What's on

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

There is a Light That Never Goes Out: A photographic celebration of Manchester’s rock-music history

First Floor Exhibition Hall

Rockarchive.com proudly presents a unique exhibition by the UK's leading music photographers to honour Manchester's music heritage. From the rise of punk, Factory Records, The Hacienda, the Madchester years and beyond, this exhibition is a retrospective of Manchester's huge influence and continuing importance on the rock music scene. Free – please drop in Image ©: Jill Furmanovsky/rockarchive.com

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

Wally Funk’s Race for Space: Wally Funk & Sue Nelson

Performance Space

In 1961, Wally Funk was one of the Mercury 13, the first group of American pilots to pass the ‘Woman in Space’ programme. Her scores in the rigorous mental and physical tests beat many of the male candidates, including John Glenn, the first American to go into orbit. But just one week before Wally was […]

£8

Patrick Gale in Conversation

Performance Space

A firm Festival favourite, Patrick Gale is the author of eighteen novels, including the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes from an Exhibition, Rough Music and the Costa-shortlisted A Place Called Winter. His new novel, Take Nothing With You, tells the story of Eustace as he looks back at the childhood cello lessons that transformed his […]

£10