Literature
The area is steeped in literary and political history, immortalised in prose, poem and song: from Fredrich Engels’ sombre description of working class life, John Cooper Clarke’s ‘Queen of the Ritz’ in Salome Malone and Morrissey’s peak through the roof of the Holy Name Church in Vicar in a Tutu.
The former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and poet and playwright Lemn Sissay hold leading roles at our universities, and the central library has over 2 million visits per year, making it the most visited public library in the country.
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation celebrates all aspects of the life and work of Anthony Burgess, famous author of the Clockwork Orange and many other works.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, within close proximity to the Pankhurst Centre, is the former home of the famous author and her family. Mrs Gaskell’s novels often portrayed Victorian society, including the poor such as Mary Barton, which detailed the dismal state of the poverty-stricken workers in the industrial centres of the North.
Providing exciting and original opportunities to experience outstanding live literature in an annual festival format, Manchester Literature Festival showcases the best in contemporary writing from across the world and is built on the legacy of its successful predecessor, Manchester Poetry Festival.
Elemental
Manchester Poetry Library Until 31 October 2026Jean Sprackland’s exhibition at Manchester Poetry Library explores Goyle, Chert, Mire, poetry, landscape, and language in the Blackdown Hills.
An Evening With Rachel Harrison
Blackwell’s Bookshop 5 October 2026Bestselling horror author Rachel Harrison discusses time-loop thriller Kiss, Slay, Repeat at Blackwell’s Manchester.
Bad Language Open Mic
International Anthony Burgess Foundation 7 October 2026Live literature legends Bad Language and the Burgess Foundation present a stellar spoken word celebration, with open mic spots up for grabs.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
Women of Oxford Road Walking Tour
All Saints Park 8 October 2026Pioneering women from the arts, literature, science, medicine and activism take centre stage on a walk exploring Oxford Road’s feminist legacy. Booking essential.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
MLF26: Maggie O’Farrell
Royal Northern College of Music 9 October 2026Maggie O’Farrell returns to Manchester Literature Festival to discuss her extraordinary new novel, Land, hosted by Alex Clark.
Manchester Literature Festival 2026
Various Venues 9 – 25 October 2026Celebrate 20 years of storytelling at Manchester Literature Festival 2025 with acclaimed authors, poetry, and family events.
Made You Look
Contact 10 October 2026A visceral and explosive one-man poetry show interrogating masculinity and what it means to be an immigrant in a Britain.
Part of The Cultural Welcome
MLF26: Emily St. John Mandel
Manchester Central Library 10 October 2026Bestselling author Emily St. John Mandel discusses Exit Party, a gripping new novel of parallel worlds, mystery and memory.
MLF26: Sarah Hall: Burning Snowflake
Manchester Museum 10 October 2026Award-winning author Sarah Hall premieres her 2026 Faber Lecture, Burning Snowflake, at Manchester Museum. A rallying cry for climate action.
MLF26: An Evening with Russell T Davies & Bernardine Evaristo
Royal Northern College of Music 11 October 2026Russell T Davies joins Bernardine Evaristo to discuss his memoir, television career and the power of storytelling.
MLF26: Paul Mason
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 11 October 2026Paul Mason discusses REDS: A Global History of Communism, exploring communism’s history, legacy and relevance to politics today.
MLF26: The Observer Book Club with Deborah Frances-White
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 11 October 2026Deborah Frances-White discusses Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have, exploring disagreement, polarisation and difficult conversations.
MLF26: Patrick Radden Keefe
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 12 October 2026Patrick Radden Keefe discusses London Falling, a gripping investigation into wealth, power and corruption in London.
MLF26: Ian McMillan
Manchester Central Library 12 October 2026Ian McMillan launches Red River Valley, a moving new poetry collection exploring family, community, everyday life and austerity.
MLF26: Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Manchester Central Library 13 October 2026Frank Cottrell-Boyce discusses A British Childhood, celebrating books, reading and the stories that shape children’s lives.
MLF26: Owen Jones
HOME 14 October 2026Owen Jones discusses The Fall of the West, exploring political, economic and social crisis, democracy, foreign policy and global events.
MLF26: The Observer Book Club with Yann Martel
Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama 14 October 2026Yann Martel discusses Son of Nobody, his epic new novel inspired by Homer’s Iliad, exploring myth, memory, family and storytelling.
MLF26: Manchester Multilingual City Poets: Jeremy Pak Nelson & Nóra Blascsók
Manchester Poetry Library 15 October 2026Jeremy Pak Nelson and Nóra Blascsók present new poetry exploring heritage, ancestral memory and storytelling in English, Hungarian and Mandarin.
