Central Library’s Big Language Celebration
2025-09-13 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Performance Space
Do you speak more than one language? Want to find out more about the languages spoken in Manchester? Then join us for an engaging exploration of our foreign language archives, where visitors can uncover stories, documents, and cultural treasures from Manchester’s amazingly diverse communities.
Performance Schedule
1.30pm Welcome by the Portuguese Consulate
1.45pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
2pm Portuguese poetry reading with Eugénia Azevedo and José Dias
2.15pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
2.30pm Greek poetry reading with Mandy Kotsopoulou, Iason Andreadakis, Doreta Boultouka and Spyros Pantos
2.45pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
3pm Prose and poetry reading in Hungarian with Dr Szilvi Naray and Zotmund Jakab
3.15pm Irish storytelling with Neysa Killeen
Free – please drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Children’s Voices and Archives for Community Action: the Marcus Rashford Mural Collection
2025-09-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Join us as we offer a rare glimpse into this significant collection, much of which is created by children. Read their messages, thoughts and feelings as they voice their inspiring stand, united against bullying and racism.
In 2021 following a missed EUFA penalty, a community-funded mural in Withington of local footballer Marcus Rashford was defaced with racist messages. The community responded with heartfelt messages of support for Marcus which snowballed into a collective demonstration of solidarity and a united stand against racism and online hate. Manchester Archives carefully collected these messages which now form an unique collection and has inspired the creation of an educational resource for children and communities. This will be centred on themes of community action, empathy and the power of the collective.
Free – please drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

An evening with Katherine Rundell
2025-09-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
We are delighted to welcome bestselling author Katherine Rundell to Manchester to celebrate the release of The Poisoned King!
The mesmerising follow-up to Rundell’s Waterstones Book of the Year 2023-winning Impossible Creatures finds Christopher embroiled in an elaborate rescue mission as he returns to the magical world of the Archipelago.
Katherine joins us at Manchester Central Library for a talk, audience Q&A and signing. Please note that Katherine will sign all books bought from Waterstones on the day of the event, but due to time restraints and to make sure that all readers have a chance to get their book signed, Katherine will only be able to sign one book brought from home
About The Poisoned King
The dragons call out, and the ratatoskas tell of murder.
Come with us now. There is justice to be done.

Return to the Archipelago – the secret place in our world where all the creatures of myth still live and thrive, for a rescue mission like no other. The Poisoned King is the second book in the epic Impossible Creatures fantasy series from bestselling author Katherine Rundell.
When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face, his heart leaps for joy. For months he’s dreamed of returning to the Archipelago. But he did not know it would involve a rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, or a plan to enter a dragon’s lair. Nor did he imagine it would involve a girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket and a ravenous hunger for justice…
About the author
KATHERINE RUNDELL is a multi-million-bestselling author whose novels for children have won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Costa Children’s Book Award, among many others. Impossible Creatures was Waterstones Book of the Year 2023, and in 2024 Katherine was named the British Book Awards Author of the Year and Impossible Creatures won the Children’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where she works on Renaissance literature. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize. Very occasionally she goes climbing across the rooftops of Oxford, late at night.

