What does it mean to be ‘in residence’ somewhere? And is it possible to ground an imagined reader in a concrete, sensory world through sounds, smells and sights? The first Virtual Writer in Residence at Central Library for the inaugural #FestivalOfLibraries, Anna will read the playful and imaginative short story she created during her residency and discuss her thoughts on libraries, language and fables. She’ll also share her experience of devising Find Me in the Fiction Section, a secret book trail for Central Library using books by LGBTQ+ writers with links to Manchester and Iowa City. Anna Polonyi is a French-American-Hungarian writer and journalist based in Iowa City of Literature. She is the author of the poetry chapbook Wayword, written on the Camino de Santiago. She holds an M.F.A in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches creative writing at the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio.

Hosted by Kate Feld and presented in partnership with Manchester City of Literature and Festival of Libraries.