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 […]
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 […]
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
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. […]
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 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
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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.