Reading, Rhyming, Remembering: Children's education from the Past
2025-09-18 13:30 - 15:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Explore how children learned Pre-20th Century and Early 1900s, through images, storybooks, rhymes, and moral tales. A fun and nostalgic exhibition for schools and families—where learning met imagination!
Discover the storybook world of early childhood learning at Manchester Council’s Heritage Open Day. This special exhibition showcases a rich collection of children’s books published Pre-20th Century and Early 1900s with some older material from the previous centuries, offering a fascinating glimpse into how young minds were shaped through literature. From 17th-century spelling books and moral tales to 19th-century fairy stories and educational chapbooks, the display reveals how storytelling, rhyme, and repetition were central to teaching reading, values, and imagination. Visitors will encounter beautifully illustrated texts, religious tracts, nature guides, and playful primers that reflect the evolving techniques used in schools and homes. Whether it’s Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Aesop’s fables, or Victorian nursery rhymes, each book tells a tale of how children once learned to navigate the world. Ideal for families, educators, and literature lovers, this event invites you to explore the roots of children’s education and the enduring power of books to inspire, instruct, and delight.
Free – drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Saturday Spectacular: Lowry Takeover
2025-09-20 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Come join the Lowry at Central Library and get involved in some fantastic fun for all the family. Enjoy arts and crafts, interactive storytelling and engaging workshops. There will also be the chance to watch family classics on the big screen, and more!
Free – more info to follow
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Ghastly Stories for Gruesome Gremlins -EVENT CANCELLED
2025-09-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Children’s Library
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.AND WILL BE RESCEHDULED IN THE FUTURE
A Spooky & Silly Storytelling Show for 7+ told by Gav Cross. Gav does not believe in ghosts, has never seen a ghost, doesn’t think there are monsters under his bed. But he cannot get enough of the stories that give him the chill. Expect gasps and giggles and maybe even a chill down the back of the neck? Suitable for ages 7+
Free – just drop in.
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Libraries 175: Celebrating 175 years of the Public Libraries Act 1850
2025-09-22 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | First Floor
Pop in and view this fascinating exhibition at Central Library – Libraries 175: Celebrating 175 years of the Public Libraries Act 1850.
175 years ago the Public Libraries Act was passed, which allowed Local Authorities to raise taxes to fund free public libraries. The borough of Manchester was the first borough in the country to open a free public library under the new Public Libraries Act. Manchester Free Library opened on 6th September 1852 at Campfield.
Commenting on the exhibition, Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said:
‘Libraries are more than books and always have been. They play an important role at the heart of our communities, providing huge opportunities for learning and community engagement. The legacy of the Public Libraries Act reminds us that we need to keep investing in these vital spaces and adapting them to make them relevant for the communities they serve. Libraries have always been places of inspiration which is why they deserve our continued support.’
Neil MacInnes, OBE, Head of Service, Libraries, Galleries and Culture said:
‘Manchester has a proud history of investing in its libraries. We work hard to ensure they remain relevant to our communities, adapting and changing to the current needs and we will continue to look after and promote libraries for future generations. They are and will continue to be the heart and soul of learning, development and nourishment and long may they remain so.’
Free – please drop in.
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Mystery International Film Screening
2025-09-22 17:30 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Welcome to the sixth edition of Manchester Central Library’s International Film Club’s Mystery Screening series.
Event Details:
• Doors open: 17:00
• Introduction to the film: 17:25
• Film starts: 17:30
• Entry: Pay what you can (recommended donation of £3)
• Popcorn: FREE!
• Drinks: Grab a coffee, tea, or soft drink from the fully stocked café!
To celebrate half a years’ worth of screenings, we’ll be revisiting all of the countries we’ve already visited in the film club so far. As we usually have five films to pick from this month will be no exception, the only difference is that the five films have all been selected from the winning countries we’ve had before.
We’ve made it easier to vote. You can now select your favourite film on the order form! Just fill in your details as usual, on the next page you can then select which of these five films you want us to screen.
This month’s contenders are:
Heart of Glass (1976, Germany)
A minor work from one of the major voices in international cinema, Werner Herzog’s Heart of Glass is an oft overlooked, spellbinding look at an 18th century town’s slow descent into madness as they try to discover the secrets of ruby glass that are lost of the death of the master glassblower. The legend says this film was shot with the cast entirely under hypnosis – for real- to create the alien, detached feel of the piece.
The Given Word (1962, Brazil)
A man’s donkey falls sick in this didactic faith vs judgement story about a man keeping his pact with his religion after he promises to carry a cross like Jesus across the country if his donkey is cured. Vicious at the folly of man and the corruption of religious institutions, Duarte’s film is an underseen gem of Brazilian cinema.
The Red Spectacles (1987, Japan)
From the director of the seismic anime classic Ghost in the Shell, Mamoru Oshii’s The Red Spectacles, is a live-action foray into a future world full of political turmoil, barbaric police juggernauts and conspiracy – all presented through a cartoonish, light-hearted riff on the noir films of the 40s. The first in the directors mammoth Kerberos saga, one of the most tonally fascinating sci-fi series from Japan.
Hit The Road (2021, Iran)
A family embarks on a long road trip to drop their eldest son off on a journey he won’t be retuning from, along the way we learn of the deep family bonds through laughter and tears and the beautiful yet dangerous landscapes they have to endure. A touching debut from a second-generation Iranian film director.
Exiled (2006, Hong Kong)
Bitterness, brotherhood, honour and dishonour ripple through every splendidly staged shot in Johnnie To’s modern crime classic that stands as a testament to a new era in Hong Kong filmmaking. Anchored in the camaraderie – and duplicity- of its ensemble cast, Exiled is pure cinema – focused on camera movements, action and powerful performances.

