Library Live

Christmas Retro Silent Disco!
2022-12-02 20:00 - 23:59 UTC | Performance Space
VERY FEW TICKETS LEFT. PRE-BOOKING ADVISED!
The ever popular Retro Silent Disco returns for a Christmas Special at Central Library!
Join DJ John Ryan for a night of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s pop classics, with a sprinkling of festive hits throughout. Bar open all night. Christmas jumpers and party gear recommended!
Doors open 8pm till midnight.

Manchester Celebrates International Day of Disabled People
2022-12-02 12:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Come and celebrate with Manchester City Council and the Young Creatives from Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People. There will be a panel discussion, “State of the Disabled Nation” with audience questions. As the Cost of Living crisis bites and austerity deepens, we will talk about the realities of disabled people’s lives and the issues revealed by the recent GM Big Disability Survey, and how we take action to defend and advance our Rights. This full program will also include an activism wall workshop, performances from disabled artists, and much more.
Free – please make a donation to support our cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Viva Vintage! featuring Wayne Hemingway MBE
2022-12-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Vintage and retro businesses are more popular than ever before. Ebay trading and other online platforms have made it easy to start a side hustle, but can you turn your hobby into a full time business?
As Affleck’s Palace turns 40 this year, Viva Vintage! explores the different aspects of running this type of enterprise. This three part event will cover:
Keynote speaker: Wayne Hemingway MBE- Is vintage more sustainable?
Our keynote speaker and special guest is Wayne Hemingway MBE from Hemingway Design. Wayne started his fashion career by selling items from his wardrobe at Kensington Market, and went on to co-found Red Or Dead. In 2010 Hemingway Design created their annual “Vintage Festival”. He is one of the UK’s most notable designers and we are thrilled to welcome him back to the BIPC Manchester.
Future Past – Selling on socials: Becky Chorlton from Becky’s Bazaar
Becky Chorlton started her successful online business Becky’s Bazaar to supplement her student income. Now only 24 she will talk about trading online using platforms like Instagram and DePop. Read more about Becky here
The Ups and Downs of Vintage Trading: Our expert panel of vintage traders including Maggie Harding from Garbo Antiques and Alistair from Vinyl Resting Place will discuss and take questions on how to survive the highs and lows of being self employed in the world of secondhand trading.
Retro refreshments included!
Free event – booking required

Tiki Black - EVENT CANCELLED
2022-11-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED
Award-winning musician and author Tiki Black released her sophomore album this year, which is entitled “The Sound Of The Broken Wand.” The Manchester-based artist, via Paris and Cameroon, has drawn inspiration from some of the best names in the industry worldwide to create memorable albums. The acclaimed second album received an Outstanding Legacy Award from The Akademia Music Awards as well as critical praise alluding to its timelessness, authenticity and quality. Entropy Mag (USA) underscores its “spellbinding beauty” and “grace.” Liverpool Sound and Vision (UK) calls it “influential,” “charming,” “uplifting,” and “outrageously cool.” Fatea magazine (UK) speaks of a “phenomenal album, full of soulful and haunting melodies that will capture your heart.”.
The author also bares her soul with her first book of the same name. This unique accompaniment to her second album is a collection of heartfelt poems and one essay. She weaves the wealth of her life into each line, from bouncing around the world to experiencing different peoples and settings, while evoking a sense of magic. Her unique voice blends Western and African cultures in a soothing way evoking both inner strength and fragility.
Tiki Black has been hailed as a true visionary for her writing and for her “bewitching” (Edgar Allan Poets), authentic and honest (The Next Gig – Netherlands, Entropy) performances. She now shares part of her innermost self as she launches her book and CD at Central Library.
Image credit: Lucy Ridges Photography

