Library Live

In the City Exhibition – Talk by Richard Davis
2023-02-01 18:15 - 19:30 UTC | Performance Space
In The City is a collection of Manchester images taken by photographer Richard Davis over the last 35 Years. Join Richard for this talk about the exhibtion that centres around Richard’s love of art, music, culture and football. From the heady days of Madchester, right through to the dynamism of the present day, the excitement and diversity of city life helping to inspire and motivate his work. Hulme plays a major role throughout the exhibition; it’s where Richard set up a studio and darkroom in his Charles Barry Crescent flat during the late 1980’s. The area became a rich source of creativity and a backdrop for many of his photographs. The exhibition also highlights the many books, records and films that influenced his approach to photography.
About Richard Davis…
Richard Davis (born 1965) is a British, social documentary and portrait photographer, based in North West England. His work has been promoted and exhibited by the British Culture Archive and renowned photography publishers, Café Royal Books. A series of Davis’ photographs of Hulme Crescents, from the 1980’s are currently held at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library which is part of the University of Manchester.
This talk is free (‘book now’ below), but please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme if you can, either online, or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Love is Love: LGBTQ+ History Month Film Night
2023-02-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Spend Valentines Night celebrating the best of LGBTQ+ films.
We’ll be screening one of these four game changers. All you need to do is register for pay-what-you-can tickets here. We’ll be in touch with everyone who registers to let them know the winning film!
We’re going way back to an 80’s and 90’s classic or we’ve got two of the latest acclaimed Queer films from the 2020’s.
Here’s more information about the four films.
Beautiful Thing
It’s a long hot summer on a housing estate in South London and the temperature is rising! Jamie is bunking off school, while his class-mate Ste is being bullied by his drunken father. What develops is a delightful and touching romance between two boys; from the first nervous glances to the ingenious use of Peppermint Foot Lotion!
Desert Hearts
Set in Nevada in 1959, the film tells the story of a university professor awaiting a divorce who finds her true self through a relationship with another, more self-confident woman. Released in 1986 it is regarded as one of the first films to present a positive portrayal of lesbian relationships.
Flee
Amin arrived as a child in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, at 36, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for many years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. For the first time, he is sharing his true story.
Rurangi
Caz returns for the first time since he transitioned to the home he fled a decade earlier. Despite the profound changes of the intervening years, Caz attempts to reconnect with family and friends – including his ex-boyfriend Jem (Arlo Green), who is still wounded by Caz’s sudden disappearance. Max Currie’s powerful film is an authentic and emotional tale of gender, racial and sexual identity in modern day New Zealand.
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are on a “pay what you can” basis. They range from £0 – £5 plus the Eventbrite booking fee.
All tickets allow the same access to the event. This is a just a pricing system to accommodate for individual financial circumstances.

Conserving Manchester Town Hall's Heritage: Mosaic Restoration
2023-02-15 11:00 | Performance Space
WEDNESDAY 15TH FEBRUARY AT CENTRAL LIBRARY
Manchester Town Hall has been closed since January 2018 for an extensive restoration programme that will repair and upgrade the building to modern standards. The work will include the conservation of many heritage features.
Our series of Heritage Lectures aims to shine a light on some of the fascinating work that’s been going on behind the scenes. We’ve already heard about the work of Hirst Conservation, who are working on our paintings and now we’ll be taking a closer look at the mosaic flooring.
Featuring experts from Mosaic Restoration, the specialist mosaic restorers and conservators will describe the work they’ve done to date on site, including the preservation and safeguarding of the many corridors of mosaic flooring and – of course – the iconic Bees Landing.
Join us in Central Library for a chance to hear direct from the Mosaic Restoration experts and find out just what it’s like to bring 21st century conservation skills to the Our Town Hall Project.
The lecture is free to attend.
Session 1: 12.30pm arrival for a 1pm start and 2.15pm finish
Session 2: 5pm arrival for a 5.30pm start and 6.45pm finish