MLF26: Louise Kennedy & Wendy Erskine
Manchester Central Library 15 October 2026Louise Kennedy and Wendy Erskine discuss storytelling, identity, class and power, and their acclaimed new novels Stations and The Benefactors.
MLF26: The Brown Sugar RAP Party
Contact 15 October 2026Poets from Greater Manchester gather to respond to D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar with new poetry, spoken word and live music, hosted by Inua Ellams.
MLF26: Carolyn Forché & Kwame Dawes
Contact 16 October 2026Carolyn Forché and Kwame Dawes explore poetry, political engagement, survival and testimony in a special conversation hosted by Malika Booker.
MLF26: An Evening with Hugh Bonneville
HOME 17 October 2026Hugh Bonneville discusses his acting career, passion for storytelling and Rory Sparkes children’s spy adventures, hosted by Ellah Wakatama.
MLF26: Brutalist Ghost Stories: Jenn Ashworth, David Gaffney, Beth Barker & Nicholas Royle
Manchester Central Library 17 October 2026Explore the supernatural with four writers from Brutalist Ghost Stories, sharing haunting tales inspired by Britain’s post-war architecture.
MLF26: Sufiyaan Salam & Monika Radojevic
Manchester Museum 18 October 2026Sufiyaan Salam and Monika Radojevic discuss their acclaimed debut novels, exploring identity, belonging, migration and connection in a changing world.
MLF26: Simon Armitage: Gilgamesh
Manchester Central Library 18 October 2026Simon Armitage presents his new verse translation of Gilgamesh, exploring power, friendship, love, loss and what it means to be human.
MLF26: Natasha Walter: Feminism for a World on Fire
Manchester Central Library 18 October 2026Natasha Walter discusses Feminism for a World on Fire, exploring women’s rights, inequality, climate change, solidarity and social change.
MLF26: Willy Vlautin
Manchester Central Library 19 October 2026Willy Vlautin discusses The Left and the Lucky, exploring kindness, survival, human connection and working-class life in Portland, Oregon.
MLF26: M. John Harrison
Manchester Central Library 20 October 2026M. John Harrison discusses The End of Everything, exploring imagination, literature and life in a fractured near-future with Helen Mort.
Victorious
Contact 20 October 2026Join bestselling author V. E. Schwab at Contact to celebrate Victorious, the final instalment in her bestselling Villains series.
MLF26: Lady Hale & Lara Feigel
Manchester Central Library 21 October 2026Lady Hale and Lara Feigel discuss law, family, motherhood and power, exploring how justice is experienced by children, mothers and families.
MLF26: The Observer Book Club with Min Jin Lee
Contact 21 October 2026Min Jin Lee discusses American Hagwon, a sweeping novel exploring family, migration, identity, education and the pursuit of a better life across three generations.
MLF26: Hernan Diaz
Manchester Central Library 22 October 2026Hernan Diaz discusses Ply, a visionary new novel exploring identity, connection, art and science in a city on the brink of change.
MLF26: Lee Child – My Life in Books
HOME 23 October 2026Lee Child discusses his writing career, the inspirations behind his crime fiction and the latest Jack Reacher thriller, Chain Reaction.
MLF26: Writing Creative Non-Fiction with Dave Haslam
Manchester Central Library 23 October 2026Dave Haslam leads a workshop on creative approaches to memoir and life writing, exploring imagination, subjectivity, novelistic techniques and unconventional structures.
MLF26: Dave Haslam & Special Guests
HOME 24 October 2026Dave Haslam launches Creative Journeys, discussing creativity, resilience and artistic lives with John Simm, Stephen Morris and Afrodeutsche.
MLF26: An Afternoon with Elif Shafak
Royal Northern College of Music 25 October 2026Elif Shafak discusses In One Brief Moment All Eternity, a sweeping novel of art, resistance and political change.
MLF26: An Evening with Jackie Kay
HOME 25 October 2026Jackie Kay performs poems from Selected Poems 1991–2026, spanning three decades of work exploring love, loss, family, activism and community.
Charlotte Brontë & Elizabeth Gaskell Tour
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House 29 October 2026Discover the friendship of Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Brontë on an exclusive guided tour with tea and cake included.
Bound Art Book Fair 2026
The Whitworth 31 October – 1 November 2026The North’s leading arts publishing fair returns to the Whitworth with 90+ exhibitors and a free programme on collective joy.
Louder Than Words Festival
INNSIDE by Meliá Hotel 13 – 15 November 2026Louder Than Words Festival returns to Manchester 13–15 Nov 2026, featuring Mike Pickering in conversation on music history.
Victorian Christmas
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House 15 November – 20 December 2026Experience a Victorian Christmas at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House with festive displays, family activities and seasonal treats.