Explore Your Archives Week film screening
2022-11-28 17:30 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Film screening of Two and a Half Questions, followed by Q&A with director Clovis Lowe and producer Marsha Lowe. How has your race shaped your life and dreams? Two and a Half Questions is an exploration of the lives and aspirations of the Windrush generation and those who came after them. Working with a group of young people, filmmaker Clovis Lowe captured interviews with people of Caribbean and African heritage from all walks of life, from lawyers and dancers, to politicians, social workers and entrepreneurs. More info at twoandahalfquestions.com
Free – book your place here
Please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme, either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Fly On The Wall Press Christmas Celebrations!
2022-11-26 13:30 - 16:30 | Performance Space
Come celebrate four years of northern indie publishing with Fly on the Wall Press – bring your best Xmas outfit for a chance to win a prize!
The four year celebration of Fly on the Wall Press invites all members of the public both new and much-loved to be a part of our Christmas antics at Manchester Central Library.
There will be two rooms in the library’s performance space. One will be dedicated to workshops run by Fly on the Wall Press authors (paid, sign up in advance), the other a free space with book tables (FOTW books and publisher friends announced below) and a performance space, with an all day running schedule of poets and fiction writers.
We will be running a raffle for the chance to win a selection of free books and a competition for best dressed Christmas-themed outfit!
At the end of the day there will be a short talk from Managing Director of Fly on the Wall Press, Isabelle Kenyon, and a film.
Detail to be added as events develop but current running order of the afternoon…
Room 1:
Publisher tables: Saraband, Young Identity, Stairwell Books, Northodox, Hidden Voice Publishing, Fly on the Wall Press and Fawn Press.
1.35-1.55pm Fat Roland and David Hartley bring spoken word night ‘Bad Language’ vibes and ‘Fauna’ (longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize) has an outing!
1.55-2.05pm York much-loved publisher Stairwell Books’ Clint Wastling will perform poetry from Quiet Flows the Hull
2.05-2.15pm – Manchester award-winning publisher Saraband has a special appearance with author Adam Farrer
2.15-2.20pm – Bethany Rivers performs from 2019 chapbook, ‘the sea refuses no river’
2.20-2.40pm – Mancunian Ways Anthology: Performance medley from contributors Penny Sharman, Alicia Fitton, Fiona Boylan, David Keyworth, Joseph Darlington, Sarah Pritchard
2.40-2.50pm – Claire HM performs from ‘How To Bring Him Back’, part of our 2021 shorts season
2.50pm- 3.00pm Tom McColl reads from ‘Grenade Genie’, a 2020 full poetry collection
3.10-3.20pm Louise Finnigan performs from ‘Muscle and Mouth’, part of our 2021 shorts season
3.20pm – 3.30pm Demos Rising Anthology: Dipika Mummery, Caitlin Kendall
3.30-3.40pm Jiye Lee performs from ‘Aftereffects’
(Everyone now bundled into the other room for FOTW film showcase and slides – also includes prizes for best dressed Xmas outfit and raffle being drawn)
Room 2:
1.35pm – 2.15pm Ruth Brandt Workshop: ‘Starting with Place’ (Suitable for both fiction writers and poets! Bring a pen and paper.) Starting with Place – Places inspire us, evoke emotions and memories, restrict our behaviour, create conflict – core elements of stories and poems. Using written exercises, this workshop will help you investigate place as the starting point for your writing.
2.25pm – 3.05pm Graeme Hall and Clare Reddaway Workshop on building character (Come with a character you are currently working on developing for these exercises!) Writing is all about great characters, right? Explore ways to deepen your characters’ worlds and make them more three dimensional.
3.15-3.35pm Publisher Drop In (20 mins) – Pre-booked (full) consultation
3.45pm – 4.10pm – FREE – Isabelle Kenyon talk and short film featuring FOTW’s international authors
4.10-4.30pm – last chance to buy books before we close! 🙂

Male beauty vlogging in China: a masculinities perspective
2022-11-22 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Male beauty vlogging is flourishing in China despite fears of a masculinity ‘crisis’, sissyphobia and LGBT crackdowns. Key questions arise: To what extent does male beauty vlogging challenge the notion of a crisis of masculinity and offer new, positive gender expressions for men? To what extent does it reinforce hierarchical and oppressive formations of gender and sexuality? This talk, part of a series of talks from the Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester, analyses three male beauty vloggers’ promotion of a ‘fake-natural look for straight men’ involving non-visible makeup and examines another vlogger’s critique of the feminization of visible makeup-wearing men.
Free – book here

Rooms of Our Own
2022-11-14 08:00 - 2023-01-03 17:00 | Lwr Ground Floor – Manchester Histories Hub
A National Lottery Heritage Funded project to reveal the hidden ‘herstory’ of the Pankhurst Trust. Delivered in partnership with Manchester Histories. This exhibition displays the Pankhurst Trust’s organisational archive, now preserved for the public to access for the first time in Archives+. It will also premier a film Is the Fight Over? made by four young creatives in response to the archive.
Free – please drop in