Crime Central
2023-02-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Crime Central is back with a bang on Thursday 16th February!
Joining your wonderful host Rob Parker will be…
Lia Middleton, author of the massive debut thriller ‘When They Find Her’. Her new novel ‘Your Word or Mine’ came out in September 2022 to more rave reviews!
Elliot Sweeney, who’s debut novel is entitled ‘The Next to Die’. The first in an intended series, narrated by ex-copper turned P.I. Dylan Kasper.
Sam Tobin, grew up in Manchester and quickly came to realise he was living in the best city in the world. His second novel in the ‘Manchester Underworld’ series: ‘Pay The Price’ was published in January 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are on a “pay what you can” basis. They range from £2 – £8 plus the Eventbrite booking fee.
All tickets allow the same access to the event. This is a just a pricing system to accommodate for individual financial circumstances.
Signed books will be available to purchase after the event.

Section 28 - 35 years on in Manchester
2023-02-20 17:00 | Performance Space
This year marks 35 years since the protest against Section 28 in Manchester. Join organisers and attendees from the time to hear more. The event forms part of LGBT History month 2023. It aims to provide insight into a specific period of LGBT history (1987-2003) in which the demonstration in Manchester was highly significant, and which gained national recognition at the time. It will be an opportunity for those who were there organising the demonstration in 1988 to talk about the climate and their experience. There will be an introductory presentation on Section 28, covering the build up to its inception, and why it caused so much controversy and protest. This element recognises that the legislation has been off the statute books for a generation now, and so an explanation will both help to understand the clause as well as the impact it had. There will also be an opportunity for questions from the audience to the speakers, and a closing section focusing on the future.
Free – book via link below

Half-Term Activity for Children
2023-02-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Lwr Ground floor – City Library
Behind The Lens is this year’s theme for LGBT+ history month. Join us to celebrate at our animation workshop inspired by popular culture. All are welcome at this free drop-in.
This activity is suitable for ages 8+
Free – just 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

Children’s Music Activities
2023-02-25 11:30 - 15:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
Join us for a day of children’s music activities!
11:30 – Rhyme Time

Stories and songs.

12:20 – HWML instruments

A brief showing of some of the music library’s instruments, originating in different time periods and places around the world. Feel free to ask questions!

12:40 – Children’s instruments

Xylophones, maracas, triangles, ukuleles and much more to make some noise and have fun!

13:10 – Drum United

Positive, meditative drumming. Very relaxing.

14:00 – French Storytime

More stories and songs, this time in French!

Suitable for children aged 3 to 7. Families welcome.
All activities take place in the Henry Watson Music Library (1st Floor), apart from French Storytime, which will be in the Children’s Library (Lower Ground Floor).
Free – drop in – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme, either online at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes

Sunday Winter Warmer
2023-02-26 12:00 - 16:00
Come in from the cold to our Winter Warmer – a special Sunday afternoon opening for all to have fun, and families to have some together time. We’ll have winter themed crafts, storytelling, face painting, music performances from Artful Playground, nice treats, discounted cafe drinks, plus advice from some fantastic organisations like British Red Cross and Citizens Advice Bureau, helping Manchester people with the cost-of-living crisis. See our fabulous activity schedule below for more detail!
All welcome – suitable for families.
Free – if you can, please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme, either online at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes
Activity Schedule
Performance Space (Ground Floor):
World Book Day Crafts – 12-4pm
Storytelling Competition – 12-4pm
Charity information stalls – 12-4pm
Archives+ Area (Ground Floor – near cafe):
Chess tournament and chess tables – 12-4pm
Face painters – 12-4pm
Music Library (First Floor):
Artful Playground interactive musical sessions
For ages 0-3: Performances start at 12.30pm and 1.20pm
For ages 3-7: Performances start at 2.10pm and 3pm
Outside the Music Library (First Floor):
Interactive story-telling sessions
Sessions start at 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm and 3.15pm
This special event is generously funded by Manchester Central Library Development Trust

International Women's Day Festival Event
2023-03-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Directly after Manchester’s City Council’s Walk for Women, the celebration continues here with a festival event featuring musical performances, speeches from influential and strong women in and around Manchester, Mexican dance, spoken word, and an amazing African fashion show! Find out more about the work going on in Manchester’s communities at the variety of information stalls on display.
Free – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

