Library Live

Christmas Extravaganza
2019-12-14 10:00 - 16:30 UTC
Get your festive season underway with our annual family extravaganza. Listen to a fantastic line-up of local choirs and bands and enjoy a mince pie with us. Create your own Christmas crafts. Enjoy a special festive ‘Story-time with Dad’. There will be performances and activities galore and Father Christmas will be here!
Free – please drop in

Scrooged – Christmas Film
2019-12-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Join us for the Grimmfest annual Christmas movie gathering. This year’s choice is an eighties classic, which pays off-kilter homage to tradition – Richard Donner’s cult classic, Scrooged. It sees Dickens’ tale of miserliness and redemption relocated to 80s New York, and Ebeneezer Scrooge magnificently re-imagined in the form of Bill Murray’s hard-nosed TV executive, Frank Cross.
With a suitably scabrous and cynical screenplay by notorious Saturday Night Live and National Lampoon scribe, Michael Donoghue and Dickens buff, Mitch Glazer, who would later go on to adapt Great Expectations for Alfonso Cuaron, and boasting an all-star cast of cult luminaries, including Robert Mitchum, Carol Kane, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Michael J. Pollard, John Glover, and New York Dolls frontman David Johansen, it’s a brash and black-hearted take on a heart-warming tale.
Pick up a free mince pie on arrival, and make sure you check out the Grimmfest stall, for discounted stocking fillers including DVDs, movie posters and t-shirts – fantastic gifts for the horror movie fan in your life!
Doors open: 5.30pm
Certificate PG

Addison Act 100: Exhibition Launch
2019-12-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
In 1919 the ‘Addison Act’ was passed by Parliament. This Housing Act helped local authorities to build social housing after World War One and guided policy for the country’s housing sector for most of the 20th century. Join us for the launch of this exhibition exploring its impact on Manchester.
Free – please drop in

Christmas Games Night with Angel Delight!
2019-12-19 20:00 - 22:30 | Performance Space
The tinseltastic drag queen Angel Delight returns to Central Library for a fabulously festive party!
Including…

Family Fortunes
Play Your Cards Right
Name that Tune Bingo
Christmas cabaret and singalong

…and many more Christmas party games!
Tickets are limited. Bar open all evening. 18+

Some of the quizzes will be through your smartphone. Just one member from each team needs to download the speedquizzing app to their phone.
It only takes a couple of minutes, so can be done on the night of the quiz.

Greek Gods: Animate it
2020-01-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Join us for animated fun! Discover stories, myths and characters inspired by the Ancient Greeks. Make an animated scene to tell the stories to your friends, in your own distinct way!
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Manchester's Lost District
2020-01-06 08:00 - 2020-02-29 17:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
A exhibition of many previously unseen photographs of the area now covered by the Manchester Arndale. They include the pubs, clubs, chapels and many shops and businesses swept away to build the shopping centre. From the book ‘Manchester’s Lost District’ by Keith Warrender.
Free – please drop in

