What’s On

Manchester City of Literature is inspired by the possibilities from our city to bring people together to celebrate stories. You’ll find everything that’s going on here, whether you’re a reader, a writer, you want to support independent publishers or are looking for something to entertain you or young children. Don’t forget that you can add your own events here too, if you’re an organiser. 

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The Observer Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism

Location: International Anthony Burgess Foundation
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Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition 2025 – Prize Ceremony

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IMLD26: Bridge of Sunflowers Exhibition

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International Mother Language Day 2026

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An Evening with Alex Goldie

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Long-running Events

HOSTING A LITERATURE EVENT?

If you are arranging or hosting a literature event in Manchester which is open to a public audience, and would like us share via our network, please get in touch.

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An Evening with Robert Rutherford

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An Evening with David McCloskey

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Forbidden Waters: Rob Parker in conversation with Chris McDonald

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An Evening with Rachel Joyce

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‘Wayward Women’ with Rhonda Carrier and Tracey Davies

Location: House of Books and Friends
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Online Reading Workshop: The Gothic – Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey

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An Evening with Jennifer Niven

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Hannah’s Bookshelf Imbolc Special

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Under the Lamp Post

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The Boy from the Sea: in conversation with Garrett Carr

Location: Serenity Booksellers
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An Evening with Jennette McCurdy

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EATING ASHES: Brenda Navarro in Conversation

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So, I Met This Guy… – Afternoon Tea with Alexandra Potter

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Silent Bones: in conversation with Val McDermid

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Online Talk: Elizabeth Gaskell’s Fairy Stories

Location: Online
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NOURISH: Writing Workshop and Open Mic

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IMLD26: Nothing Remained Unchanged But The Clouds: Artist Talk and Book Launch

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Vivian Dies Again: C.E. Hulse in conversation with Hannah MacDonald

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The Subtle Art of Short Fiction: Online Workshop

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Lunchtime Lecture: Useful Art with John Byrne

Location: House of Books and Friends
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PLASTIC: Matthew Rice in conversation with Andrew McMillan

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What Happened That Night: Nicci French in conversation with Abigail Dean

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Online Reading Course: The Gothic – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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Book Swap with Fly on the Wall Press

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February Half-Term Family Fun at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Location: Elizabeth Gaskell's House
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‘Broken Biscuits; and Other Male Failures’ with Adam Farrer

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Word Central with Zena Barrie

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ELIZABETH & RUTH: Livi Michael in conversation

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The Hill in the Dark Grove: Liam Higginson in conversation

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IMLD26: Community & Care: A Fuse Poetry Night

Location: Stage & Radio
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ADRIFT: Will Dean in conversation with Neil McRobert

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Keshed: Stu Hennigan in conversation with Terri White

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One Mic Stand

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Voiced: The Festival of Endangered Languages

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THE STORY OF THE DEER WOMAN: Heidi Hinda Chadwick in conversation

Location: Blackwell's Bookshop
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Voiced & IMLD26: Opening Event

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IMLD26: Layers of Identity from Dunedin

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IMLD26: “Many Languages, One Community” [多語.同心] – Family Art Workshop

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IMLD26: Banner Bingo

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IMLD26 in Jakarta: Membahasakan – Perayaan Hari Bahasa Ibu Dunia

Location: Online
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IMLD 26: Family Fun Day at North City Library

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IMLD26: Linguistic Landscapes in Manchester and Beyond

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IMLD26: Events in Kozhikode

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Voiced & IMLD26: Writing and Mosaics Workshop with Lydia Hounat

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IMLD26: Spanish Storytime – Mi primer Platero

Location: Instituto Cervantes
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IMLD26: Family Fun Day at Manchester Central Library

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IMLD26: Looking for Languages – Family friendly trail at Manchester Museum

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IMLD26: Family Fun Day at Forum Library

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Voiced & IMLD26: Multilingual Open Mic

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The Disfluencies CoLab: Embodying Mother Languages through Poetry & Drawing

Location: Students' Union
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IMLD26: Words Left Behind

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MACFEST & IMLD26: Forgotten Foods: Memories and Recipes from Muslim South Asia

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IMLD26: Chinese literary translation workshops at Manchester in Translation 2026

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Motherfaker – Anna Brook-Mitchell in conversation with Hannah MacDonald

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IMLD26: Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United Kingdom

Location: Instituto Cervantes
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MAY WE FEED THE KING: Rebecca Perry in conversation

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An Evening with Tanya Sweeney

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Voiced & IMLD26: Polari and Poetry in Manchester

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Online Talk: Elizabeth Gaskell- An Introduction

Location: Online
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Online Reading Workshop: The Gothic – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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An Evening with LJ Ross

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SUPER NINTENDO: Keza MacDonald in conversation

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International Women’s Day Walking Tour

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Online Event: International Women’s Day – Women of Words

Location: Online
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Michael Stewart & Yvonne Battle-Felton in conversation

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IMLD26: The Stepmother

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Online Reading Course: The Gothic – Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

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‘Beyond Palatable’ with Sophie Lee

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HOME IS WHERE THE HAUNT IS: Tobi Coventry and Róisín Lanigan

Location: Blackwell's Bookshop
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Tim Harford – How To Make The World Add Up

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Online Talk: Blame the Mother

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MACFEST & IMLD26: Respect my Language: Voices and Experiences

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Online Reading Course: The Gothic – The Nurses’ Story and The Poor Clare by Elizabeth Gaskell

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An Evening with Siân Hughes

Location: Simply Books
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LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: James Bailey in conversation with Jenn Ashworth

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Children’s Books with Nadine Kaadan

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Collectors, Scientists and Slaves: Islamic Art in Early Modern Italy

Location: Online
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Online Talk: Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell- A Friendship

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Islamesque: Europe’s Greatest Medieval Cathedrals

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IMLD26: Manchester – One City, Many Voices

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MIA Book Club: Reading the Islamic World – Gazing at Mecca and Medina

Location: Online
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Online Reading Course: The Gothic – Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

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Eid Celebration with Multilingual Mushaira and International Poetry

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Online Talk: Cranford – A TV Classic

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Roots & Reverence: Poetry from the Punjabi Sufi Tradition

Location: Online
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Exploring the Legacy of Islamic Empires with Justin Marozzi

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Online Talk: Cranford For Beginners

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A 12th Century Novel: Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān by Ibn Tufail, Andulusian novelist

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Love Stories Etc: Romantic Fiction Festival

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