Library Live

Portuguese Speaking Community Book Club
2024-07-27 14:00 UTC | Activity Room (Lower Ground Floor)
Bem-Vindos! Come along to a new session for Portuguese speakers, people interested in the Portuguese language and those interested the culture of the Portuguese speaking countries that like to read or want to exchange impressions about books and authors of the Portuguese language.
At each meeting a book / author of a Portuguese speaking country previously chosen will be considered, with occasional guest writers and facilitators. Participants are invited to collaborate in the choice of book / author to be discussed. All members can make suggestions about the book to be read, followed by an open discussion.
Saturday, July 27 – Made man, righteous man? Books for this session: Cada Homem é uma Raça by Mia couto
Places are free but must be booked as room is restricted to 14 places.
The group aims to:

Foment coexistence and discussion among Portuguese speakers in Manchester.
Encourage critical thinking, personal and social development.
Promote cultural exchanges and strengthen the ties between members of the Portuguese-speaking Community.
Promote Portuguese-speaking countries culture.
Reinforce cultural belonging and languages knowledge.

Places are free but must be booked as room is restricted to 14 places.
To book your space or to have more information contact: www.facebook.com/circuloleituralinguaportuguesamanchester or email:circuloleituralinguaportuguesa@gmail.com
Further sessions this year in August, September and November.

Build a Business Pop-Up Market
2024-07-27 12:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Discover and support local talent at the Build a Business Pop-Up Market! This exciting event features an array of unique, high-quality products crafted by innovative entrepreneurs from Greater Manchester. Stroll through stalls filled with handmade goods, delicious food and drink, and meet the creative minds behind these small businesses.
FREE to drop in, this market is the perfect opportunity for local entrepreneurs and start-up businesses involved in the Build a Business project to showcase their exceptional products. Whether you’re looking for one-of-a-kind gifts, tasty treats, or simply want to support local talent, there’s something for everyone.
Don’t miss out on this vibrant community event – come and find something special at the Build a Business Pop-Up Market!
For more information, visit www.buildabusinessgm.org
Free – drop in.
Build a business in GM Libraries is part funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Manchester Day 2024
2024-07-27 10:00 - 16:00
Come and meet us at Central Library on Manchester’s special day. This year’s theme is Sports and Olympics. There will be something for everyone and you may also sign up for our Summer Reading Challenge! Suitable for children and families.
Free – just drop in. For more information, email angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk or alessia.benedetti@manchester.gov.uk
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

A Northern Life - it's not all about Margaret
2024-07-26 09:00 - 2024-09-18 17:00 | First Floor Display Cases
Lorraine Rudyard creates three-dimensional sculptures using recycled materials and vintage finds, encapsulated in story boxes. Her work is very Northern and what you will see are closely observed people and lots of lovely details and references to Lorraine’s childhood, i.e. a budgie in a cage named Monty, a bathroom scene with fish wall-paper that are memories from her grandmother’s house. Other story boxes include Lorraine’s favourite poem ‘The Jumblies’ by Edward Lear and other references to childhood literature.
Lorraine’s work was accepted for both the 2020 and the 2022 Manchester Open Exhibitions: Everyone’s an Artist. Her 2020 piece, ‘Have you Been Anywhere Nice?’, sold to a private collector. Another one of her artworks was selected for The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art in 2022, and another artwork in 2022 was selected for The Harley Gallery Open Call. More recently ‘Please Come to My Party, Pleeese ?’ was selected for the Bury Art Museum Open Call.
You can’t miss Our Margaret – Lorraine’s muse, spot Margaret by her huge smile, sunglasses, shopping trolly and umbrella, whatever the weather or occasion. Viewers especially like Margaret’s stories, which are often hinted at by the title of the picture connecting their own stories to the pictures. Lorraine says, ‘I love Margaret- she is a joy to create. I like the idea that I can make something from nothing and the treasures I find can live on, connecting my pictures to the past. My hope is that you as a viewer will appreciate the playfulness of my work – that it will put a smile on your face as well as appeal to your senses for a lost way of life.’
To date, Lorraine has completed several commissions including a piece of legacy art, ‘A Grand Day Out’, that was commissioned by Heritage Schools for Central Library. Lorraine also has many collectors of her artwork up and down the country.
A full catalogue of her work can be found @lorrainerudyard_mixedmediaart
Please direct all inquiries to lorrainerudyard-art @outlook.com
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

