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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Easter Family Fun

Location: Elizabeth Gaskell's House
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An Evening with Clare Mackintosh

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Verbose MCR March 30th event

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Before Violence: Carcanet Online Launch

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The City for Incurable Women

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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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MACFEST & IMLD26: Respect my Language: Voices and Experiences

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An Evening with Antony Beevor

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An Evening with Katie Baskerville

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

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Seasons of Glass & Iron: Amal El-Mohtar in conversation with Eliza Chan

Location: Blackwell's Bookshop
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Seascraper – in conversation with Benjamin Wood

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An Evening with Patrick Ness

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An Evening with Benjamin Wood

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Books & Beats

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In Every Key: Variety Show

Location: Ascension Church Hulme
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An Evening with Beth O’Leary

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‘What Am I, A Deer?’ Polly Barton in conversation

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Launch: ‘lamping wild rabbits’ in aid of George House Trust

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An Evening with Alex Aster

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An Evening with Siân Hughes

Location: Simply Books
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About to Fall Apart: Ashley Hickson-Lovence in conversation with Andrew McMillan

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Elena in the Revolution: Conversation on Elena Fortún’s Literary Works

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

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The Drowning Place: Sarah Hilary in conversation with Chris McDonald

Location: Serenity Booksellers
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An Evening with Cecile Pin

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Meet Derek Landy

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Careers in Publishing

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How to Get Published

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Hannah’s Bookshelf Live Poetry Special

Location: Online
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Children’s Books with Nadine Kaadan

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Fruit Fly: Josh Silver in conversation

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The Archaeology of Loss: Sarah Tarlow in conversation with Melanie Giles

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An Evening with Shahed Ezaydi

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Crime Central April 2026

Location: Manchester Central Library
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Last One Out: An evening with Jane Harper

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An Evening with Paige Toon

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Beyond Words Book Club Pop-Up

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HEY! Festival Manchester

Location: The Unitarian Chapel
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Northern Publishers’ Fair

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Poets and Players: Ian Duhig, Safiya Kamaria and Day Mattar with music from RNCM

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

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INTERSEX: Iain Morland in conversation

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THE ASKING: Jane Hirshfield in conversation

Location: Blackwell's Bookshop
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FINDERS, KEEPERS: Nicholas Royle in Conversation

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Online Talk: Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell- A Friendship

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Graham Caveney: In Conversation (with Will Rees)

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Deconstructing The Signature of All Things: The Books Behind the Story

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Pour Homme Mcr

Location: 73 Whitworth Street West
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Book Launch: Attila the Stockbroker – Fiery Words for Hellish Times

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Night Babies – Lucie McKnight Hardy in conversation with Andrew Michael Hurley

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Islamesque: Europe’s Greatest Medieval Cathedrals

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From the Dashwoods to Cranford – Sisterhood in the Worlds of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell

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Centre for New Writing Fellows 2026: Inua Ellams and Gurnaik Johal

Location: Blackwell's Bookshop
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Dan Hicks: Monuments Will Fall

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Meet Joe Abercrombie

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Author Event: ‘The Jackfruit Chronicles’ by Shahnaz Ahsan

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CROSSINGS: João Florêncio and Liz Rosenfeld in conversation

Location: Blackwell's Bookshop
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MIA Book Club: Reading the Islamic World – Gazing at Mecca and Medina

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KESHED: Stu Hennigan in conversation with Thom Cuell

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Robin Ince at International Anthony Burgess Foundation

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SOLACE HOUSE: Will Maclean in conversation

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Anxiety in the Modern World with Joshua Fletcher

Location: Waterstones Deansgate
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THE DISAPPEARING ACT: Maria Stepanova in conversation

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

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Rose &Renzo: Carolyn O’Brien in conversation with Louisa Reid

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IMLD26: Manchester – One City, Many Voices

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Sarah-Clare’s Literary Salon

Location: Chorlton St Ninian’s
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Eid Celebration with Multilingual Mushaira and International Poetry

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LEAN CAT, SAVAGE CAT: Lauren J. Joseph in conversation

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An Evening with John Patrick McHugh

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Celebrating Caroline Aherne with David Scott

Location: Waterstones Deansgate
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Manchester Literature Festival presents Douglas Stuart

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Ocean Vuong in conversation at Stoller Hall

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An Evening with Robin Ince

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Manchester Literature Festival presents Tayari Jones

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An Evening with Shannon Chakraborty

Location: Waterstones Deansgate
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Online Talk: Cranford – A TV Classic

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Roots & Reverence: Poetry from the Punjabi Sufi Tradition

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Storytelling: Los sueños de Ilán

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Manchester Literature Festival presents Natalie Haynes

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An Evening with Katherine Arden

Location: Waterstones Deansgate
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Online Talk: Step into the Garden – The Language of Flowers in Cranford and other novels

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Exploring the Legacy of Islamic Empires with Justin Marozzi

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Manchester Literature Festival presents Andrew Sean Greer

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Online Talk: Cranford For Beginners

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An Evening with Lucy Steeds

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

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An Evening with Veronica Roth

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Love Stories Etc: Romantic Fiction Festival

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A Conversation with Novelist Diana Abu-Jaber

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Elizabeth Gaskell’s Gothic Fiction: An Introduction

Location: Online
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Mothers of the Gothic – Writing the Supernatural

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Online Talk: Mothers of the Gothic – Writing the Supernatural

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Online Talk: Mary Shelley Beyond Frankenstein

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Online Talk: The Shadows of Salem: Myth V. Reality in Lois the Witch and Other Tales

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Elizabeth Gaskell V Anne Brontë – Monsters and Madmen

Location: Online
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Online Talk: Victorian Gothic – Haunted Houses and Night-time Terrors

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Online Event: Elizabeth Gaskell V George Eliot – The Moorland Cottage V The Mill on the Floss

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