Animated Immersive Experiences
2022-11-14 08:00 - 2022-11-17 17:00 | Performance Space
As part of Manchester Animation Festival 2022, some of the best immersive animated films and experiences from around the world are on offer. This programme is full of virtual reality and 360 films that showcase brave new worlds for animation fans to explore.
14 November, 1–7pm
15 November, 12 noon–7pm
16 November, 10am–7pm
17 November, 10am–4pm
Free – drop in – please consider making a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Cosgrove Hall Classics & Lupus Films on Loop
2022-11-14 08:00 - 2022-11-17 17:00 | Performance Space
Join Manchester Animation Festival for a selection of special free animation screenings on loop. Jump into classics from the iconic Manchester studio Cosgrove Hall such as Danger Mouse & The Wind in the Willows; and family favourites from Lupus Films like The Snowman and The Snowdog, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Tiger Who Came To Tea.
14 November, 1–7pm
15 & 16 November, 9.30am–7pm
17 November, 9.30am–4.30pm
Free – drop in – please consider making a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

BBC100 in Greater Manchester
2022-11-12 08:00 - 2022-12-31 17:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
This year the BBC celebrates its centenary. Archives+ has partnered with the BBC Archives and Greater Manchester’s ten archives services to select interesting local items from the BBC’s radio and TV archives. You can explore the new content on the Greater Manchester Place interactive at Archives+ showing content for each of the ten local authorities. The exhibition is supported by local and online activities around Greater Manchester.
Free – please consider making a donation if you can either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Launch of the Grass Roots Books Archive
2022-11-07 17:30 - 19:30 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Grass Roots Books was Manchester’s radical bookshop from 1971 to 1990, becoming the largest outside London and a worker’s co-operative. Former workers have collected memories and archive material about it. At this launch you will have the chance to see radical books and ephemera from the period. Archive material will also be on display in the library throughout November. We are seeking recollections from customers who visited the shop. Send your memories to grbhistory@gmail.com.
Free – just drop in

Crime Central
2022-11-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Crime Central returns in November with three more amazing writers!
Lauren North – writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and from her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.
Roger Price – spent over 30 years as a Detective Inspector in the Lancashire Police Force, the Regional Crime Squad and the National Crime Squad before leaving to concentrate fulltime on writing best selling crime novels.
Laure Van Rensburg – is a French writer living in the UK and an Ink Academy alumna. Her stories have appeared in online magazines and anthologies such as Litro Magazine, Storgy Magazine, The Real Jazz Baby, Best Anthology, Saboteur Awards 2020).
Hosted by the wonderful Rob Parker.
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.

Dominic Berry & John Darwin Book Launch
2022-11-01 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries invite you to the book launch of new poetry collections of two of Manchester’s finest.
John Darwin: Ultrasilence
From the provincial peccadilloes of Prestwich in Manchester to coffee houses and bars by the Bosporus in İstanbul, John Darwin explores life’s three stages of arriving, staying for a bit, and then leaving.
A poetic reflection on the ennui of the everyday, intermittent pleasures, and the quest to understand love and belonging from the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2021 Best Spoken Word Performance Award winner.
“Gets to grips with the parts of life we’d rather forget.” – Dave Morgan, Write Out Loud Co-founder
“From early doors to last orders, John Darwin’s poetry leaves us drunk on its honesty and thirsty for more.” – Tony Walsh AKA Longfella, Poet
Dominic Berry: YES LIFE
“How can I be now?”
This is a book charting one journey from challenging times to friendship and joy. To euphoric excitement and blissful rest, from old He-Man toys, choose-your-own-adventure books, moving music in grin-packed pubs and fantastic festivals, sublime seaside solitude, and many different ways for a person to play.
“Love is who we are.”
“Rhythmic, vibrant, and gentle, Yes Life is a love letter to the many ways in which we get to see the world.” – Desree, spoken word poet & educator
“A homage to youth, to growth, and to growing up. Whether it be the Latin rhythms of the paperback dancefloor or the 8-Bit energy of the nineties, Berry comes in full force.” – Alex Vellis, poet
AUTHOR PERFORMANCES, AUDIENCE Q&A, BOOK SIGNING – FREE ENTRY.
Content warning: Adult themes and language.