The African Presence in University of Manchester’s Bicentenary 1824-2024
2024-07-25 17:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
This year, as the University of Manchester celebrates its 200th anniversary and recognises the significant achievements and contributions of many figures, groups and organisations, we must ensure that the profound impact of individuals from the African continent and the African Diaspora is not overlooked.
We are honoured to present an illustrative review and critique by historical researcher and teacher, Washington Alcott, focusing on the African presence throughout the University’s 200-year history. Utilizing the University’s extensive archival records, books, public inscriptions, and the accomplishments of its graduates, this presentation will highlight the vital contributions of people of African descent to the socio-cultural and economic fabric of the University.
We look forward to celebrating this historic occasion with you and reflecting on our shared legacy.
Free – drop in

Crime Central
2024-07-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Rob Parker welcomes Nilesha Chauvet, Tony Kent and Trevor Wood to Manchester!
Bringing the best from all over!
Featuring the best and brightest crime writing talent both locally and from around the country – the big names are all coming to Manchester!
Go behind the scenes!
Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the crime world.
Meet your favourite authors!
With giveaways, audience interaction, book signings, the chance to ask questions and more – while bringing a crime fiction buzz back to this great northern city.
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are on a “pay what you can” basis. They range from £2 – £6 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.

Responses
2024-07-18 08:00 - 2024-08-12 17:00
Foundation Art and Design Students from The Manchester College have brought the Art School’s ethos of research to the heart of Manchester Central Library’s iconic Wolfson Reading Room. Each student has developed a personal body of work which has initially been inspired by one of the books from the venue. The work on the boards exhibited are an insight into personal research and subject matter. Each student has tested the possibilities of ideas, research, and practical production. These fresh, innovative Art School Creatives will continue their practices in: painting, drawing, film, photography, textile design, animation, and site-specific work; progressing to different universities next year.
To see more exciting innovative work and research please follow the Instagram link below.
@foundationartanddesigntmc
If you would like information about the Foundation Diploma course, please email Fiona Donald: fdonald@tmc.ac.uk
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

See My World: Connected Fragments
2024-07-15 08:00 - 2024-09-28 17:00 | First Floor Exhibition Hall
An international exchange exhibition bringing together the worlds of Nigerian diaspora artists Chigozie obi, Daniel Oyegade and Dou, as they crack and connect the mirrors of their heritage, history and culture. Through photography, paintings and film installations, the exhibition is an ode to what is alive within the mundane.
Free – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Love Stories etc Festival
2024-07-13 10:00 - 21:00 | Performance Space
A Celebration of Modern Romantic Fiction.
Welcome to the first Love Stories etc Festival.
The one-day Romance Festival will be held at the stunning Manchester Central Library and will feature 28 bestselling romance authors as part of a huge celebration of modern romantic fiction.
Authors and publishers across the UK will be gathering in Manchester for this special festival in July 2024.
LOOK AT ALL THE AUTHOR’S APPEARING!!
10am HAPPY EVER AFTER

11.15am LESSONS IN LOVE

1.15pm HOPE

2.30 BEACH READ

4.30pm FUNNY STORY

5.45pm FEEL

7.30pm WHAT IS LOVE?

WEVE SOME AMAZING WORKSHOPS FOR ASPIRING WRITERS TOO!
10am Introduction to the Publishing Process workshop

10am Introduction to the Publishing Industry

12pm From New Writer to Bestseller

3.30pm Literary Agent workshop

3.30pm Editorial Speed Dating

THE ALL DAY PASS IS ONLY £30!*
THERE IS ALSO A SPECIAL VIP PASS (WITH EXTRA TREATS) FOR £40.*
CONCESSIONS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE.*
*Plus booking fee. Tickets give you full access to ALL author panels and workshops. Please note, capacity on the workshops is limited. We’ll be in touch soon with everyone who has bought tickets for you to select the workshops you want to attend.