Sebastian Barry in Conversation with Kit de Waal
2023-03-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Literature Festival is delighted to welcome Sebastian Barry back to Manchester to discuss his beautifully crafted new novel, Old God’s Time. Recently retired policeman Tom Kettle is settling into the quiet of his new home, a Victorian castle overlooking the Irish Sea. For months he has barely seen a soul, catching only glimpses of his eccentric landlord and a nervous young mother who has moved in next door. But when two former colleagues turn up at his door with questions about a decades-old case, he finds himself pulled into the darkest currents of his past.
One of Ireland’s finest storytellers, Sebastian Barry is the author of Days Without End, A Thousand Moons, A Long Long Way and The Secret Scripture. The Laureate for Irish Fiction from 2018-2021, Sebastian is also twice winner of the Walter Scott Prize and the Costa Book of the Year. He will discuss his extraordinary writing and his powerful new tale of memory, love, mystery and reckoning with host Kit de Waal. Kit is the author of the novels My Name is Leon and The Trick to Time and the memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes.
“Old God’s Time is a portrait of a good man facing the failings of his past. It is wonderfully alive because Barry is so attuned to the human condition, to the poetry in ordinary lives. Full of love and grief and heartache, this is an unforgettable novel from one of our finest writers.” Douglas Stuart
MLF Members can book Advance Tickets from Wednesday 1 February. Tickets go on general sale on Friday 3 February. MLF Get Closer Membership starts at £20 pa. To buy an MLF Get Closer Membership and book advance tickets visit here

Somos Mujeres
2023-03-16 16:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
This year, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust and SomosCR are pleased to present SOMOS MUJERES for International Women’s Day. Join us to hear from Latin American women sharing their experiences of migration and living in the UK. Immerse yourself in Latin American culture, live music from Mestisa, delicious food from La Bandera, coffee from The 503 Coffee Roastery, and an exclusive exhibition of original dolls from numerous Latin American countries.
Free – but please reserve your place through eventbrite: https://SomosMujeres.eventbrite.co.uk

Brain Health Day
2023-03-18 11:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join leading researchers and healthcare professionals from the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre to explore ground-breaking research. Enjoy talks, games and interactive activity stands. Featuring a guest poetry performance by Lemn Sissay OBE. Suitable for all ages. Families welcome.
Free – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

Harlan Coben: SOLD OUT EVENT
2023-03-22 18:30 - 19:30 | Performance Space
We’re delighted to welcome Harlan Coben to Manchester Central Library to celebrate the publication of his new novel I Will Find You. From the bestselling author of The Match and Tell No One comes a twist-laden page-turner of the highest order as a man wrongly convicted of killing his son escapes from prison to find out the truth.
With more than 80 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the Number One New York Times author of numerous suspense novels including Win, The Boy from the Woods, Run Away, Fool Me Once and the renowned Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in 46 languages around the globe and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries.
Coben is also the creator and executive producer of many television shows including adaptions on Netflix of Stay Close, The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good and The Woods. Netflix recently re-upped their overall deal with Coben for several more years , adding among other books his acclaimed Bolitar series. His TV series adaption of Shelter for Amazon Studios – starring Jaden Michael and Constance Zimmer and based on Coben’s YA novel of the same name – will be released on Prime Video in 2023.
Please note: Book and ticket option includes a copy of I Will Find You for collection on the night.

Crime Central
2023-03-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Rob Parker returns to host another Crime Central author panel! Special guests will be..
Nick Oldham used to work as a police officer in Lancashire before retiring to be a full time crime writer and creator of the hugely popular Henry Christie series.
Sally-Anne Martyn grew up just outside Sheffield. Her debut novel, ‘The Clinic’, is a dark thriller set in an ex-asylum!
Alex North is the creator of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling ‘Whisper Man’. His new novel ‘The Half Burnt House’ is out this month.