An Evening with Tom Kerridge
2020-01-10 19:00 - 21:00
Start the new year in great shape and join us for an evening with Michelin-starred chef, bestselling author and BBC presenter Tom Kerridge as we celebrate the launch of his latest cookbook LOSE WEIGHT AND GET FIT. Tom will be chatting to Emily Heward (Food, drink and events editor at Manchester Evening News and City Life Manchester) about his life and career and how he managed to get fit and loose weight without compromising in the kitchen. Tom will also be talking about the recent opening of his new restaurant THE BULL AND BEAR in the Stock Exchange Hotel.
Doors 18.30 for a 19.00 start. Tom and Emily will be talking for approx 50 minutes before an audience Q&A and book signing.
About the book:
Following on from the No.1 bestseller Lose Weight for Good, top chef Tom Kerridge shows you how to shed the pounds and kick-start a more active lifestyle with ALL of the maximum-taste, lower-calorie recipes from his upcoming BBC2 TV series.
Having lost more than 12 stone in the last five years, Tom knows from experience how important it is to motivate yourself to start dieting and exercising – and to stay on track.
‘When I first set out to lose weight, I concentrated mainly on what I was eating,’ he says. ‘But now I know that it’s to do with fitness as well: the two working together is the winning formula for getting maximum results and maintaining those results long term. And the number one rule when it comes to eating well on a diet is to keep food interesting! Every recipe in this book not only sustains you through the day, but provides fantastic tastes and textures with each mouthful.’
With light bites and veggie feasts, meal-prep to see you through the week and tasty sweet treats, Tom has got it covered. The focus is on BOLD FLAVOURS and BIG PORTION SIZES, so you’ll never go hungry and you’ll always feel satisfied. Recipes include Quick black dhal; Steak tacos with burnt corn salsa; Charred mackerel and potato salad; Lamb bhuna; blueberry meringue sundaes and many more.
At the back of the book, you’ll find a fantastic bonus chapter with a workout that will help you get started with a healthier lifestyle, no matter where you’re at now. It’s all about taking control of your life in a positive way, so get ready to EAT better, DO more and LOSE WEIGHT with Tom Kerridge!
About the author:
Tom Kerridge worked as a chef in restaurants across Britain before deciding to set out on his own and take over a rundown pub in the quiet Buckinghamshire town of Marlow. He opened The Hand & Flowers with his wife Beth in 2005, and it went on to become the first (and only) pub in the world to acquire two Michelin stars. In 2014 he opened a second pub in Marlow, The Coach, which was followed by The Butcher’s Tap. Most recently, he and his core team launched Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, which is housed in Corinthia London. His previous books include the bestselling Proper Pub Food, Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes, Tom’s Table, Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet, Lose Weight for Good and Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start.

Cabinet of Wonders
2020-01-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Discover wondrous objects from the depth of the library. Be the first to find hidden clues from our new trail and help us complete our new weird and wonderful Cabinet of Wonders. You can also join us for a film screening.
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Manchester Muslim Poets Bonanza
2020-01-21 18:30 - 20:00
An evening like no other – with Elmo Ali, Hafsah Aneela Bashir, Kamal Kaan, Mahboobeh Rajabi, celebrating poetry and showcasing the works of local poets of Pakistani, Bengali, Iranian and Somali backgrounds.
Introduced by Danny Middleton and moderated by Francesca Bradley.

Remembering Biafra: Public History for Community Empowerment
2020-01-25 10:00 - 18:30 | Performance Space
January 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war (1967-1970). The Nigerian civil war invites profound questions on issues like the legacies of British colonialism, the challenges of peaceful ethnic coexistence, mass starvation and humanitarianism, and the influence of foreign powers on African politics. This event brings together academics, film-makers and local communities to explore the contested history and legacies of this controversial and poorly understood page in 20th century history.
Free- please drop in

Sunday Funday: Chinese New Year
2020-01-26 12:00 - 16:00
Join us for a celebration of Chinese arts, crafts and culture on one of our exclusive Sunday openings. We are celebrating the Year of the Rat with musicians, artists and activities for all the family. Soak up the atmosphere with traditional Chinese music, art and dance. Take part in an afternoon packed full of Chinese traditions with the Confucius Institute of Manchester University. Join free drop-in workshops, where you can learn about the Chinese tea ceremony. Be sure to arrive early to see the fantastic lion dance performances from Manchester Chi Mo Martial Art Centre outside the library just before we open at 12pm.
Free drop in event – please donate what you can afford on the day or make an online donation here
Donations received will help to support future cultural events like Sunday Fundays!

Songs of Arrival
2020-01-27 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
As part of Holocaust Memorial Day, Manchester Jewish Museum’s song-writing group will present an initial performance of songs inspired by the moving stories of Jewish Refugees arriving in Cheetham in the 1930s and 1940s. We have been working with baritone singer Peter Brathwaite (originally from Cheetham) Israeli opera composer Na’ama Zisser and community composer and saxophonist Joe Steele for the past 6 months to bring to life the real life stories within our oral history collection, highlighting the experience of those arriving in Cheetham having fled their home countries.
Free – please drop in

Holocaust Brunch: a performance by Tamara Micner
2020-01-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Performance Space
As part of Holocaust Memorial Day, Holocaust Brunch explores what it’s like living in the shadow of genocide and displacement. Darkly funny, moving and provocative, this show asks how we can honour the histories we inherit whilst breaking free from them, and whether the weight of inheritance can be turned into a gift.
Admission fees act as a contribution to the Jewish Museum’s Holocaust Education Programme