Sign and Play and Kids' Club - BSL Story Telling
2024-06-22 10:00 - 12:00
BSL Story Telling at Manchester Central Library for deaf 0-11 year olds and their parents. HoH, CODA, siblings and all communication methods welcome! More information here.
Free – booking advised

90th Celebration - Sunday Funday
2024-06-16 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
This year, Central Library celebrates 90 years since its grand opening. Join us for this cultural extravaganza during Festival of Libraries Week, celebrating the old and the new, and the venue’s many highlights and successes over the past 90 years. Featuring music, performances, crafts, displays, and lots more fantastic family fun including:

Edible Storytime
Manchester Histories Shadow Theatre
RNCM musicians playing and taking about their instruments
Community Performances
String Quartet
Acoustic sessions
RNCM Jazz Trio
Face Painting (£2 per face)
Hands on crafts

Kindly supported by Manchester Central Library Development Trust, The Granada Foundation and The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund
Free – just 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 Embassy of Utopia
2024-06-14 10:00 - 2024-06-15 16:00 | Performance Space
Over two days, dreamers, poets, musicians, writers, and artists speak about and perform their vision for the future. What has Manchester collectively got to say?
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

Design workshop with Oliver East
2024-06-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Chief Librarian’s Office
An interactive design workshop using simple and accessible research methods and tools to explore the library as a resource.
Free – booking required

LYR open the Festival of Libraries 2024
2024-06-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
A live music performance from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage’s band LYR and local Manchester artist Jospehine Oniyama, featuring a very special new single dedicated to libraries.
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

An Evening with Miranda July
2024-06-11 08:00 - 17:00
Due to unexpected ill health, Miranda July has been forced to cancel her trip to the UK. This means her MLF event on Tuesday 11 June 2024 has been cancelled. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Manchester Literature Festival, in partnership with Library Live, presents Miranda July in conversation. We are thrilled to be joined by the writer, film maker and artist to celebrate her brilliant new novel All Fours. A semi-famous artist declares her intention to drive from Los Angeles to NYC. Instead, she checks into a motel thirty minutes from the home she shares with her husband and child and begins a reinvention which has a profound impact on her life. In Miranda’s unique, funny and tender voice, All Fours explores the societal boundaries placed on middle-aged women through desire, sex, perimenopause and motherhood, questioning what freedom might look like within those constraints. This is a conversation with a witty and original artist which is not to be missed.
“A giddy, bold, mind-blowing tour de force by one of our most important literary writers. Funny, honest, rich with the energy of the mind, All Fours will jump-start your relation to language and cause you to think anew about the nature of desire.” – George Saunders
Miranda is the author of four books including the award-winning short story collection No One Belongs Here More Than You and The First Bad Man. She has written and directed three feature films, while also starring in the first two. The latest is Kajillionaire. The second, Me and You and Everyone We Know, won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a Special Jury Prize at Sundance.
Hosted by writer Kate Feld.

Manchester Histories: History and Heritage Marketplace
2024-06-09 12:00 - 16:00
Note the new venue from the programme – now taking place at Central Library, not The Whitworth Hall.
Come and see over 50 history and heritage organisations from Greater Manchester and the Northwest at the iconic Manchester Central Library. Find out about the organisations that celebrate, preserve, and explore Greater Manchester’s heritage. It will be a breathing testament to the incredible stories that have shaped and continue to shape the very essence of Greater Manchester and beyond.
Also, catch and enjoy the acapella choir Golden Voices at 12.45 pm and 2.00 pm, a lively group of over 50s who have been together for many years with Choir Leader Rose Hodgson, sharing their common love of natural voice singing. Sets will include ‘Nana was a Suffragette’ by local singer/songwriter and co-founder/director of Manchester Community Choir Jules Gibb.
Free – just drop in

Manchester Histories Festival: ‘R History Open Mic Extravaganza!
2024-06-07 08:00 - 2024-06-08 17:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Histories hosts a two-day open mic extravaganza! A celebration of voices, a collective ode to the diverse stories that shape our shared identity.
Book Friday 7 June (11.30am-2.45pm): DAY 2: Friday 7th June 2024 – ‘R Histories Open Mic Extravaganza! – Manchester Histories
Book Saturday 8 June (11.30am-3pm): DAY 3: Saturday 8th June 2024 – ‘R Histories Open Mic Extravaganza! – Manchester Histories
Free – please pre-book so we know you are coming!
Please also make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

A Monumental Effort: Restoring the Albert Memorial Afternoon Lecture
2024-05-23 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
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 on our paintings, mosaic flooring, clock, stained-glass windows, organ and furniture. Now it’s time to turn our attention outside of the building to the iconic Albert Memorial in Albert Square.
Strictly speaking, the memorial is quite separate. It was built and completed well before the Town Hall, predating it by a decade. But the Our Town Hall Project encompasses the public realm too, and the decision was made – very early in the project – to include the Albert Memorial as part of it.
The first monument to commemorate Prince Albert, the Albert Memorial is an elaborate Gothic enclosure, protecting a marble statue of the Prince. The high levels of decoration on the 73’ high memorial represent his interests. There are portraits of famous men and the coats of arms of his dominions in Saxony. The memorial was created by Matthew Noble and completed in 1866.
Join us in Central Library for a chance to hear from our lead Architect, Jamie Coath from Purcell, and Steve Eccleshre from Bullen Conservation, the stonemasons currently working on the memorial’s restoration and repair.
The free lecture starts at 1pm and is repeated at 5.30pm Please book your place for either by clicking the links below:

1pm lecture. Doors open 12.30pm for a 1pm start (ends 2.15pm)
5.30pm lecture. Doors open 5pm for a 5.30 pm start (ends 6.45pm)

French Film Club: Un Homme de Trop
2024-05-20 17:45 - 19:45 | Performance Space
Join us and Alliance Française de Manchester for this month’s film, Un Homme de Trop; a WWII rescue drama in which twelve captured French soldiers await their impending executions in a German prison camp. Suitable for those aged 12 and over. Under-18s remain the responsibility of their parent or guardian.
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

Blue Peter Book Club Live at Central Library!
2024-05-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Libraries, CBBC and The Reading Agency are excited to announce Blue Peter Book Club Live!
Blue Peter, the BBC’s iconic children’s television series, is partnering with The Reading Agency and Manchester Libraries on an exciting new initiative called Blue Peter Book Club Live. This ambitious project aims to inspire a love of reading and creativity in primary school-aged children across Greater Manchester and throughout the UK.

Blue Peter Book Club Live Saturday 18th May.
Join the Blue Peter presenters Abby, Joel and Shini (and Henry the Dog!) for a day celebrating the love of reading. There’ll be guest authors, creative crafts, special story times, masses of books and a chance to meet some magical classic book characters!
Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and children’s author Eve Ainsworth will be chatting to the Blue Peter presenters about their fantastic books.
We’ll ALSO be joined by George and Gyasi from CBeebies Bedtime Stories!

FREE EVENT. EVERONE WELCOME!!
Blue Peter Badge Trail
We’ll also be launching The Blue Peter badge trail on the day. Grab one of our special trail maps and take up the challenge to discover the massive Blue Peter badges on display in 12 different venues across Manchester.
Hunt for a Book Club Book!
Fancy getting your hands on a FREE copy of one of the Book Club books? We’ll be hiding them all over Manchester! We’ll also be holding a range of “Book Hunt” events over the summer in Manchester parks and open spaces.

Blue Peter Book Club Live across the UK
Libraries and schools will be able to participate in The Blue Peter Book Club Live using activity packs and reading resources developed by The Reading Agency to create a nationwide celebration.
The Blue Peter Book Club introduces young readers to new writing and encourage a love of reading. In partnership with The Reading Agency an expert panel of librarians, booksellers and children in library sessions, chose a list of Blue Peter Book Club recommended reads from awesome authors and fantastic illustrators.
The Blue Peter Book Club Live will have a major presence on broadcast and digital. A special episode Blue Peter Book club Live will be shown on CBBC and iPlayer, 5pm, Friday 24th May live from Media City UK with authors and local school children taking part. Working in collaboration with BBC Arts, Blue Peter will also produce book review content, animations, digital games and more to engage kids at home and in the classroom.
The Blue Peter Book Club Live will take place into Summer 2024 with a series of pop-up events at libraries and schools across the UK.
The Blue Peter Book Club Live is supported through funding from Arts Council England’s Project Grants.

An Evening with David Mitchell
2024-05-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Literature Festival, in partnership with Library Live, is thrilled to welcome author David Mitchell to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his epic, polyphonic novel Cloud Atlas.
Originally published in 2004, Cloud Atlas quickly became a firm favourite with readers, critics and booksellers. The Independent called it “a novel of breath-taking ambition and scale” whilst the New York Times raved “Mitchell is, clearly, a genius. He writes as though at the helm of some perpetual dream machine.” Gloriously inventive and genre-defying, Cloud Atlas features six interconnected stories that take the reader on an adventure from the nineteenth century to a post-apocalypse future. The novel also erases the boundaries of time, genre and language, to offer an enthralling look at humanity’s will to power, and where it will lead us.
David Mitchell is the author of 9 novels including number9dream, Black Swan Green, The Bone Clocks and Utopia Avenue. He has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize twice and in 2018, he won the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence, given in recognition of a writer’s entire body of work. His screenwriting credits include the TV shows Pachinko, Sense8, and the movie Matrix: Resurrections.
Join us to see David discuss creating Cloud Atlas; his storytelling techniques and fictional worlds; the film adaptation by the Wachowskis; his screenwriting work and his literary and cultural influences. Hosted by critic and podcast presenter Naomi Frisby.
NB: A special 20th anniversary edition of Cloud Atlas will be available to buy on the night, from our bookshop partner Waterstones Deansgate, featuring a Foreword by Gabrielle Zevin (Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow), an Afterword by David and special sprayed edges and endpapers.

