MLF25: Jeanette Winterson

Jeanette Winterson returns forty years after her era-defining debut Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit with One Aladdin Two Lamps, a bold and brilliant exploration of storytelling and the power to transform lives.

In her signature style, Winterson revisits the legendary tale of Shahrazad from One Thousand and One Nights, posing timeless questions: Who should we trust? What makes us happy? Is love the most important thing in the world?

Assuming the guise of Aladdin – the orphan who changes his world – Winterson challenges readers to rethink familiar stories, explore how fiction shapes life, and find the courage to rewrite personal narratives.

This event offers a rare opportunity to hear one of Britain’s most pioneering writers reflect on reading, rewriting, and radical hope.

Jeanette Winterson CBE, born in Manchester, published her first novel at twenty-five. Her acclaimed works include Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, the memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, thirteen adult novels, short story collections, non-fiction, and screenplays. She is Professor of New Writing at the University of Manchester.