Library Live

Writing About Palestine Now: Celebrating the 2018 Palestinian Book Awards
2018-11-29 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | Performance Space
The Palestine Book Awards began in 2012 to honour every year the best new books in English about any aspect of Palestine. This award brings Palestinian literature, research and poetry to audiences across continents, and gives a platform for writers to be more widely known and appreciated.
Activist-writer Haifa Zangana and international journalist Victoria Brittain are celebrating the 2018 Palestine Book Awards hosted by MEMO for the first time in Manchester.
In conversation with PalREAD Postdoctoral Researcher Ruth Abou Rached, Haifa and Victoria offer a dynamic panel discussion about Palestinian writing as well as who is writing about Palestine and Palestinians in 2018.
As a conversation panel that invites audience interaction, this event is a unique opportunity to reflect on – and debate – what writing about Palestine means now, locally and globally.

Gerry Potter: Manchester Isn’t the Greatest City in the World: The Rise and Rise of The Bourgeois Zeitgeist
2018-11-28 18:30 - 20:00
Gerry Potter presents: Manchester Isn’t the Greatest City in the World: The Rise and Rise of The Bourgeois Zeitgeist. With special guest Dave Viney
Part love letter to his adopted home city of Manchester, part critique of the arts and governing bodies (both specific and societal), Gerry’s eighth collection of autobiographical, domestic/fantastic theatre-verse is a socio-political, hard-hittin’ ‘n’ thought-provokin’ collection of poetry, prose and plays.
Adhering to working-class and socialist principles, this polemic discourse on the The Bourgeois Zeitgeist challenges perceptions, misrepresentations and acceptance, and acts as a rallying call for those seeking to confront privilege and injustice.
Features 90 poems, 2 plays, a 20,000 word treatise on ‘The Bourgeois Zeitgeist’ and an 8,000 word ‘Outroduction’.
Contains adult themes throughout / LGBTQ+.
“It really is incredibly easy to get an audience to applaud anything these days, TED Talks and The X Factor have seen to that, you kinda just have to tell them something Positivia-inspired dripping in Inspirationalism and they’ll unanimously roar. There seems to be a major-city patriotic jingoism manifesting too, not just here in Manchester, everywhere; it now appears all cities are the greatest cities in the world. While this may be more than enough for some folk, I’m afraid it’s nowhere near enough for me.” – from ‘The Bourgeois Zeitgeist’
Definitely no Inspirationalism and absolutely no Positivia!
Monday 8th September 2018, on the News… The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has recorded 449 deaths due to homelessness in Britain – in one year. How many mentally and physically ill, how many right now facing homelessness, how many dead since last recorded, how many more will die?
Reason, if reason was ever needed, why no place in our greed ‘n’ perilous land can call itself the greatest city in the world.
And also on the News… A clip of Theresa May at the previous week’s Tory Party Conference, standing in front of a big blue backdrop, emboldened with white lettering proclaiming OPPORTUNITY!
This book is dedicated to every one of the above and all who suffer under Conservative Austerity.
Gerry Potter is a poet, playwright, director, actor, and both creator and destroyer of the infamous gingham diva, Chloe Poems. His published works are included in both the poetry and philosophy collections at Harvard University, and the portrait documentary My Name is Gerry Potter premiered at Homotopia in 2015. An Everyman Youth Theatre alumnus, National Museums Liverpool lists him amongst the city’s leading LGBTQ+ icons.

Manchester Print Fair: Winter Fair
2018-11-24 10:30 - 16:15 | Performance Space
Join Manchester Print Fair for a day of shopping from local independent makers, fun and festive workshops for all the family, curated by partners G.F SMITH papers, and sit for 3 Minute Portraits from Fred Aldous!