Not just any old iron! Afternoon Lecture
2025-09-23 13:00 - 14:15 | 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 of its original 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, furniture, the Albert Memorial, Albert Square and the original lighting.
Join us in Central Library for a chance to hear from Will Jones and Peter Meehan of Heritage Project Contracts. The lecture is free to attend but please book your place.
In this lecture we’ll be learning about the conservation, preservation and restoration of historic ironwork, some of which can be seen around the building: from the dizzying heights of the golden ball that tops our clock tower and cast iron brattishing on our complex series of roofs, to the enormous – and very cumbersome – portcullis gates in the basement.
Tuesday 23 September2025, The Performance Space, Central Library
Session #1 – 12.45pm arrival for a 1pm start (ends 2.15pm)
Session #2 – 5.15pm arrival for a 5.30pm start (ends 6.45pm)
The lecture is free but you’ll need to book your ticket online.

Not just any old iron! Evening Lecture
2025-09-23 17:30 - 18:45 | Performance Space

Crafting Connections - Autumn Workshops
2025-09-24 14:00 - 2025-11-26 16:00 | Lwr Ground Floor – Manchester Histories Hub
Following a hugely positive response to our spring and summer workshops, Manchester Histories is delighted to offer a brand-new series of 10 weekly (every Wednesday) crafting connections sessions this autumn.
These workshops bring people together through fun, hands-on heritage-inspired activities like weaving, singing, sketching and storytelling. Designed with well-being and connection in mind, each session offers a chance to try something new, spark memories, and share experiences in a relaxed and friendly setting over a brew.
Previous participants described the workshops as “uplifting” and “inspiring,” with many saying they helped them reconnect with their creativity, meet new people, and reflect on their own histories.
While especially suited to people aged 55+, these sessions are open to anyone who enjoys creativity, learning about shared history, and conversation.
Free – every Wednesday – book here

Crime Central Returns!
2025-09-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Get it in your diaries!!

Crime Central returns 24th September with a monster! Jo Furniss, Louisa Scarr, KJ Whitle and Michael Wodd will all be joining Rob Parker at Manchester Central Library. Don’t miss it!
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.

Ear Soup - Acoustic Food for the Soul
2025-09-27 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Join us in the Henry Watson Music Library for one hour of musical magic.
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

Word Central
2025-09-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
Word Central Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word.
Presented by Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries.
Doors open 5.40pm and free entry.
Hosted by Tony Curry with special guest Lisa Moore.
Book your open mic slot from noon on Tuesday 16th September 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.
Our special guest Lisa Moore is a Salford-born spoken word artist, actor, writer, and scriptwriter whose work blends sharp humour with bold feminist themes. Her debut poetry collection, And She Dances (Big White Shed, 2023), has been praised by leading voices including Henry Normal, Kate Fox, and Ellen Taylor. She is now preparing to publish her second collection, Pickled Women, and will feature her full Pickled Women show at Morecambe Poetry Festival 2025.
Event host Tony Curry is a performance poet, playwright and workshop facilitator. Raised in Crawley by English and South African parents, he has lived and worked in Manchester for three decades, running literature-in-the-community projects with a specific leaning towards mental health and wellbeing. His play, The Teddy Bear, was staged at Manchester’s Contact Theatre, whilst his solo spoken word shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and The Odyssey, performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. Tony has recently toured his solo show Tall Tales for All Men, adapted from his collection Tall Tales for Tall Men Who Fall Well Short (Flapjack Press, 2012), at the Brighton Fringe and Chorlton Arts festivals.