Manchester Loving Earth Project - Textile Exhibition
2022-10-28 08:00 - 2022-11-29 17:00 | Ground Floor
This exhibition of over 70 Loving Earth Project textile panels will be at six city centre venues in Manchester. Central Library is one of these venues and has 10 panels on display.
Each panel is individually crafted and depicts places, creatures and other things that the maker loves, but which are threatened by growing climate crisis and destruction.
More than 200 panels were displayed at COP26 in Glasgow and this Manchester exhibition will take place during COP27 in Egypt. Go to Archives, City (lending) and Music Libraries to see 2-3 panels in each location.
Also look out for leaflets about the whole city centre trail and a Reflections Book for your comments on the exhibition as well as the growing climate crisis.
Free – please drop in
Please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme, either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

We Are Carnival! Party
2022-10-27 14:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Explore historical carnival memories through archives via an exhibition, film provided by North West Film Archive, music by Manchester Carnival affiliated DJ and host Kemoy Walker, a family arts workshop by local artist Tina Ramos Ekongo, spoken word performances by Young Identity and delicious Caribbean food courtesy of Buzzrocks Caribbean Restaurant.
Book via www.racearchive.org.uk/events/black-history-month/

History of Carnival Workshops by Linford Sweeney
2022-10-26 14:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
The history of Caribbean Carnivals is much more complex than many realise. Carnival has origins based in colonialism and religious conversion, but it has now become a festival and celebration tied to freedom and emancipation from slavery. Learn about how established African-Caribbean communities transferred the traditions associated with carnival to Manchester as we explore the roots of the different aspects of carnival.

Wednesday 26 October at 2pm for families – suitable for age 10+

Book via www.racearchive.org.uk/events/black-history-month/

Word Central
2022-10-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Word Central
Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word presented by Manchester Libraries and Flapjack Press
Tues 25th October, 6.00pm – 7.30pm (doors open 5.30pm) Free entry
Hosted by Tony Curry with guest poet Stevie Turner
Book your open mic slot from noon on Tues 11th October via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk
NB Open mic slots are 3 minutes per performer
Performance slots are allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis from the stated booking day
If they are already filled you will be offered a space on the reserve list
Event host Tony Curry is a performance poet, playwright and workshop facilitator, who runs literature-in-the-community projects with a specific leaning towards mental health and wellbeing.
Tony’s solo spoken word shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and The Odyssey, performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. His play, The Teddy Bear, was staged at Manchester’s Contact Theatre and his work has been exhibited at the city’s art gallery and museum. His latest collection, We Kid Ourselves, was published by Flapjack Press in 2021.
September’s special guest Stevie Turner is a political and passionate poet whose work often pushes boundaries. Their debut collection Lost Decades was published this summer by Bent Key Publishing and is a personal yet relatable account of life without restrictive lines, examining the deep human connections we make throughout life. Stevie performed with the Northern Poetry Takeover at this year’s Brighton and Camden Fringe festivals and launched a new poetry event, Absinthe Nights, at Northern Monk earlier this month.

George Saunders in Conversation
2022-10-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
‘The best short story writer in English – not “one of”, not “arguably”, but the best’ – Time. In his latest short story collection, Liberation Day, George Saunders considers what it means to be human and a member of communities whose actions impact each other. Through inventive scenarios including an underground amusement park and a household with reprogrammed humans, George comments on current society, questioning whether this is the right way to live. Join us for what promises to be an unmissable conversation with a master of short stories on his first visit to the UK in five years, and his only event outside of London. George is the author of ten books including the Booker Prize winning Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December and his recent exploration of Russian short stories, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. Hosted by writer Kate Feld.
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

Natalie Haynes
2022-10-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes’ latest feminist mythological retelling, is the story of how a young woman became a monster. And how she was never really a monster at all. It’s the story of Medusa, the mortal raised by her Gorgon sisters, mistreated by Poseidon, and hunted by Perseus. It’s a version that sheds light on who’s really angry, who’s privileged, who’s wronged, who’s content, and who’s an arrogant brat; turning the story you think you know on its snake covered head.
Natalie is the author of three previous novels, The Amber Fury, shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize; The Children of Jocasta and A Thousand Ships, and non-fiction books The Ancient Guide to Modern Life and Pandora’s Jar. She is the writer and performer of the BBC Radio 4 show, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics. In 2015, she was awarded the Classical Association Prize for her work in bringing Classics to a wider audience. Hosted by Naomi Frisby, writer and co-host of Late To It podcast.
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