Tan Dun's Ghost Opera and the Chinese New Wave
2024-05-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
The work of a group of modern Chinese composers known as the ‘New Wave’ generation, including Tan Dun, Bright Sheng, and Chen Yi, has greatly boosted contemporary Chinese music. Po Hang Yuen’s talk will examine Tan Dun’s use of ethnic elements, particularly focusing on Ghost Opera (1994).
Free – booking required. Please support our cultural programme by donating at our cash or contactless donation boxes or online.

Olivia Laing: The Garden Against Time
2024-05-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival.
‘A garden is a time capsule, as well as a portal out of time.’
In her compelling new work of non-fiction The Garden Against Time, Olivia Laing brings to life her own slice of paradise: the restoration of a garden designed by Mark Rumary of Notcutts. Alongside her own endeavours, Olivia explores the idea of paradise and gardens, real and imagined, through the work of Derek Jarman, W.G. Sebald, John Milton, John Clare, William Morris and many others. She considers how gardens are political and how these slices of Eden survive war, offer a place for rebel outposts and communal utopias, and and bring joy during difficult times.
Simply one of our most exciting writers’ – The Observer. Olivia is a widely acclaimed author and critic. She is the author of seven books including The Lonely City, The Trip to Echo Spring, Everybody: A Book About Freedom and Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency. Her first novel, Crudo, was a Sunday Times bestseller and won the 2019 James Tait Memorial Prize. In 2018 she was awarded a Windham-Campbell Prize for non-fiction and has written extensively about writers, art and creativity, including essays and forewords on Virginia Woolf, David Wojnarowicz, Cookie Mueller, Chantal Joffe and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Presented in partnership with Library Live, the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.

Crime Central
2024-04-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Rob Parker continues to spoil you with another perfect panel of authors!
Joining him in April will be Judith O’Reilly, Charlotte Vassell and F.E. Birch!

Bringing the best from all over!

Featuring the best and brightest crime writing talent both locally and from around the country – the big names are all coming to Manchester!
Go behind the scenes!
Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the crime world.
Meet your favourite authors!
With giveaways, audience interaction, book signings, the chance to ask questions and more – while bringing a crime fiction buzz back to this great northern city.
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are on a “pay what you can” basis. They range from £2 – £6 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.

Northern Publishers' Fair 2024
2024-04-27 11:00 - 15:30 | Performance Space
DISCOVER THE BEST OF NORTHERN PUBLISHING AT THE FREE NORTHERN PUBLISHERS’ FAIR 2024
Fly on the Wall Press is excited to announce the return of the Northern Publishers’ Fair in 2024. This free event is an opportunity for book lovers and industry professionals to come together and browse an impressive selection of books from some of the North’s most respected publishers. Attendees will also have the chance to network with industry leaders and discover new and exciting titles from a range of genres. Incline Press will also bring a printing press to show how printed materials come to life!
Drop in, browse books, network & have a coffee!
Publishers in attendance include:
Fly on the Wall Press, Northodox Press, Saraband, Incline Press, Vertebrate Publishing, Bent Key Publishing, Peepal Tree Press, Fine Press Poetry, Nightjar Press, Confingo Publishing/Greenhouse Books, Comma Press, Stairwell Books, UCLAN Publishing, Flapjack Press, Sinoist Books, Carcanet Press, and more.
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Manchester British Sign Language Festival
2024-04-25 11:00 - 12:00
BSL (British Sign Language) is coming to Central Library! Join us for this second of two free taster sessions and see popular children’s stories come to vibrant, visual life by the wonderfully talented local BSL storyteller, Kate Tinston. A BSL English interpreter will provide voice over in English so non-signers and BSL signers can participate fully together. All little ones and their adults, students of BSL and anyone who is curious to see the beauty of signed stories is very welcome.
Free – booking required by emailing angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk or claire@bslcelebration.com