Macdara Yeates and Jennifer Reid
2025-10-01 08:00 - 17:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Join us for a special performance featuring Macdara Yeates and Jennifer Reid trading ballads and broadsides on related topics to illustrate the shared cultures of Dublin and Manchester and the song traditions that would have been active in the two cities in the industrial revolution.
Macdara Yeates is an Irish folk singer. Born and raised in Dublin, Yeates is one of a crop of artists associated with the recent resurgence of young folk talent in the Irish capital, alongside acts such as Lankum, Ye Vagabonds, and Landless. In 2012, Macdara became a founding member of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, a monthly Dublin folk gathering, counting such luminaries as Lisa O’Neill, Ian Lynch and Radie Peat (Lankum) among its earliest attendees. Following the release of Traditional Singing from Dublin, Macdara was nominated for two RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards, including a nomination for ‘Best Folk Singer’ alongside Ríognach Connolly, Cathy Joran and Christy Moore.
‘Macdara Yeates is a mighty chanter‘ – Christy Moore
Jennifer Reid is a performer of nineteenth century Lancashire dialect and Victorian broadside ballads. Folk music has lost its way, and people have lost track of their geographical heritage. The working classes made music as a provocation and this is a tradition Jennifer continues.

“Lancashire dialect and Victorian Broadside ballad singer Jennifer Reid is brutally honest, powerful and authentic. Reid deserves our attention and embodies the gritty, honest truth of folk music. Reid reminds us that the streets, pubs and alleyways is where folk lives and not behind the glass of the studio.” – Folkmylife.co.uk

Jennifer plays the character of Barb in Shane Meadows’ period drama The Gallows Pole. She has supported Pulp, John Cooper Clarke, for Chanel’s prestigious Metiers d’Art show, and is in the second year of touring with Eliza Carthy. In April 2025, she toured Aotearoa’s north island to critical acclaim and rave reviews.

‘She is singing our belonging to our land, history, ancestry, with streetwise modernity’ – Casey Orr
Free – drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Names, Traditions and Meanings Exhibition Launch
2025-10-02 15:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Come and join Amani Creatives CIC at the launch of The National Heritage Lottery funded FUMBO Exhibition and event to explore the heritage of naming traditions of African communities in North West England. Enjoy free music, dance and drumming workshops, face painting and African cuisine. Exhibition runs 2-31 October 2025 near the café area, ground floor.
More info: Amani Creatives | African Arts [amanicreatives.wordpress.com]
Free drop in
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

ABBA: Over 50's Party!
2025-10-04 13:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.
IT’S THE ABBA OVER 50’S PARTY!
Take a chance on a super trouper afternoon at Central Library. Two hours of Abba classics to celebrate Older People’s Day!

Featuring the fab solo Abba tribute artist ‘One of Us’!
Mama Mia * Money Money Money * Fernando * Super Trouper * SOS * One of Us * * Take a Chance * Lay Your Love On Me * Gimme Gimme * Thank You For The Music * Dancing Queen * Does Your Mother Know * Voulez-Vous * Chiquitita *
All over 50’s and family and friends welcome. Tables seat 8 people so larger groups may not be seated together.
As an extra treat, we’ll be offering free hot drinks and cake at the interval. You can also get a discount on a range of food and drinks at the Central Library Cafe.