As a special treat, everyone who books tickets will be entered into a prize draw to win a bottle of fizz and the first two Thursday Murder Club novels by Richard Osman!
The winner will be announced during the event on 23rd March

Richard Cobden – Manchester Citizen to ‘International Man’
2023-04-05 08:00 - 2023-06-30 17:00
An exhibition tracing Richard Cobden’s life, career and legacy
Richard Cobden (1804-1865) is usually remembered as leader of the Anti-Corn Law League, which campaigned for free trade in food during the ‘hungry forties’, but his public career embraced far more. He was a supporter of educational reform, press freedom, and extension of the vote. He was a leading figure of the international peace movement, a critic of British foreign policy, and an opponent of slavery and imperialism. However, before he became the ‘international man’, Sussex-born Cobden was an active Manchester citizen: a contributor to local societies and leading campaigner behind the establishment of Manchester’s first elected municipal council.
Ground Floor
Turn left after Archives+ entrance:
Cobden and Manchester
Anti-Corn Law League Manufacturer
First Floor (Displays found throughout primary corridor outside Reading Room):
Man on the Make to ‘Manchester Manufacturer’
Educational Reformer
Anti-Corn Law Leaguer
Apostle of Free Trade
Peace Campaigner
Champion of the Press
Treaty Negotiator
Friend of America
Family Man
Displays in Reading Room:
Death and Memorialisation
Legacy and Inheritance
The exhibition is part of a project led by Leeds Beckett University and the University of East Anglia and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which is making thousands of Cobden’s letters available online and using his correspondence to develop teaching materials around the theme of active citizenship.
Free – just 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

British Ugandan Asians at 50 Exhibition
2023-04-15 08:00 - 2023-05-13 17:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Exhibition to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Ugandan Expulsion, highlighting the experience of British Ugandan Asians and the many volunteers who helped them.
In August 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin ordered the country’s Indian and Pakistani communities to leave within 90 days. Many of the displaced were British citizens and, as a result, around 28,000 people emigrated to the UK, where the community has gone to make a disproportionate impact on the economic and social life of Britain.
To mark the 50th anniversary, British Ugandan Asians at 50 (BUA@50) has recorded oral histories to capture the recollections of those who were residents of resettlement camps, or who volunteered to help with the reception of the expellees during the crucial early months after their arrival. The volunteers formed part of an extraordinary response involving 63 voluntary organisations that, at its peak, staffed sixteen reception and resettlement camps across the UK.
This touring exhibition retells the story through period photographs, oral history footage, press clippings and memorabilia relating to the Expulsion and resettlement. It will include excerpts from the interviews.
British Ugandan Asians at 50 (BUA50.ORG) – is a programme of the India Overseas Trust with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It honours not only a largely unknown part of the history of British volunteering heritage, but an extraordinary historical episode that helped shape modern Britain’s diversity.
Free – drop in- please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

