Join Karen McBride for a special evening where she will present 'Just a Girl from North Manchester: A Photographic Exhibition'; talking about the stories behind the photographs, the making of the exhibition, and the journey that led to 'Just a Girl from North Manchester'. For over 30 years, Karen has documented the people, places and music that […]
Join Italian Kids for a fun-filled afternoon and celebrate La Pimpa, the beloved Italian children's book character created by Altan. Enjoy themed crafts, stories and games! Italian Kids is an association of Italian-speaking parents who meet regularly to allow their children to make new friends, play, sing and practise Italian together. Free entry - book […]
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 […]
Join Manchester Histories and Queer Up North for a thought-provoking panel discussion exploring how queer culture can build community, connect generations and sustain radical creative practice. Reflecting on the legacy of Queer Up North, the conversation will consider what the festival built, what it inherited, and what we can learn from it today. The panel […]
We're celebrating 'Older Peoples Day' with a special Saturday afternoon singalong with the brilliant Dee Dee Allen! We're inviting local community groups for over 55's to get your dancing shoes on for an afternoon full of classic tracks from the 70's to the 90's! Places are free but limited so please phone Central Library on […]
Kylie Minogue is one of the world's most successful pop stars, and in his new book, Can't Get You Out of My Head, music journalist Michael Cragg takes us on a hugely entertaining journey from her early days on Ramsey Street to her current status as global icon. We're thrilled to be welcoming Michael to Manchester […]
Bestselling Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel joins us to discuss her electrifying new novel Exit Party – exploring parallel worlds, political unrest and blurred realities. In a near-future Los Angeles emerging from conflict, Ari Walker and her friend Gloria are going to a party. But the party becomes the site of something inexplicable, drawing Ari into a mystery that will haunt her across […]
Beloved poet, broadcaster and performer Ian McMillan launches his moving and inventive new collection Red River Valley. Drawing on family life, everyday absurdities and the impact of austerity on the South Yorkshire village where he has lived all his life, Ian creates poems that are funny, poignant and full of humanity. Renowned for his warmth, wit and extraordinary live readings, he brings language vividly to life […]
Beloved author, screenwriter and Waterstones Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce brings his trademark wit and warmth to a moving conversation about books, imagination and the stories that shape our lives. Inspired by his new non-fiction book, A British Childhood, as well as many of his own favourite reads, Frank reflects on what it means to grow up in Britain today, […]
Two of Northern Ireland’s most acclaimed, contemporary authors, Louise Kennedy and Wendy Erskine, join BBC 6 Music broadcaster Deb Grant for an unmissable conversation about storytelling and identity. Louise Kennedy (Trespasses) introduces Stations, one of the most anticipated novels of 2026, a moving and immersive story of first love, friendship, freedom and reinvention that spans decades and explores the choices that echo throughout our […]
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear two of the world’s most visionary poets read and discuss their sublime poetry, exploring political engagement and the interplay between survival and testimony. Over five decades, American poet Carolyn Forché has established herself as both ‘a poet of witness’ and an indefatigable human rights activist. Beautifully crafted, her poems are testimonies, enquiries and wonderments. Her anthology, Against Forgetting, […]
An afternoon exploring the supernatural with writers Jenn Ashworth, David Gaffney, Beth Barker and Nicholas Royle – four contributors to Brutalist Ghost Stories, a haunting new anthology inspired by Britain’s post-war architecture. Blending literary fiction with the uncanny, these original stories reimagine Brutalist buildings as places where history, memory and the supernatural collide. From Preston Bus Station and the Barbican to Forton Service […]
From dedicated performance spaces to stairwells, screens, nooks and domes, Central Library might directly inspire your next event or intervention. Contact us to arrange a tour.
