THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT Simon Armitage presents a new collection of poems, Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic. Book launch followed by book signing. Celebrated as ‘the most popular and prolific British poet of his generation’ (The Times) and ‘the first poet of serious artistic intent since Philip Larkin to have achieved popularity’ (Sean O’Brien), […]
Join us for a wonderful, unique event showcasing best-selling authors Lindsey Kelk, Paige Toon and Louise Pentland in a discussion of their dazzling new fiction. Lindsey Kelk is an author, journalist and former UK children's book editor and columnist for Marie Claire. Her previous books have sold over one million copies worldwide. Famed for her […]
Students from The Manchester College’s UAL Diploma in Foundation Studies Art and Design were given random Dewey numbers (the most widely used method for classifying books in libraries) from Central Library’s collection. Their brief was to use the book as a starting point to develop a body of research, work and outcomes in response to […]
Whose knowledge matters when we represent the city? Who decides what land to protect or destroy, whose heritage to celebrate, whose stories to tell and who gets ‘seen’ in the visual and spatial record of the city? This exhibition presents a series of counter-maps to explore different histories and residents’ knowledge from across Greater Manchester. […]
An exhibition sharing the story of the German Revolution 1918 and reclaiming the voices of the female revolutionaries who have, until now, been hidden from the official narrative. In November 1918, Germany erupted with a revolution which led to the establishment of the first democracy on German soil, the end of oppressive censorship, and the […]
Hidden’ is an ongoing series of photographic tableaux by internationally acclaimed Artist and a Founder of ‘Rock Against Racism’, Red Saunders The Hidden Project shines photographic light on great moments in the long struggle of working people for democracy and social justice. The aim of the project, through reimagining those events, is to reproduce important […]
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 […]
Join us for relaxed screenings of the Peterloo Film every month from June – August. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper. Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Peterloo is an epic portrayal of the events surrounding the 1819 […]
Celebrate the centenary of the first transatlantic flight with a special North West Film Archive screening of The First Across, a documentary produced in 1969 by the BBC which reconstructed the flight, and a special selection of film extracts documenting early flight in Greater Manchester.
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.
From dedicated performance spaces to stairwells, screens, nooks and domes, Central Library might directly inspire your next event or intervention. Contact us to arrange a tour.