50 Years of Rock Photography
2023-04-15 08:00 - 2023-06-30 17:00 | First Floor Exhibition Hall
Jill Furmanovsky : Photographing the Invisible
For the last 50 years, Jill Furmanovsky has been photographing music’s greatest icons. Now for the first time, Jill has created a fascinating retrospective featuring some of her most famous works as well as hidden gems from her extensive archive.
Guest curated by Noel Gallagher and photo-historian Gail Buckland, the exhibition which is presented by Rockarchive.com features over 100 images including subjects such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, The Police, Bob Marley, Chic, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Cure, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, The Pretenders and Beyonce, to name just a few.
Highlights include ‘meditations from the pit’ that capture the sheer joy and exuberance of live photography, intimate on-the-road shoots carried out for the music press of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and fashion-inspired portraiture from The Face era. Through the exhibition, visitors will be witness to Jill’s unique relationship with her subjects including more reclusive subjects such as Jeff Buckley, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, as well as open-armed collaborations with Chrissie Hynde, Madness, and her greatest muse, Oasis, for whom Jill has included a section of previously unseen images. Contemporary content includes photographs taken in her year as Abbey Road’s artist-in-residence in 2017 and shots from the Glastonbury Festival featuring Stormzy and Billie Eilish.
Bringing the stories behind some of the imagery closer, an audio tour narrated by Jill and some special guests will be available for visitors to access through their own headphones.
Free – please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme if you can, either online, or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Gerry Potter Book Launch
2023-04-18 18:00 - 19:45 | Performance Space
Flapjack Press presents Gerry Potter’s Li’l Book o’ small Poems (or is it?)
“You’ll never live more life than wha’ I’m livin’ through right now…”
Join Gerry Potter on a voyage into social relativism and the domestic/fantastic in a punchy ‘n’ pithy yet generously discursive collection.
Contemplating both the ingrained and fleeting fears of a life enlightened through c-PTSD diagnosis, these are li’l poems addressing big issues.
From the author of Planet Young, Bafta-winner Sophie Willan’s book of choice on BBC TV’s Between the Covers.
Gerry Potter is a poet, playwright, actor, director, and both creator and destroyer of the infamous gingham diva Chloe Poems. National Museums Liverpool lists him amongst their city’s leading LGBTQIA+ icons, and he was profiled in the documentary film My Name is Gerry Potter, which premiered at Homotopia.
Author performance and book signing. With special guests Caleb Everett and David Viney.
Adult themes / LGBTQIA+.
Free Entry
Praise for the author:
“Everything poetry should be and all too often isn’t.” Time Out
“Gerry is about intelligence and argument and politics and protest. So must we all be.” Roger Hill
“Enormous talent.” Gay Times
“Intelligent, humane and searching poetry.” Dr Jo Bell
“Will amuse, move, inspire and provoke.” Polari Literary Salon
“One of the most radical forces in performance poetry.” Designer Magazine
“Educational.” The Times
“One of the shining lights of the North West performance poetry scene.” Dr Andrew Moor

An Evening with Douglas Stuart
2023-04-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Libraries and Manchester Literature Festival present an Evening with Booker Prize winning author Douglas Stuart.
Following on from his debut event in Manchester last Spring, Manchester Literature Festival is excited to welcome back best-selling author Douglas Stuart for an intimate evening at Central Library. Join us to hear Douglas discuss his literary and cultural influences from his favourite working class and Scottish writers to the LGBTQ+ artists that have inspired and influenced him. He’ll also share the challenges of adapting his Booker Prize-winning novel Shuggie Bain into an 8-part television drama for the BBC.
One of the boldest writers of his generation, Douglas Stuart was born and raised in working class Glasgow. After graduating from the Royal College of Art, he moved to New York, where he began a career in textiles and fashion design. He spent a decade writing his debut novel while balancing the demands of his day job. Shuggie Bain was finally published in 2020 and went on to win both Debut of the Year and Book of the Year at the British Book Awards alongside the Booker Prize. In 2021 a mural inspired by Shuggie Bain was unveiled on the wall of the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. Created by the city’s Cobolt Collective, it features Shuggie dancing in the street, together with a quote from his mother Agnes: “You’ll not remember the city, you were too wee, but there’s dancing. All kinds of dancing.”
Douglas’s second novel, Young Mungo, was published in April 2022 to critical acclaim. Set in 1990s Glasgow, it explores two teenage boys’ quest for love and safety in a world of tension, violence and toxic masculinity. Douglas’s short stories have appeared in The New Yorker and he is currently working on his third novel. He will be in conversation with award-winning Northern poet, novelist and mentor Helen Mort. Helen’s latest books are The Illustrated Woman and A Line Above the Sky.
“There are Agnes Bains, Shuggies & Young Mungos – broken, closeted, bursting to break free – hidden in the fabric of Scotland still. Douglas Stuart’s work reminds us of their beauty, and the value of their existence.” The Face
Doors open at 6.30pm.