Word Central Open Mic Night
2020-02-06 18:00 - 20:00
WORD CENTRAL open mic poetry and spoken word hosted by Tony Curry
February’s special guest poet is Ben Mellor
Ben is writer, performer and facilitator who has worked in theatres, festivals, schools, colleges and prisons nationally and internationally. He has created seven touring theatre shows incorporating spoken word, storytelling, theatre, music, beatbox and vocal looping. As a facilitator and director, Ben has worked with hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds in schools, colleges, universities, theatres, community centres and prisons. He has worked in partnership with venues and organisations such as Apples & Snakes, Contact, The Lowry, The Royal Exchange, Manchester Literature Festival and Shakespeare Schools Festival and has featured on BBC Radio 4, 4 Extra, the World Service and a variety of poetry podcasts. He is a former BBC Radio 4 Slam Champion and winner of the Dike Omeje Slam Poetry Award, and is currently Youth Theatre Director with Collective Encounters. He has two collections published by Flapjack Press, Anthropoetry and Light Made Solid.
You can book your open mic slots from 22nd January via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk
NB Open mic slots are 3 minutes maximum
Performance slots are allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis from the stated booking day – if the open mic slots are already filled you will be offered a space on the reserve list
In association with Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries
www.flapjackpress.co.uk/page40.htm | Facebook: Word Central | Twitter: @WordCentralMcr

Common Salt
2020-02-07 11:30 - 15:30
Common Salt
Sheila Ghelani and Sue Palmer
Common Salt is a performance around a table – a ‘show and tell’. It explores the colonial, geographical history of England and India taking an expansive and emotional time-travel, from the first Enclosure Act and the start of the East India Company in the 1600s, to 21st century narratives of trade, race and culture.
Sue and Sheila activate insights into our shared past, laying out a ‘home museum’ of objects and stories; of the Great Hedge of India, of borders, and collections – all accompanied by original Shruti box laments.
Common Salt is a reckoning; the interconnectedness between history, empire, nature and memory is hidden in plain sight.
“Common Salt … was exquisite … A miniature with epic undertones.”
“Intruiging and mesmerising”
“Like reading a book in 3D real life”
Audience Feedback
Supported using public funds by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Tickets:
We seat up to 25 people around the table for each performance.
13 x full price tickets @ £5
12 x concession tickets @ £2.50 (students, over 60s and those in receipt of benefits)
Performances are at 11.30 – 12.30 and 2.30 – 3.30.
Please contact us if you have any problem booking tickets through ‘Contact the organiser’ and we will help sort it out.
Common Salt lasts for 65 minutes. You are welcome to stay to talk with us after the show.

An Evening with Rosie Garland and Friends
2020-02-07 19:00 - 21:00
Celebrate LGBTQ History Month with the wonderful Rosie Garland and her favourite Manchester based LGBTQ performers, poets and authors!
Novelist, poet and singer with post-punk band The March Violets, Rosie Garland has a passion for language nurtured by public libraries. Her work has appeared in Under the Radar, The North, Spelk, Rialto, Butcher’s Dog, Ellipsis, Mslexia & elsewhere. Debut novel, The Palace of Curiosities, was nominated for both The Desmond Elliott and Polari First Book Prize and Vixen was a Green Carnation Prize nominee. Latest novel The Night Brother is described by The Times as “a delight: playful and exuberant… with shades of Angela Carter.”
She is inaugural writer in residence at The John Rylands Library, Manchester, and in 2019 Val McDermid named her as one of the Top 10 LGBTQ writers in the UK today.
Joining Rosie will be…
Okey Nzelu.
Okey Nzelu’s prose and poetry has been published in various magazines. He was the recipient of a 2015 Northern Writers’ Award for his debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, a comedy about family and making mistakes.
Roma Havers
Roma Havers is a Manchester-based queer poet and performer, whose current work explores, failing bodies outness and how poetry can shorthand memory into something new. While working with Young Identity she has been commissioned by HOME, Manchester Histories and Manchester International Festival
Afshan D’souza-Lodhi
Afshan D’souza-Lodhi was born in Dubai and is of Indian/Pakistani descent. Afshan writes plays, prose, performance pieces and occasionally passive aggressive tweets. She has worked with Manchester Lit Festival, The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Eclipse Theatre, Paul Burston’s Polari and one day hopes to take over the world.
Helen Darby
Helen Darby is a poet from Manchester who has been appearing at spoken word nights around the North West since 2018. Her red-pill poems will wet your eyes, offer Kleenex, then slice your fingertips off with Stanley knives, so you can touch pain in ways you’ve never imagined.
She has performed invited guest slots at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Lancaster Spotlight, That’s What She Said Manchester, Superbia for Manchester Pride, Manchester Museum, New Mills Festival, Stirred and the Fight Like a Girl cancer charity night at the Kings Arms in Salford.