Connected Cities
2018-11-23 08:00 - 2019-01-12 17:00 | Lower Ground Floor Exhibition Space
An exhibition from The Architecture School for Children (TASC), celebrating the Connected Cities project, which focused on the heritage of transport and engineering in Manchester over the last 200 years, exploring how these emerging technologies made Manchester a global city, connecting cities worldwide.
TASC worked with 150 children from five Manchester Primary Schools. The children explored artefacts and archives at the Manchester Science and Industry Museum, the People’s History Museum, and Manchester Central Library.
Project Partners: Heritage Schools England, Manchester Central Library, Manchester Science and Industry Museum, The Peoples History Museum

Manchester Muslim Poets Bonanza
2018-11-22 19:30 - 21:00
For an evening like no other – celebrating Muslim heritage, join hosts Dr Emily Spiers and Zahid Hussain for the MACFEST Muslim Writers Bonanza. Showcasing local writers of Pakistani, Turkish, Arab, Somali, Bengali and Iranian background.
Writers include:
Dr Husam Haj Omar
Numan Azmi
Asma Elbadawi
Waqas Ali

Behind The Scenes at Manchester Central Library
2018-11-22 18:00 - 19:30
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 you would 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.
Places are strictly limited so please book early

Faustus: Cotton Famine Poems
2018-11-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Performance Space
Join us for a celebration of the poetry of the Lancashire Cotton Famine (1861-65), featuring an exclusive performance by the traditional folk band Faustus, who have set several of the poems to music. The Lancashire Cotton Famine is a fascinating period in British history; largely caused by the Union blockade of Confederacy slave-grown cotton exports during the American Civil War, it led to mass unemployment across Lancashire. Despite their hardship, many labourers drew inspiration from their situation, to pen moving and satirical poems. This previously-neglected body of poems has recently been collected from local Victorian newspapers in the Lancashire and Manchester area, through a major research project led by Dr Simon Rennie (University of Exeter). Faustus are a highly-respected ensemble, made up of three of the leading lights of their generation: Benji Kirkpatrick (Seth Lakeman Band, Bellowhead), Saul Rose (Waterson:Carthy, Whapweasel) and Paul Sartin (Bellowhead, Belshazzar’s Feast).

Finding the Poetry of the Cotton Famine: Workshop
2018-11-21 15:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
This fascinating interactive workshop, led by researchers on the AHRC-funded Poetry of the Lancashire Cotton Famine project, will guide participants through the newly-established database of the poetry, and provide context to this significant part of the region’s history. Cotton Famine poetry represents several hundred individual texts, and it was written largely by ordinary Mancunians and Lancastrians, and published in local newspapers. These poems reacted to the extreme poverty caused by the mass-closing of cotton mills in the region when the Union blockaded Confederacy cotton exports during the American Civil War (1861-65). The poetry, in standard English and dialect, is by turns moving, angry, and funny, and ranges through themes such as slavery, politics, war, homelessness, poverty, and charity. Come and find out what ordinary people thought about these global events, and why there is a statue of Abraham Lincoln in the centre of Manchester!

Exploring Our Roots
2018-11-20 17:30 - 19:30
Celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Manchester’s diverse Muslim communities revealed in the archive collections of the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre.
Speakers:
Jennie Vickers, Hannah Niblett, Laura Briggs
Tickets for this event are free and can be booked below, but if you are able to, please make a voluntary donation to show your support for MACFest.

Saturday Spectacular: World War One Remembered
2018-11-17 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
An afternoon for all with a talk on Manchester Hill, a chance to handle original World War One archives with Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society, find out about the family history DNA project and arts and crafts for families.
Free – please drop in

Manchester Retold: A City's Journey Through History
2018-11-15 17:00 - 19:15 | Performance Space
From Peterloo to World War Two, discover Manchester’s pivotal moments in history. Join the History Press, with Michael Billington as MC, for a special evening of readings and book signings with local authors including Graham Phythian, Joanna M. Williams, Michala Hulme, Sheila Brady, Andrew Simpson.