Stephen Lawrence Day - 30 Years On
2023-04-22 14:00 - 16:00
“Stephen Lawrence’s legacy is one of promoting tolerance, understanding and peace between all”
We will celebrate Stephen’s life by focusing on friendship, kindness and positivity. Children and families are invited to join us to create a beautiful collage of “Friendship” in honour of Stephen’s life. Resources from The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust will be on display which tell the story of Stephen’s life and the injustice faced by the Lawrence family.
Free – drop-in – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

The Amazing Watkins; Manchester's Forgotten Stars
2023-04-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Join us for this illustrated public lecture, by Geoff Scargill of The Watkin Society.
Absalom and Edward Watkin – father and son – were key figures in the development of Manchester in the 19th century.
Absalom helped draw up the petition that brought the horror of the Peterloo Massacre to public attention. Although he was basically a shy person and prone to depression he spent most of his adult life fighting for the rights of the poorest people. A close friend of the great Richard Cobden, he campaigned for voting reform and for the repeal of the infamous Corn Laws that kept the price of bread so high that in bad harvest years thousands starved to death.
Absalom’s son, Edward, was one of the best-known and exciting characters of the Victorian Era. He assisted his father in the fight to repeal the Corn Laws and persuaded Manchester businessmen to close their companies at 2pm on Saturdays in what became known as the Saturday Half-day Holiday. (It was 10 years before the rest of the country caught up.) He led the campaign to create the first Parks for the People in the hellholes of industrial Manchester and Salford. Nationally and internationally famous as The Railway King, he built the last mainline into London, the Great Central Railway, from Manchester. A great visionary, he started a Channel Tunnel and an Eiffel Tower in London and helped create Canada! Knighted in 1869, he was an MP for 35 years. When he died over 100 obituaries appeared throughout the world.
Free – booking required – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

Word Central with special guest Louise Fazackerley
2023-04-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Word Central Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word hosted by Tony Curry
Presented by Manchester Libraries and Flapjack Press
With special guest Louise Fazackerley
Book your open mic slot from noon on Tues 11th April via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk
With work rooted in word-witchery and the working class, April’s guest Louise Fazackerley explores the synergy between poetry and movement in a way that makes the ugly beautiful and the mundane fantastical. Her published collections include The Lolitas and The Uniform Factory (Verve Poetry Press), Bird St. (The Secret Writers Club), and The Pleasure Dome (Burning Eye).
NB Open mic slots are 3 minutes per performer and allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis from the stated booking time. If they are already filled you will be offered a place on the reserve list.
FREE ENTRY EVERYONE WELCOME

Big Fat Music Library Quiz; Eurovision Special!
2023-04-27 17:45 - 19:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
Geopolitical alliances at the ready!
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held just a stone’s throw from Manchester in lovely Liverpool. To celebrate this once is a lifetime (well 25 years anyway) event, we’re hosting a special edition of our Big Fat Music Library quiz on Thursday 27th April.
So if you think you know your Bucks Fizz from your Bardo or your Loreen from your Lorde, then please join us in the Henry Watson Music Library from 5.45pm for the Big Fat Eurovision Quiz

Teams of up to four people – Great prizes to be won!

Free entry. Just email alan.lynch@manchester.gov.uk to book a table.

Crime Central April 2023
2023-04-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are on a “pay what you can” basis.They range from £2 – £8 plus the Eventbrite booking fee.
All tickets allow the same access to the event. This is a just a pricing system to accommodate for individual financial circumstances.
Signed books will be available to purchase after the event.

The Year of Polish-British Cooperation on Breaking the Enigma Code
2023-05-02 08:00 - 2023-05-30 20:00 | Lower Ground Floor Link
This exhibition celebrates the Polish-British cooperation in breaking the Enigma code, marking the 80th anniversary of Polish codebreakers coming to the UK. The Enigma code was a nightmare for secret services all over the world. It was an unbreakable code granting Germany a tremendous military advantage. ‘Enigma’ means puzzle or secret in Greek. This is how German engineer Arthur Scherbius named the portable electromechanical encrypting machine he constructed. But one Polish mathematician broke the unbreakable code and a new era in the history of cryptology had begun.