Susanna Clarke & Max Porter in Conversation
2022-10-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
Piranesi lives in the House. Having no memory of how he arrived or even who he is, Piranesi keeps careful records of the labyrinth of halls, the many statues and the weather. Once a week he meets his friend the Other, but he has no contact with any other living person until someone begins to leave him messages and the possibility arises that this perfectly constructed existence could crumble from within.
Piranesi won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021, the Red Tentacle prize at the Kitschies and was declared a Book of the Year in numerous publications. Susanna Clarke’s bestselling debut Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell won the British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year, the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award. It was turned into an acclaimed BBC television series. Susanna will be in conversation with Max Porter, award-winning writer of Lanny and Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, for her only in-person event this Autumn. Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

creative:connection
2022-10-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Performance Space
We are delighted to partner with the award-winning charity Create once again. The creative:connection project brings together disabled and non-disabled children to create, build connections and break down barriers. Children from four schools in Manchester and Salford joined forces with top class musicians to write songs and create new pieces of music inspired by nature and the environment, which they will perform at this special celebration event.
Tickets are free – booking essential. Email miriam@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Mariana Enriquez & Max Porter in Conversation
2022-10-20 19:00 | Performance Space
‘“Is it true?” Gaspar had asked. “Is it true that the dead travel fast?” His father had finally looked up and said, simply: “Some do.”’ Argentinian mistress of dark literature, Mariana Enriquez joins us in Manchester to discuss her superb, brutal novel Our Share of Night (translated by Megan McDowell). Gaspar is six years old when the Order first come for him. For years, they have exploited his father’s ability to commune with the dead and the demonic, presiding over macabre rituals where the unwanted and the disappeared are tortured and executed, sacrificed to the Darkness. Now they want a successor. The novel spans the brutal decades of Argentina’s military dictatorship and its aftermath, offering a critique of its rule.
Mariana is the author of the short story collections Things We Lost in the Fire and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (also translated by Megan McDowell), which was shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize. Our Share of Night was awarded the prestigious Premio Herralde de Novela. Mariana will be in conversation with Max Porter, award-winning writer of Lanny and Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. Presented in partnership with Instituto Cervantes.
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

After Sylvia
2022-10-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
With Moniza Alvi, Romalyn Ante, Rebecca Goss, Ian Humphreys & Carola Luther
One of the most dynamic and admired American writers of the 20th Century, Sylvia Plath’s legacy as a fiercely intelligent, confessional feminist poet and novelist continues to inspire generation after generation. After Sylvia: Poems & Essays in Celebration of Sylvia Plath marks the 90th anniversary of Sylvia Plath’s birth. At this special event, poets Moniza Alvi, Romalyn Ante, Rebecca Goss, Ian Humphreys & Carola Luther will perform new work inspired by and responding to Sylvia Plath’s work and legacy, drawing on the themes of Rebirth, Womanhood, Magic, Mothers & Fathers and Nature.
Moniza Alvi has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize three times with her collections The Country at My Shoulder, Europa and At the Time of Partition. Romalyn Ante is the author of Antiemetic for Homesickness which was shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize and longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Rebecca Goss is the author of four poetry collections. Her Birth was shortlisted for the 2013 Forward Prize for Best Collection. She is winner of the Sylvia Plath Prize 2022.  Carola Luther is the author of three poetry collections. Her most recent collection On the Way to Jerusalem Farm is shortlisted for the Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry. Ian Humphreys is a writer and editor. His debut collection Zebra was nominated for the Portico Prize and his work has been highly commended in the Forward Prizes for Poetry. He is the producer and co-editor of After Sylvia.
Presented in partnership with Manchester Poetry Library.
This event will be BSL interpreted
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

Nick Hornby: Dickens & Prince
2022-10-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
At first glance, it seems unlikely that the white English Victorian writer Charles Dickens and the Black American musician Prince Rogers Nelson have anything in common. But as two of Nick Hornby’s ‘artists who have shaped me, inspired me, made me think about my own work’ he set out to see whether there was anything he could learn from these two great artists and their prolific bodies of work. What did they do with their phenomenal talent? Did it damage them in some way, personally, professionally? Is there any way of knowing where it came from? Did it kill them?
With wit, curiosity and deep admiration Nick Hornby traces their extraordinary lives – from their difficult beginnings to the women they fell for to their limitless energy for work, to their money and the movies – and brilliantly illuminates their very particular kind of genius. Come along and find out more. Nick is the bestselling author of eight novels including Just Like You, High Fidelity and About a Boy and several works of nonfiction including Fever Pitch. He has also written several award-winning screenplays including Brooklyn, Wild and State of the Union. Nick will be in conversation with broadcaster and Observer critic Alex Clark. This event is sponsored by Weightmans.
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