Celebrate Harry Potter Day
2020-02-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Join us for lots of enchanting arts and magical crafts as we celebrate all things Harry Potter!
Suitable for families. Under 8’s must be accompanied by an adult
Free – please drop in

Always Something Moves
2020-02-08 14:00 - 16:00
Mark Devereux Projects presents a new performance by artist Sophie Lee with SHE Choir, Manchester. Taking place in various spaces within the venue, the artist has written and produced a new song combining words and phrases from forgotten books as part of her touring project, Always Something Moves.
Free-please drop in

Queering the Archive with the LGBT Foundation
2020-02-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Performance Space
Join us for an exploration of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ history specially curated by the LGBT Foundation Archive team. There will be a chance to find out more about the LGBT Foundation archive and the work of the volunteers who manage it and to share memories and information. There will be a chance to view some of the archives from the collections held in Archives+ at Manchester Central Library on the theme of Poetry, Prose and Plays.
Free – booking advised

Behind The Scenes at Manchester Central Library
2020-02-13 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 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.
Places are strictly limited so please book early.
Please meet in the main entrance (Shakespeare Hall) of Central Library from 5.30pm. The tour starts at 6pm.

Angel Delight's Valentine Party
2020-02-14 19:00 - 22:00
Once, twice, three times a lady!
The gorgeous Angel Delight is back by popular demand for her 3rd party night at Central Library!
This time we’re celebrating LGBTQ History Month with lots of games and fun, including a queer version of Mr and Mrs!
Over 18’s only.
Doors open at 6.30pm
Bar open all evening

LGBTQ+ Family Saturday Spectacular
2020-02-15 13:00 - 16:00
Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with Manchester Libraries!
We’ve lots of events for all families, including a –

Drag Queen Storytime with Angel Delight
Family craft sessions
Green screen photography
Celebration disco

Free – please drop in

World Book Day Costume Workshop with Clore Art Studio Costume Factory
2020-02-17 13:00 - 2020-02-18 15:00 | Media Lounge
Get costume ready for World Book Day on Thursday 5th March!
Let us help you get your character ideas flowing and costumes started! Come along for inspiration and assistance in designing, cutting and stitching felt masks, head-dresses and logos to bring your Gruffalos and Gangsta Grannies to life!
Free – please drop in

Debate Club
2020-02-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Seminar Suite, Floor Two
Join young people who want to discuss and debate a range of subjects in this informal setting. This month’s debate club coincides with Refugee Week, and young people will be discussing issues faced by children torn from their home. If you are a young person who has relocated to the UK, come and join us and share your experiences.
Free – please drop in

Unspeakable: John Bercow - In Conversation
2020-02-18 19:00 - 21:00
Blackwell’s Manchester and Manchester Libraries are honoured to be hosting JOHN BERCOW at Manchester Central Library on Tuesday 18th February. The former Speaker of the House of Commons will be talking about his new biography Unspeakable.
About the book:
Unspeakable is John Bercow’s characteristically forthright and incisive account of his unique vantagepoint into British politics. Containing verdicts on many of the leading figures of this era, from Tony Blair to David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson, Bercow explores and explains the ways in which he has sought to democratise the business of Parliament, using the Speakership to champion the rights of backbench MPs and hold the government to account.
In his own words, “I made friends and enemies alike, but from start to finish I sought to do the right, rather than the convenient, thing and to be a decent public servant.” From the start, Bercow tackles head-on his regretted fascination with definably right-wing attitudes and describes his inexorable march to more progressive thinking since his election as Member of Parliament for Buckingham in 1997. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the business of politics and how our democracy is – or should be – run, with fascinating insights into Bercow’s family background and early interest in politics.
When Bercow retired as Speaker of the House of Commons on 31st October, he had become one of the most recognisable and iconoclastic figures in British politics, and had created a vacancy of huge importance. As Speaker since 2009 he had a ringside seat during one of the most febrile periods in modern British history, presiding over the Commons while it had to contend with key issues such as austerity in the light of the financial crisis; the coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats; and of course the most intractable problem of all – how to deliver on the 2016 referendum decision that Britain should leave the EU.
About the author:
John Bercow was elected as Member of Parliament for Buckingham on behalf of the Conservative Party in 1997. He was elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2009 and retired on 31st October 2019. He is married with three children.
Tickets for this event are £8 or £25 for a book and ticket bundle (plus booking fee). Doors open at 6.30pm and seating is unallocated. For more information please contact the shop on 0161 274 3331 or email: manchester@blackwell.co.uk.