Fun Palaces
2025-10-04 13:00 - 15:00
Join us for this free family event where people come together to share their skills, passions and interests! Meet a professional beekeeper, get involved with some ABBA-themed crafts, and much more! Visit www.librarylive.co.uk for more info.
Free entry – just drop in.

Full Volume Episode 9 ft. Kate Mosse, Jackie Kay, & MLF25
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-31 | Online
Full Volume returns for something of a Manchester Literature Festival Special this October.
With the festival now marking its 20th Anniversary, host Alan Lynch chats to the acclaimed author Kate Mosse about her two upcoming appearances at Central Library this month, and gets the scoop on her latest book ‘Feminist History for Every Day of the Year’.
There’s also a candid interview with MLF Co-Director Cathy Bolton, who shares her personal highlights from the last 20 years of the festival, while offering her top tips for the 2025 edition that’s due to take over multiple venues across the city between 11-26th October.
Elsewhere, Gary Parkinson heads down to Chorlton Library to sit down with former MLF star and esteemed Scottish poet, playwright and novelist Jackie Kay. Listen out for a reading of her classic poem ‘George Square’.
In honour of National Coming Out Day 2025 on 11th October, some of the Manchester Libraries staff share their own experiences of coming out, featuring a range of stories that are sincere, warm hearted, and humorous.
Plus, there’s plenty of What’s On Tips for the month ahead, and top preview picks to help you navigate the wealth of events on at the Manchester Literature Festival.
Tune-in and turn it up!
Stream it on all major services here:
https://push.fm/fl/actjsf7o-80012-96971-32630-87408-90983

Cultural Welcome Week - 6-12 October
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-13 | Ground Floor
Calling all students!
Manchester Central Library is getting involved with the Oxford Road Corridor’s #CulturalWelcomeWeek.
With events in venues up and down Oxford Road 6-12 October, at Central Library we’re inviting new students to the city to come and join us for a host of FREE activities…
Share your passions for Manga and Anime, Chess, Board Games, Crochet, and Music, at our Central Library Clubs – open to all.
Practice your English and meet new mates at our Conversation Club (ESOL).
Or get a sneak peak behind the scenes of one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings with special guided tours for students throughout the week.
Please come and say hello to Central Library and make it your new home from home!
Welcome to Manchester!
The full itinerary can be found below:

Let’s Talk Money – Exclusive Book Launch and Talk
2025-10-07 17:45 - 19:30 | Performance Space
As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we’re proud to welcome Tynan Matembe. This award-winning money coach, global speaker and passionate advocate for financial inclusion will be launching her new book, Conquer Your Financial Giants: Proven Steps to Master Your Money and Build Wealth.
Free – booking advised via Eventbrite

Manchester Literature Festival presents Simon Armitage
2025-10-11 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Poet Laureate and Festival favourite Simon Armitage returns to Manchester Literature Festival to read from his two new collections, Dwell and New Cemetery.
In Dwell, inspired by the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, Armitage brings to life the fragile homes of animals and insects, blurring the lines between human and creature, nature and artifice. Rich with riddle, folklore and environmental insight, the poems are a vibrant celebration of life’s ingenuity, beautifully complemented by illustrations from Beth Munro.
New Cemetery, written during lockdown walks near his West Yorkshire home, is a lyrical and often wry reflection on mortality, loss and landscape, beginning with the transformation of a local beauty spot into a graveyard and reflecting the changing world.
Born in West Yorkshire, Simon is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds, a celebrated translator, novelist, playwright, and recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. His collections include Seeing Stars, The Unaccompanied and Magnetic Field.
Don’t miss this chance to hear one of Britain’s most beloved poets live. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Hallé Ancoats Community Choir
2025-10-11 12:00 - 13:30
The Hallé Ancoats Community Choir was founded in 2014 to bring the joy of communal singing into the heart of Ancoats. Led by inspiring choral conductor Stuart Overington, the Community Choir sings regularly across city centre locations and has performed at numerous special events including: ‘With One Voice’ Manchester Arena commemoration; the ‘Somme 100’ event at Heaton Park; and at the Manchester Classical festival in June this year.
Schedule:
12.00-12.20: 1st Performance in the Henry Watson Music Library (first floor)
12.20-12:45: Break
12:50- 13:10: 2nd Performance in Shakespeare Hall (ground floor)
Free – 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

