anniversary, host Alan Lynch chats to the acclaimed author Kate Mosse about her two upcoming appearances at Central Library this month, and gets the scoop on her latest book ‘Feminist History for Every Day of the Year’.
There’s also a candid interview with MLF Co-Director Cathy Bolton, who shares her personal highlights from the last 20 years of the festival, while offering her top tips for the 2025 edition that’s due to take over multiple venues across the city between 11-26th October.
Elsewhere, Gary Parkinson heads down to Chorlton Library to sit down with former MLF star and esteemed Scottish poet, playwright and novelist Jackie Kay. Listen out for a reading of her classic poem ‘George Square’.
In honour of National Coming Out Day 2025 on 11th October, some of the Manchester Libraries staff share their own experiences of coming out, featuring a range of stories that are sincere, warm hearted, and humorous.
Plus, there’s plenty of What’s On Tips for the month ahead, and top preview picks to help you navigate the wealth of events on at the Manchester Literature Festival.
Tune-in and turn it up!
Stream it on all major services here:
https://push.fm/fl/actjsf7o-80012-96971-32630-87408-90983

Fun Palaces
2025-10-04 13:00 - 15:00
Join us for this free family event where people come together to share their skills, passions and interests! Meet a professional beekeeper, get involved with some ABBA-themed crafts, and much more! Visit www.librarylive.co.uk for more info.
Free entry – just drop in.

ABBA: Over 50's Party!
2025-10-04 13:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.
IT’S THE ABBA OVER 50’S PARTY!
Take a chance on a super trouper afternoon at Central Library. Two hours of Abba classics to celebrate Older People’s Day!

Featuring the fab solo Abba tribute artist ‘One of Us’!
Mama Mia * Money Money Money * Fernando * Super Trouper * SOS * One of Us * * Take a Chance * Lay Your Love On Me * Gimme Gimme * Thank You For The Music * Dancing Queen * Does Your Mother Know * Voulez-Vous * Chiquitita *
All over 50’s and family and friends welcome. Tables seat 8 people so larger groups may not be seated together.
As an extra treat, we’ll be offering free hot drinks and cake at the interval. You can also get a discount on a range of food and drinks at the Central Library Cafe.

Names, Traditions and Meanings Exhibition Launch
2025-10-02 15:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Come and join Amani Creatives CIC at the launch of The National Heritage Lottery funded FUMBO Exhibition and event to explore the heritage of naming traditions of African communities in North West England. Enjoy free music, dance and drumming workshops, face painting and African cuisine. Exhibition runs 2-31 October 2025 near the café area, ground floor.
More info: Amani Creatives | African Arts [amanicreatives.wordpress.com]
Free drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Macdara Yeates and Jennifer Reid
2025-10-01 08:00 - 17:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Join us for a special performance featuring Macdara Yeates and Jennifer Reid trading ballads and broadsides on related topics to illustrate the shared cultures of Dublin and Manchester and the song traditions that would have been active in the two cities in the industrial revolution.
Macdara Yeates is an Irish folk singer. Born and raised in Dublin, Yeates is one of a crop of artists associated with the recent resurgence of young folk talent in the Irish capital, alongside acts such as Lankum, Ye Vagabonds, and Landless. In 2012, Macdara became a founding member of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, a monthly Dublin folk gathering, counting such luminaries as Lisa O’Neill, Ian Lynch and Radie Peat (Lankum) among its earliest attendees. Following the release of Traditional Singing from Dublin, Macdara was nominated for two RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards, including a nomination for ‘Best Folk Singer’ alongside Ríognach Connolly, Cathy Joran and Christy Moore.
‘Macdara Yeates is a mighty chanter‘ – Christy Moore
Jennifer Reid is a performer of nineteenth century Lancashire dialect and Victorian broadside ballads. Folk music has lost its way, and people have lost track of their geographical heritage. The working classes made music as a provocation and this is a tradition Jennifer continues.

“Lancashire dialect and Victorian Broadside ballad singer Jennifer Reid is brutally honest, powerful and authentic. Reid deserves our attention and embodies the gritty, honest truth of folk music. Reid reminds us that the streets, pubs and alleyways is where folk lives and not behind the glass of the studio.” – Folkmylife.co.uk

Jennifer plays the character of Barb in Shane Meadows’ period drama The Gallows Pole. She has supported Pulp, John Cooper Clarke, for Chanel’s prestigious Metiers d’Art show, and is in the second year of touring with Eliza Carthy. In April 2025, she toured Aotearoa’s north island to critical acclaim and rave reviews.

‘She is singing our belonging to our land, history, ancestry, with streetwise modernity’ – Casey Orr
Free – drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library
