Festival of Libraries has been named the second most inclusive book festival by Inclusive Books for Children.

Sometimes it can feel that words like accessibility and mental health are terms bandied about with little to no practical application such as support for disabled people or people with mental health conditions. On the ground support doesn’t just mean the bare minimum of accessible entrances and user guides, but events and spaces designed specifically with the variety of human experience in mind. Libraries are designed to do just that, welcome everyone, for free and with as few barriers to enter and use the services as possible.

A number of speakers at our Inspired by Libraries strand have spoken passionately about inclusion, neurodiversity and access, often sharing how they felt welcome in their libraries as young people when they perhaps felt less accepted in other places. Yasmin Evans spoke about how her experience reading is perceived as different to many, but how she’s embraced that and made it a strength for her creative life. Jordan Stephens also writes and speaks proudly about ADHD, and the importance of libraries and books as spaces of acceptance and escape growing up in a society who didn’t recognise the proper support he needed.

We have many Festival of Libraries 2025 events that aim to create a world where thinking through themes of disability, health, illness, and mental wellbeing is the default. You can take part in a Writing for Wellbeing workshop in Middleton Library on 7th June,or if you are interested in performance, go to see Threads at Manchester Central Library, a poignant and powerful story about mental health, friendship, and identity run by Coalesce Dance theatre. On 7th June, Z-Access is a whole day takeover of the Z-Arts centre, a joyful and inclusive afternoon of drama, circus, music, art and storytelling especially designed for families with additional needs.

Below have a read of our interview with Manchester-based poet, performer, and creative facilitator Elizabeth Gibson, talking about neurodivergence, queerness, bodies and language in the city.

What is your relationship to libraries?

I spend a lot of time in libraries. They are such vital spaces in terms of both the resources available – books and DVDs, but also services like printing and photocopying, which have been really helpful for me – and the fact that they represent spaces where you can work and study alongside other people without having to spend money as you would in, for example, a coffee shop. These kinds of free workspaces are really important for my mental health.

In particular, Manchester Poetry Library is very special to me, as I was in some of the focus groups when it was being planned and I have loved seeing it become a reality and such a welcoming space. I have been part of a number of commissions, groups, and performance events there, and it has sparked many friendships and connections.

I also spend time in Central Library, the Portico Library, and Wigan Library (Wigan being my hometown). Oldham Library, with its theatre space, has also provided a setting for my work with Oldham Coliseum and is a great community hub.

Do you think that writing helps with (your) wellbeing? 

Writing definitely helps with my wellbeing, as it allows me to understand myself better and unpack my identity and experiences, including my neurodivergence, gender, and queerness. I completed a commission for Manchester Poetry Library where I created a series of seven zines exploring my neurodivergence: “Love”, “Synaesthesia”, “Tactile”, “Sleep”, “Fear”, “Speaking”, and “Creatures and Wildness”. I came away from the project which so many insights about myself and a new confidence.

My debut poetry collection, A love the weight of an animal, also delves into these issues and has enabled me to be braver in sharing topics that I previously saw as too personal, such as queer intimacy, body image and body changes, periods, and mental health, and feeling able to explore those themes has really helped me embrace who I am.

The main tension that I feel when writing is linked to overcoming perfectionism and anxiety about “doing it wrong” or a sense that what I have to say isn’t worthy of being written about. The main way in which I overcome this is to find safe, comfortable writing spaces, especially surrounded by other people, and let myself write freely without censoring myself – I can decide later whether I want to share it with the world.

As a poet and creative facilitator how does playing with words help you to think about language and space?

I have synaesthesia – my brain links letters, numbers, colours, sounds – and am also a linguist, so words hold so much potential for me. Zines can really unlock that, through allowing colour and layers and a tactile element. They can also help in separating the words from their usual meaning, placing the focus more on the shape of the letters and the sounds.

Space is also vital; on the page, my poems take a range of shapes – a dog, a flame, a jamjar – and I really play with blank space. Many of my poems are designed to capture a physical setting, such as a green space, a queer gathering, or a hospital, and building that on the page, through the shape of the poem, the senses, and snapshots of different things going on, is challenging but very rewarding.

I also enjoy exploring language and sounds through performance. This year, I have been participating in the ReWrite exchange with Manchester Literature Festival and The Writing Squad, working with writers to create work in English and Danish and also exploring how we can communicate beyond language. For our first performance, we gathered words in both languages, such as the names of birds, and broke them down to experience them as sounds rather than with meaning attached, and it was really exciting.

We have a number of events this year centred on mental health and disability. How do you think/do you think libraries function as a space to think about accessibility/wellbeing/minds and bodies?

I think they are vital; they provide a community space where you can just exist for a while without the pressure to do anything in particular or even talk to people if you don’t feel up to it. Spending time in a library gives me the space to reset myself, away from overstimulation, and feel more settled and grounded in my body. Projects such as the Neurodivergent Poets Network and the Multilingual Poets Network at Manchester Poetry Library have also provided a space for really important conversations about different types of accessibility, and I have learnt a lot.

What do you think cities/ Greater Manchester could be doing more of to improve accessibility/ attitudes to disability or/and mental health?

At venues and events, more awareness and policies related to individuals’ sensory needs and neurodivergence would be really beneficial. For example, I am anxious around sudden loud noises, such as balloons or Christmas crackers, so before attending an event or space that might have them, I email and check, but it would be really helpful if that information were included in the event information as standard. Access to quiet spaces is also crucial, as is the ability to leave easily if something isn’t working out.

We also need more spaces – especially outside of Manchester city centre – to spend time in the evenings besides pubs and bars, which can be inaccessible for a variety of reasons. During the summer, I often go for walks, but the evenings in autumn and winter can be quite isolating, so it would be great to have more spaces that are open late, not based around alcohol and loud music, accessible, and affordable or free. They can be real lifelines.