Manchester Literature Festival presents Sarah Hall & Daisy Johnson
2025-10-11 15:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Join us for a captivating afternoon with two of Britain’s most original literary talents, Sarah Hall and Daisy Johnson, as they discuss their haunting new books exploring nature, myth, folklore and the female body.
In Helm, Sarah Hall (twice Booker Prize–nominated, winner of the BBC National Short Story Award) conjures a ferocious wind in the Eden Valley into a living, ancient force -worshipped, feared, and now under threat from human interference. It’s a story of obsession, ecology, and our enduring connection to the natural world.
In The Hotel, Daisy Johnson (Booker-shortlisted author of Everything Under) invites us into a gothic, mysterious building in the Fens, built on cursed land and steeped in strange power. Women enter and emerge changed — or never leave at all.
Together, these two acclaimed writers explore the elemental forces that shape both landscape and self.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. Supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below.

Manchester Literature Festival presents Jennie Godfrey & Andrev Walden
2025-10-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
MLF are sorry to announce that due to unavoidable personal reasons Jennie Godfrey is now unable to take part in this event. The event will however still be going ahead with Andrev Walden in conversation with Naomi Frisby.
See debut authors Jennie Godfrey and Andrev Walden discuss their brilliant, best-selling novels, The List of Suspicious Things and Bloody Awful in Different Ways, at this intimate event. From 1980s Yorkshire to 1980s Sweden, both novels offer rich portraits of communities seen through the eyes of unforgettable young narrators, navigating secrets, shifting relationships and growing up in a changing world.
A Sunday Times bestseller, Jennie Godfrey’s The List of Suspicious Things follows 12-year-old Miv and her best friend Sharon as they investigate a string of disappearances in their Yorkshire neighbourhood.
Andrev Walden’s vivid and tender coming-of-age story, Bloody Awful in Different Ways (translated by Ian Giles), follows young Andrev as he grows up surrounded by a rotating cast of ‘fathers’ – seven in seven years. His debut novel was winner of the prestigious August Prize and a runaway bestseller in Sweden. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by the Swedish Arts Council, the Embassy of Sweden, UK and Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Stories From Sweden: Lisa Ridzén & Agnes Lidbeck
2025-10-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Explore the work of two of Sweden’s most acclaimed contemporary writers, Lisa Ridzén and Agnes Lidbeck, as they discuss their powerful debut novels and the shared themes of care, memory and emotional resilience.
In When the Cranes Fly South (translated by Alice Menzies), international bestseller and Swedish Book of the Year winner Lisa Ridzén offers a moving and quietly devastating portrait of ageing and autonomy. As Bo faces the end of his life, the looming loss of his dog and fractured relationship with his son trigger a tender reflection on love, regret, and fatherhood.
“The kind of book you give to someone when you’re really trying to say, “I’ve been thinking about you” but don’t know how.” – Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove
In Supporting Act (translated by Nichola Smalley), Agnes Lidbeck explores female identity with razor-sharp precision. As Anna devotes herself to motherhood and caregiving, she loses sight of her own desires – until an affair challenges the roles she’s accepted and forces her to confront her true self. Agnes Lidbeck is one of Sweden’s most prominent and versatile contemporary writers.
Supported by the Swedish Arts Council in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden, UK, as part of the Stories From Sweden programme. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