George the Poet
2024-04-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
TRACK RECORD – George the Poet in conversation with Okechukwu Nzelu
Join us for the Manchester launch of TRACK RECORD – the ground-breaking new memoir from acclaimed rapper and podcast host, George the Poet.
We’re thrilled to be hosting the Manchester launch of George the Poet’s ‘Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness’. Part memoir, part interrogation of politics, capitalism and race, Track Record is a powerful and brutally honest look at the world in which we live and a searing piece of social commentary that radically shifts the conversation around race and power. George will be in conversation with Okechukwu Nzelu (Here Again Now)
Doors: 6.00, starts: 6.30
Tickets are £8 or free when pre-ordering a copy of the book. TRACK RECORD will also be available to purchase on the night and George will be signing copies after the talk. If you would like a signed copy but cannot make the event, please contact us on 0161 274 3331 or manchester@blackwell.co.uk and we can arrange this for you.
About the book:
‘When Grime became the soundtrack to our lives, it gave a voice to the hustle. We were all looking for money, but it was deeper than that; we were looking for a future.’
George the Poet knows better than anybody the importance of understanding your surroundings.
Born to Ugandan parents on the St Raphael’s Estate in Neasden, north-west London, George Mpanga has always been aware of his community. It was both his teacher and his inspiration – giving him the language, the experiences, and the skills to become the person he is today.
In Track Record, George unveils the power dynamics that shape our world, shedding light on the forces that restrict Black creativity and put limits on Black excellence. By interrogating the history of colonialism and exploring capitalism’s racist legacy, George offers a fresh perspective on the world around us.
Delving into the music scene and crucial political and economic moments in history, this book provides the backstory of where we are today.
Honest, thought-provoking, and passionate, Track Record is a ground-breaking memoir by one of the UK’s most unique voices.

Word Central
2024-04-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Word Central Open mic poetry and spoken word.
Presented by Manchester Libraries and Flapjack Press.
Hosted by Tony Curry with special guest poet Andy Millican.
Our guest for April is Andy Millican, a multiple poetry competition winner who has had several poems broadcast on the BBC and is host of Glossop Open Mic at Glossop Labour Club. In 2018 he was invited to write and record a series of poems for the Hollingworth Lottery funded project Centenary Word War, and has also collaborated with Stockport Art Guild and artist Mark Sheeky. His debut collection, Nebulous, was published in 2019, raising money for Liverpool Eye Cancer Unit, and his latest, Something Wicked This Way Grows, was published in 2023.
Event host Tony Curry is a poet, playwright and workshop facilitator who runs literature-in-the-community projects with a specific leaning towards mental health and wellbeing. His work has been exhibited at Manchester’s museum and art galleries, and his play, The Teddy Bear, was staged at Contact Theatre. Tony’s solo spoken word shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and The Odyssey, performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, and he will be gigging his new show, Tall Tales for All Men, adapted from his collection Tall Tales for Tall Men Who Fall Well Short throughout the latter half of 2024.
Book your open mic slot from noon on Tues 9th April via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk.
N.B. Open mic slots are 3 minutes per performer. It is essential that you stay within this timeframe. Performance slots are 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.

Manchester British Sign Language Festival
2024-04-23 11:00 - 12:00
BSL (British Sign Language) is coming to Central Library! Join us for the first of two free taster sessions and see popular children’s stories come to vibrant, visual life by the wonderfully talented local BSL storyteller, Kate Tinston. A BSL English interpreter will provide voice over in English so non-signers and BSL signers can participate fully together. All little ones and their adults, students of BSL and anyone who is curious to see the beauty of signed stories is very welcome.
Free – booking required by emailing angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk or claire@bslcelebration.com

David Nicholls in Conversation
2024-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival
A welcome return to Manchester Literature Festival for one of the UK’s best loved authors. David Nicholls joins us to discuss his witty and engrossing new novel, You Are Here. The story of two lonely people, thirty-eight-year-old Marnie and forty-two-year-old Michael, battered by break-ups and the loss of the futures they’d hoped for. Brought together by a mutual friend, they embark on the Coast to Coast walk. As they travel through stunning landscapes and pouring rain, Marnie and Michael are reminded how to open up to new people, how to have fun in sometimes arduous conditions, and, ultimately, how to love.
David is the best-selling author of five previous novels including Starter for Ten, which has recently been turned into a musical, and One Day, which has been adapted into a new Netflix series starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall. He is also a talented screenwriter, garnering an Emmy nomination and a BAFTA win for best writer for his adaptation of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose novels, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Presented in partnership with LibraryLive, the Centre for New Writing, Creative Manchester and Waterstones Deansgate.