Little Reads Family Day
2022-10-15 10:30 - 12:30 | Performance Space
Looking for a fun way to introduce children to important environmental issues? Sarah Roberts, author of the acclaimed Somebody Swallowed Stanley, will be sharing her latest beautifully illustrated book Somebody Woke Wilson. For millions of years, Wilson has slept toasty deep underground, along with billions of other carbon atoms. But when Wilson is suddenly woken, he is swept away on a startling adventure.
Sarah will be joined by our wonderful Little Reads artist Nanya Lad providing a big fun craft session making recycled craft to take home. You can also go on an adventure around Central Library with our Earth Activity Trail. Collect your activity sheet and follow the big footprints to learn about the world around you. Collect your prize at the end!
Suitable for ages 3 – 6 (please note all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult)
Book on 0343 208 0500 or ‘book now’ link below

From Millworkers to Millennials: Jean Hobson
2022-10-14 08:00 - 2022-12-17 17:00 | First Floor Exhibition Hall
From Millworkers to Millennials: paintings, drawings and screen prints by Jean Hobson

When Jean Hobson started drawing Manchester’s old buildings in 2007, she did not realise she was charting a pivotal moment in the City’s history.

This new body of work explores the story of Manchester’s second renaissance. It looks at how the city’s rich architectural heritage shares its space with the bold new buildings which make the city such an exciting place in which to live, work and relax.

Jean takes an original and colourful look at Manchester’s vibrant transformation, she hopes visitors will take a fresh look at their surroundings, appreciating the past and celebrating the present.
Free – please consider making a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Nihal Arthanayake: Let’s Talk
2022-10-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
Award-winning BBC broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake brings a defibrillator to our ailing ability to connect through conversation. In Let’s Talk: How to Have Better Conversations, Nihal considers what’s happened to discourse, both public and private, over recent years. How Brexit, lockdown and social media have led to division, monologues, and a lack of in-person discussions. Through skills honed by his career on radio and, ultimately, the beauty of connection shown to him by his mother, Nihal shares with us all how we can become better conversationalists, bridge divides, and become less lonely.
Nihal has built a platform of 1.2 million listeners a week on BBC Radio 5 Live who regard him as one of the best people of his generation at having public conversations. He is the winner of two Sony Gold Awards, a BBC Radio and Music Award for Interview of the Year and was inducted into the Radio Academy’s Hall of Fame in his 40s. Hosted by poet and writer Andrew McMillan.
Tickets £10 / £8. Book on 0343 208 0500

Monica Ali
2022-10-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
The bestselling and much-loved author of Brick Lane, Monica Ali visits MLF to celebrate her brilliant new novel Love Marriage, her first book in a decade. Yasmin’s engaged to fellow Junior Doctor Joe, but when they bring the two families together – one love-matched, long-married Bengali immigrants who thrive on home cooking and the other a single white middle-class feminist academic writing on porn who gets the caterers in for parties – cracks appear in everyone’s lives and stories that have long been told have to be rewritten with significant consequences.
Monica Ali is the author of five novels which have been translated into 26 languages. Her debut, Brick Lane, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and led to her being chosen as one of Granta’s 2003 Best of Young British Novelists. A television adaptation of Love Marriage is in development.
Tickets £12 / £10. Book on 0343 208 0500

Damon Galgut in Conversation
2022-10-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
One family, four decades, four funerals, one unfulfilled promise. Winner of the 2021 Booker Prize, Damon Galgut joins us to discuss his masterpiece The Promise, a gripping, beautifully written family saga based around a farm in South Africa. Through the members of the Swart family, Damon explores personal and political change as the family splinters and apartheid ends, questioning whether reparations for Black South Africans can ever be sufficient. The Promise was a Book of the Year in The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times and the New Statesman. Author of nine novels and four plays, Damon was previously twice shortlisted for the Booker Prize with The Good Doctor and In a Strange Room. Hosted by broadcaster and Observer critic Alex Clark and presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.
This event will be BSL interpreted
Tickets £12 / £10. Book on 0343 208 0500 or via ‘Book Now’ link below