South Manchester Camera Club Exhibition
2025-10-13 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 | First Floor
South Manchester Camera Club 2025 Exhibition of Members’ Images.
SMCC welcomes everyone to visit Manchester Central library to view a wide selection of members’ images. Pictures have been captured across a wide section of our members representing their individual skill, technique and style. SMCC is an active, friendly and progressive photography club offering a wide range of speakers, outings and events.
The Club was formed in June 1952 by a group of friends in Didsbury, led by Fred Veal FRPS, FRSA, the Club’s first President. The aim of the Club was to encourage “good friendship through photography” which is now the Club’s motto. The club has a mentoring scheme for Club members by setting up small interest groups. These groups are each led by a couple of experienced leaders and cover Landscape, People, Urban/Street, Macro Photography, Astro Photography and a Basic Skills group.
Each group arranges its own practical outings and review sessions, where images are shared within the groups and constructive and supportive critique is given to help members improve their photography. Members can join as many groups as they want and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
For more information, please contact www.smcc.org.uk
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

Manchester Literature Festival presents Alice Vincent
2025-10-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Enjoy an evening with acclaimed writer and podcaster Alice Vincent as she discusses her new book Hark: How Women Listen – an intimate, lyrical exploration of what women listen to, what their worlds sound like, and how it feels to be expected to listen in a world of noise made by men.
Alice returns to her roots as a music journalist to examine the role of sound in women’s lives, from the overwhelming noise of motherhood to the quiet power of nature. Prompted by the birth of her child and the sensory overload of modern life, Hark traces her journey to rediscover listening as a restorative, grounding force. Alice invites us to hear more deeply, from nightingales to phantom cries, and to consider sound as a way of reclaiming presence, identity, and connection.
“I loved this exploration of the way sound lands in female bodies. Alice Vincent is on song” – Katherine May
Longlisted twice for the Wainwright Prize, Alice Vincent is a bestselling author, Guardian columnist, and host of the Why Women Grow podcast. Her books include Rootbound: Rewilding a Life and Why Women Grow. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Elizabeth Alker
2025-10-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
From Paul McCartney to Pierre Henry, Nils Frahm to John Cage, Radiohead to Polish Sonorism, Donna Summer to Stockhausen via 70s Kosmiche. In her fascinating new book, Everything We Do is Music, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Elizabeth Alker explores how visionary classical composers helped shape the sound of modern pop and rock.
See Elizabeth uncover surprising connections between the genres, bringing a fresh and innovative perspective to music history and some of the songs that have inspired generations of musicians, producers and listeners. Hear about her exclusive interviews with iconic figures Sir Paul McCartney, Steve Reich, Jonny Greenwood and Soweto Kinch, as she reveals a rich, genre-blurring tapestry of influence and innovation.
Hosted by BBC6 Music broadcaster and DJ Deb Grant.
‘Revelation after revelation. Passionate and absolutely fascinating. I love music more for reading it.’ – Guy Garvey
Elizabeth Alker is a presenter for BBC Radio 3, where she hosts Unclassified and the afternoon show, Classical Live. She grew up learning the clarinet, recorder and piano, and curates and hosts a series of cross-genre concerts at the Southbank Centre with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live.
Book tickets here or click ‘Book Now’ below

Manchester Literature Festival presents Elizabeth Day
2025-10-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
‘One of Us is intelligent, darkly humorous and brilliantly written. It is a story for our time.’ Stanley Tucci
Join award-winning author and broadcaster Elizabeth Day as she discusses her gripping new novel, One of Us. Set against a backdrop of politics and scandal, One of Us follows Martin, once the best friend of rising political star Ben Fitzmaurice, as he’s drawn back into the inner circle. As their stories intertwine, a family – and a nation – unravels under the weight of its secrets.
‘Funny, sharp, sophisticated, this is Elizabeth Day’s writing at its finest.’ Dolly Alderton
Elizabeth Day is an award-winning writer whose novels include The Party, Scissors, Paper, Stone and the Sunday Times bestseller Magpie. Her non-fiction books include How to Fail, Failosophy and Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict. She is also a celebrated
journalist, broadcaster and creator of the chart-topping How to Fail podcast. Each week, she sits down with a guest author, artist or actor to discuss what they have learned from failure.
Sponsored by The Edwardian Manchester.
Presented by Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Library Live
Book tickets here or click on ‘Book Now’ below