If you would like to attend the launch of this exhibition, with Special Guest Sir Dermot Turing, on Thursday 18 May, 5.30 – 7.45pm, please email wilnomanchester@gmail.com
Free – please drop in

Photographing the Invisible with Jill Furmanovsky & Jon Savage
2023-05-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Join Jill in this special talk with Professor Jon Savage from the British Pop Archive, talking archives, curating Photographing the Invisible and the difficulty of choosing what to leave out.
Professor of Popular Culture at the University of Manchester, Jon Savage is is an award winning author and film writer. His books include England’s Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock and This Searing Light: The Oral History of Joy Division. Films include the BAFTA winning The Brian Epstein Story, Teenage and Joy Division.
For the last 50 years, Jill Furmanovsky has been photographing music’s greatest icons. Covering live performance to location and studio her subjects have ranged from a pre-teen Michael Jackson to Billie Eilish on the Glastonbury stage. Jill’s retrospective Photographing the Invisible’, here at Central Library until 24 June, displays some of her most famous works and hidden gems from her extensive archive.
Attendees will be invited to look around the exhibition, on the first floor, following the talk before the library closes at 8pm.
Free – booking required – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

Angel Delight's Eurovision Drag Party
2023-05-10 20:00 - 22:00 | Performance Space
The perfect party to make your Eurovision week go with a boom bang a bang!
Join the dream diva, Angel Delight, for an evening of singalongs, card games, bongo bingo, music quizzes and lots of surprises, all with an added Eurovision sparkle!

Doors open at 7.30pm. Bar will be open all evening.

Over 18’s only.

A Lifetime in Music with producer Mark Cooper & Jill Furmanovsky
2023-05-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
In celebration of her first retrospective at Manchester Central Library, music photographer Jill Furmanovsky is joined by long-term friend and former head of music at the BBC Mark Cooper comparing stories of their life in the music industry.
Mark Cooper began his career as a music journalist in the pages of Record Mirror, Q and Mojo and was BBC Studios’ Head of Music from 1999 to 2019. As the founding producer and presiding spirit of Later.. with Jools Holland, Mark booked and shaped the programme for 26 years without missing a single recording. From Stormzy to Björk, from Smokey Robinson to Norah Jones, from Sir Paul McCartney to Mary J. Blige, from Britpop to trip hop, the programme welcomed musical legends alongside the next generation of superstars including Adele, Ed Sheeran and Amy Winehouse. He also led the BBC’s TV coverage of Glastonbury from 1997 until 2020 and executive produced over 250 BBC music documentaries. His book, Later…with Jools Holland: 30 Years of Music, Magic and Mayhem, is published by HarperCollins.
‘It was Mark who had to explain to Jay-Z why he couldn’t just do his numbers and split, who told Seasick Steve why he had to play ‘Dog House Boogie’ on the Hootenanny and persuaded Johnny Cash that he simply had to come in, even when The Man in Black wasn’t feeling well.’ Words by Richard Williams.
For the last 50 years, Jill Furmanovsky has been photographing music’s greatest icons. Covering live performance to location and studio her subjects have ranged from a pre-teen Michael Jackson to Billie Eilish on the Glastonbury stage. Jill’s retrospective ‘Photographing the Invisible’ at Manchester Central Library until June 24th, displays some of her most famous works and hidden gems from her extensive archive.
Attendees will be able to view the exhibition following the talk before the library closes at 8pm.
Booking Required

Silk Painting Workshop with Aysha Yilmaz
2023-05-13 13:00 - 15:00
MAFCFEST presents a creative session with Aysha on silk painting!
In this workshop, motifs and designs from The Silk Road ( Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkey etc) will be used to produce a Silk Painting.
Aysha will demonstrate how to apply the design to the Silk fabric from a drawing, followed by techniques of filling in with Silk paints.
A briefing will be given by Aysha on how Silk is produced and its origins. She will also touch upon the origins of the motifs used.
The workshop will be in the Performance Space in Central Library.

Local Community History Month-Archives+ Workshop
2023-05-16 11:00 - 13:00 | Ground Floor
Learn how to use local maps, street directories, censuses and various other archives to identify a local person – Free – please drop in
Other Local Community History Month events include:
1921 Census talk by Leslie Turner (free) – Friday 26 May, 11am – Book your place here
Handling session – Rates and Electoral Registers – Friday 26 May, 12 noon – Free – drop in
1939 Register Talk by Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society – Saturday 27 May, 10.30am – Book your place here
