What's on

An Evening with Alexander McCall Smith

Performance Space

20 years ago, Precious Ramotswe established The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Gabarone, Botswana. The subsequent novels in Alexander McCall Smith’s series became a literary phenomenon, and have since been translated into 46 different languages. A prolific and much-loved writer, Alexander has written and contributed to over 100 books, and his series, 44 Scotland […]

£10

Fun Palaces

Performance Space

'Everyone an Artist, Everyone a Scientist' Come along to the Fun Palace for a day filled with crafts, skills, demonstrations and activities. Listen, watch, take part, share and get inspired! You'll find Fun Palaces across the city on Saturday 6 October at: Fallowfield  10.30-12.30 Wythenshawe Forum  2.00-4.00 North City  12.00-4.00 Longsight  12.00-4.00 funpalaces.co.uk Free - just drop in

Azita Ghahreman & Maura Dooley

Performance Space

One of Iran’s leading poets, Azita Ghahreman’s work is lyrical and intimate, addressing themes of loss, exile and female desire, as well as the changing face of her country. Her latest collection, Negative of a Group Photograph, brings together three decades of poems brought to life in English by the poet Maura Dooley, working in […]

Pat Barker: The Silence of the Girls

Performance Space

The tale of Achilles and the Trojan War has been told many times, but what about the stories of the women? In The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker imagines The Iliad from the perspective of Briseis, the former queen awarded to Achilles as a prize of war. Drawing together the feminist focus of her […]

£10

Take Ten With The Writing Squad

Performance Space

You have ten minutes. Ten minutes to go anywhere you like, with anyone, in any time - the past, the future, in this world, out of this world - where would you go? Open a book and read yourself there, pick up a pen and write yourself away. Stay close to home, enter a different dimension, go […]

I’m Torn to Pieces Dear Poet, Come to my Rescue… by Firoozeh Fozouni

City Library

Part of the Journeys Festival International event Ancient Objects, New Writing. Firoozeh Fozouni will perform her work and talk about the project along with members of the Journeys Festival International and Manchester Museum curatorial teams. Firoozeh  was born in Iran and is a Poet, Author, Painter, Visual Artist and Musician. She has published 5 books of poetry - 12 of her books were not allowed to be distributed and […]

Free

Mohammed Hanif in Conversation 

Performance Space

Q: What do an American pilot who’s crashed in the desert, a teenager full of money-making schemes, and a dog suffering through a very bad day have in common? A: They all narrate the new, hilariously funny novel, Red Birds, by acclaimed author Mohammed Hanif (A Case of Exploding Mangoes). Through the inhabitants of the […]

£7

Carol Ann Duffy, Suzanne Batty & Clare Shaw

Performance Space

Come and celebrate the launch of three of the most anticipated and emotionally charged poetry books of the year. Carol Ann Duffy’s final collection as Poet Laureate, Sincerity, is a frank, disarming and deeply moving exploration of loss and remembrance in their many forms. Carol Ann has received numerous awards for her candid and heartfelt […]

£10

Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible

Performance Space

You have to see it to be it, so the saying goes. But Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené were struggling to find awe-inspiring, amazing and relatable black British female role models, because society rarely permits these women to be seen and heard. To remedy this, they wrote Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible, […]

£8

Family Reading Day

Performance Space

Join us for a day of fictional fun as popular children’s authors, illustrators and performers bring stories to life. Be sure to pack your imagination, and take an unforgettable journey to Moominvalley where everyone is welcome, nature thrives and adventures are plentiful.  Join multi-award winning author and illustrator Steve Antony and his lovable character, Mr […]

£4

Dashehra Diwali Mela: Lantern making workshops

City Library

Make a fabulous lantern for Dashehra Diwali Mela celebrations at these free family workshops. All those taking part in either workshop will join the main procession onSaturday 20 October, leading into the spectacular finale performance and firework display in Albert Square. Don't miss the chance to be part of this exciting event!   For families […]

Graham Caveney & Howard Cunnell with Julie Hesmondhalgh

What does it mean to be a man and how is that shaped by adolescence? In his memoir, The Boy with the Perpetual Nervousness, Graham Caveney details his upbringing as a working-class boy in Accrington. His world is changed by the discovery of literature, music and his acceptance to the local Catholic grammar school. At […]

£7