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver
2018-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Performance Space
THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
‘We’re living through a scary historical moment when the most basic agreements about who we are as citizens, and how we’ll succeed in the world, are suddenly unravelling.’ Acclaimed American author of 15 books, Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel, Unsheltered, uses the lens of the past to view where this unravelling might lead us. In 1871, Thatcher Greenwood attempts to teach Darwin’s theories to an unreceptive audience. In 2016, Willa Knox is braced against an upended world that seems to hold no mercy for her shattered life. Barbara again explores the themes of inheritance, ecology and social change, so brilliantly displayed in her previous novels The Poisonwood Bible and The Lacuna. She will be in conversation with author and MLF Patron Erica Wagner. Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing.
This event will be BSL interpreted

Sefton Samuels: Musical Portraits
2018-11-08 17:30 - 19:30 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Sefton Samuels is one of Britain’s most iconic photographers. Join him for a very special signing session of his classical and jazz books, and an opportunity to view some of his incredible work held as part of the Library’s Documentary Photography Archive (DPA).
Free – please drop in

Little Chatterboxes
2018-11-08 10:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Little Chatterboxes is brought to you by the Child Study Centre at the University of Manchester. Join them at Manchester Central Library to discover the science behind how children learn to communicate with language. Take part in fun, hands-on activities all linked to how children learn to talk. Have a go on an eye tracker, find out how children learn new words and why they sometimes make funny mistakes along the way. There will be activities for the whole family! All part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science.
Also come along to Story Time at this event. The brilliant Emily from Peoplescape theatre will share the story of The Crown Shop. There will be puppets, music, crafts and lots of fun along the way. Suitable for children aged 0-4 and their adults. Story TIme at 11.00am, 12.30pm and 2.00pm
Booking is required for the Story Time sessions

Sjón
2018-11-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Performance Space
Is there a Nordic identity exemplified in the literature produced by writers from the eight lands? While co-editing the short story anthology, The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories from the North, Icelandic writer Sjón realised that the regions have deep common routes that are consistently – and collectively – nurtured and fed. Come and hear Sjón and his co-editor Ted Hodgkinson discuss the commonalities used by writers creating both naturalist and magical tales. The author of four previous novels including Moonstone and The Whispering Muse, Sjón will also read and discuss his latest work translated into English. A three-part novel – a love story, a crime story, a science-fiction story – CoDex 1962 is arguably Sjón’s masterpiece.

Wilfred Owen and the Manchester Regiment 1918-2018
2018-11-03 14:00 - 16:30 | Performance Space
An event commemorating Owen’s life, poetry and service with the Manchester Regiment

Code Club - every Thursday in term time
2018-10-31 17:00 - 2018-12-12 18:00 | Media Lounge
Have you ever wanted to know more about making games, animations or websites – then come along to Code Club. All the projects at the club are easy to follow and use step-by-step guides to help you to learn gradually.
Ages 9 – 13
Thursdays, 5-6pm, term time only

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
2018-10-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join two New York Times bestselling authors at this exclusive event when they will be talking about their long awaited collaborative book, What If It’s Us – a stunning new novel about two boys who can’t decide if the universe is pushing them together or pulling them apart. The event will be chaired by Youtube book blogger, Lucy Richardson (AKA: The Book Belle).
Becky Albertalli is the author of the highly acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love Simon), The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. Becky is a Former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens.
Adam Silvera has worked in the publishing industry as a bookseller, marketing assistant and book reviewer. His novels include More Happy Than Not, History is All You Left Me and They Both Die At The End.
All authors will be signing books after the event.
Tickets: £14.00, includes entry and a copy of What If It’s Us plus an exclusive poster
or £6 general admission. Subject to booking fees.
Terms & conditions:
Anyone under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult. Due to limited seating allocation at this venue accompanying adults would need to require a ticket to this event.
Each ticket entitles the ticket holder to one seat at this event and then one place in line to have books signed by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
If you purchase a ticket including the book, you will receive the book at the venue
Along with the book purchased with the ticket one additional copy of both Becky and Adam’s books are permitted to be brought from home or purchased on the day to be signed. Each author will sign two books per ticket holder.
Due to the anticipated high turnout of the event, dedications within the books are only guaranteed for one copy of What if It’s Us per ticket holder.
There will be the opportunity to have a photo taken with Becky and Adam – this will be assisted due to time constraints and there will be strictly no selfies.
Staff will be on hand to take your camera/phone to get a photo of you with Becky and Adam whilst they sign your books. There will not be an official photographer present at the event.
Due to time limitations there will only be one photo with Becky and Adam per ticket holder.
If you have any questions please contact events@waterstones.com