Museum of Me Collage Workshop
2020-02-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Activity Room (Lower Ground Floor)
This workshop will be of interest to people who would like to find a new and creative way to explore their family history and want to learn more about how encounters with objects can stimulate strong emotions and feelings. Artist Helena Tomlin has been working with the Centre for Jewish Studies at The University of Manchester to create a piece of work in response to two objects she has selected from the collection of objects at the John Rylands Library: an Esther scroll and a marriage contract, which form part of The 50 Jewish Objects. Helena aims to share in this workshop her methods of working which include text, collage and stitch to help participants create a small box artwork on the theme of The Museum of Me.
Limited numbers – book below

LGBTQ+ MIXTAPE
2020-02-19 18:00 - 20:00
This LGBT History Month Unlocking Our Sound Heritage presents an intimate room of curated archive audio and immersive projections.
Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community took to both the streets and the dancefloor in response to the AIDS crisis and the introduction of Section 28.
The event explores these vital spaces of defiance by pairing key BBC Radio Manchester news stories with Manchester’s favourite disco tracks.
https://northwestsoundheritage.org/
You can find out more about the national Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project at the British Library’s website. Unlocking Our Sound Heritage is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
https://www.bl.uk/projects/unlocking-our-sound-heritage

The Poetry Exchange
2020-02-21 09:30 - 2020-02-22 16:00
Is there a poem that has been a friend to you? You are invited to book an individual slot to come and explore a poem that has been a friend to you, in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team. The conversation will take place in a quiet corner of Manchester Central Library, over a cup of tea, with two members of The Poetry Exchange team. Together, you’ll explore your chosen poem and the ways it has been a friend to you in your life. In exchange, you’ll receive a gift: a special recording of your chosen poem, inspired by the conversation. You are welcome to bring along a poem written in any language, preferably with an accompanying English translation. The conversation will be held in English but an interpreter can be arranged on request. Alternatively, you are very welcome to bring along a friend or family member to act as an interpreter for you, as part of the conversation.
Please note: we invite you to explore a poem that you have read or encountered, rather than written, since it is the connection between a reader and the words of another that we are exploring through The Poetry Exchange.
Exchanges (lasting 45 minutes) are still available at the following times:
Friday 21st: 09:30; 10:45; 12:00; 13:30; 16:00
Saturday 22nd: 09:30; 10:45; 12:00; 14:45; 16:00
Free – booking required
To book your visit to The Poetry Exchange – or if you have any questions – please contact Sally Anglesea on sally@thepoetryexchange.co.uk or 07598 596885

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International Mother Language Day
2020-02-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join us for a fun packed celebration. Communities from across the city will be delivering cultural performances and traditional crafts to share their heritage and celebrate our multilingual Manchester. Pop into the mushaira poetry pod to meet a local poet or share your own favourite poem with the Poetry Exchange. Listen to a collection of oral histories from the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and sample delicious world food nibbles on the day!
Free – please drop in

Festival of Belonging
2020-03-07 09:00 - 2020-03-14 17:00
Join Manchester Jewish museum in a multi-arts festival, exploring what makes us feel that we belong, how we assimilate in new places and what happens when we don’t belong. We have been thinking about the stories of Jewish people who came to Manchester in playful and creative ways. There’s theatre, comedy, music, installations, family story-telling and a unique foodie film experience to enjoy!
For more information and tickets:
https://www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com/whats-on-2/