Family Halloween Party
2018-10-27 19:00 - 2018-10-28 00:00
Dare you spend a spooky evening inside Central Library? We are opening our doors for a very special Halloween Party!
We’ve heard rumours that Dracula and his Bride will be wandering the corridors preparing for their Fiendish Feast!
After the Fiendish Feast why not do the ‘Monster Mash’ with Frankenstein’s Monster and Mr Pumpkin Head at our creepy Silent Disco. If you fancy a break from dancing you can snuggle down and watch a spooky film or get crafty with creepy activities.
This event is aimed at children aged 7-11 years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are £2.99 per child. Free entry for adult’s accompanying children.
FANCY DRESS ENCOURAGED!

Ibn Al-Haytham: Mysteries of How We See
2018-10-27 11:00 - 17:00, 2018-10-26 11:00 - 20:00, 2018-10-23 11:00 - 2018-10-24 20:00 | Performance Space
Celebrate Manchester Science Festival and join 1001 Inventions to discover the world of 11th century Arabian scientist, Ibn Al-Haytham. Watch legendary actor Omar Sharif in an exciting short film, explore how we see with a camera obscura and engage in fun demonstrations of light, optics and vision.
Suitable for ages 7+
Free family event – just drop in

Junior Jam: Rock 'n' Roll Ukuleles
2018-10-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Children’s Library
Free jam-packed music session for children aged 4-8. Help your little ones develop their musical skills in a fun, friendly and accessible way. Presented by creative music charity Brighter Sound and led by Kabantu – a quintet of award-winning musicians and music educators, known for their infectious rhythms and beautiful melodies from around the globe.
Become a ukulele rock star! Strike a power chord and play along to songs from the super-cool sixties with Ben and Ali.
Two 50-minute sessions at 10am and 11am
For more information contact info@brightersound.com or phone 0161 830 3899
Supported by Youth Music as part of the Alliance for a Musically Inclusive England. The project is made possible by funding from the National Lottery via Arts Council England.
Free – booking required

Ghana and its Contemporary Global Relations with Professor Adams Bodomo
2018-10-25 17:30 - 19:30 | Performance Space
In this evening session Professor Adams Bodomo, Head of African Studies at the University of Vienna, discusses Ghana’s contemporary position in global politics and international relations. Starting with a brief history of Ghana since its establishment as a new nation in 1957, Professor Bodomo will outline the country’s socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural context before focusing on the Ghana’s contemporary global relations. He will consider government-to-government relations with world bodies and regions, such as Europe and the West, China and Asia, and the Caribbean islands nations, as well as people-to-people relations across the many diasporic populations in major cities like London and Manchester.
Prof. Dr. Adams Bodomo, a native of Ghana, is professor of African studies at the University of Vienna, Austria. He is the author of over 10 books and over a 100 journal articles and book chapters. Two of his most recent book publications are Africans in China (Cambria Press, 2012) and The Globalization of Foreign Investment in Africa: The Role of Europe, China and India (Emerald Publishing, 2017). The research presented in this talk is part of the speaker’s next book project titled ‘Africa and its Global Relations’.

Sound & Vision
2018-10-25 10:30 - 15:30 | Performance Space
Though funding has increased for BAME heritage projects, their visibility in the UK’s museums and archives has not. This free event will explore the value of preserving memories for future generations and help you to develop some of the basic skills required. We hope you will leave this event feeling empowered to play your part.
‘Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them’ Madam C J Walker, African American philanthropist, entrepreneur and social activist
This is a free event but booking is required

Science@Central
2018-10-23 11:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Drop in to Central Library for the day and experience the thrill of science. From doodle pens to getting hands on some of our amazing treasures there will be so much to do.
Free family event – just drop in

Fascinating tales from great manuscripts
2018-10-22 19:00 - 20:30
A live screening from the British Library. Second Floor Seminar Suite – Central Library.
Fascinating tales from great manuscripts
Introducing the British Library’s exhibition Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War, historian and broadcaster Michael Wood tells 10 fascinating tales from our greatest manuscripts: Augustine of Canterbury and the coming of Christianity; Theodore of Tarsus, Hadrian of Libya and the Greek and African contributions to the roots of English culture; Bede and the golden age of Northumbria; Alcuin and Europe’s first Renaissance, Alfred and the Vikings, Athelstan’s visionary kingdom of all the English; Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy; and William the Conqueror, the Norman Conquest and Domesday Book.
Hear stories of men and women, kings and peasants: the beginnings of English literature poetry and art, and the origins of England.
Historian and filmmaker Michael Wood is the author of well over 100 documentaries including the recent Story of China, and The Story of England, set in Kibworth in the East Midlands, ‘the most innovative history series ever on TV’ (Independent). Michael has a special interest in Anglo-Saxon history, and in addition to his number one best selling books, In Search of the Dark Ages and Domesday, has written many academic articles on the period entering on King Athelstan and the creation of England. He recently received the British Academy President’s Medal for outreach in History.
Presented in memory of Naseeb Shaheen
Tickets are free, but limited. Please book at the link below.

Generation Revolution
2018-10-22 17:30 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Join us for a screening of Generation Revolution, a feature-length documentary film that tells the powerful story of London’s new generation of black and brown activists who are set on changing the social and political landscape in the capital and beyond. The film vividly chronicles the evolution of characters as they experience personal and political awakenings, breakthroughs and, at times, disillusionment. Generation Revolution offers a unique and original glimpse into the rewarding but difficult path that must be trodden in the struggle for personal, social and political liberation.
Generation Revolution is being used as a platform to facilitate discussions about the issues that affect young black and brown communities both in the UK. The screening will be followed by an opportunity to discuss the many issues approached in the film, such as the crises of homelessness, gentrification and racism. This screening is taking place in partnership between the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and the Department of History at the University of Manchester.

A Celebration of Ted Hughes
2018-10-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Performance Space
Frequently ranked as one of the Twentieth Century’s greatest writers, Yorkshire poet Ted Hughes produced a significant body of work, including original poetry and translations. His early poems were rooted in nature, detailing the beauty and violence of the landscape and its animals (The Hawk in the Rain), while later pieces often used or reworked mythology, examining the dark subconscious (Crow). His final collection, Birthday Letters, looked at his relationship with his fellow poet Sylvia Plath. To mark the 20th anniversary of Hughes’s death, we have invited a number of contemporary poets, including Amanda Dalton (Stray, How to Disappear), Zaffar Kunial (Us), Carola Luther (Walking the Animals), Andrew McMillan (Physical) and John McAuliffe (The Way In) to perform some of their favourite poems by the late laureate.

EU Code Week: Robot Chef!
2018-10-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Come and join us for a very special EU Code Week event! Fresh from their sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run, tech comedy duo Foxdog Studios bring their critically-acclaimed Robot Chef to Manchester Central Library, especially tailored for a junior audience, but adults are more than welcome too!
Join rock ‘n’ roll IT consultants Pete and Lloyd as they celebrate the end of their IT contract in Stoke-on-Trent. Expect more baffling technology, music, and, of course, an augmented reality, audience-controlled robot chef.
This a free event but we expect it to be very busy so arrive early!
