Manchester regular Poets & Players is a must-go for lovers of words as well as music, presenting performers both established and emerging, with the autumn season kicking off with headline poet Lorna Goodison on a rare visit from America.

We’re very excited that LiPS (Liverpool Poetry Space) has announced the start of its autumn programme, and the first event, on 7 September, sees the Liverpool launch of Chris McCabe’s new book Hedonism, published by Nine Arches Press. 

On 15 September, award-winning writer and broadcaster Damian Barr will be chatting with former Makar Jackie Kay about his much-anticipated new novel The Two Roberts.

Enter the Underworld with internationally bestselling poet Nikita Gill as she discusses her “propulsive, electrifying and enraging” new book Hekate, The Witch with poet and writer Charlie Brogan on 17 September.

The inaugural Liverpool Book Festival will showcase award-winning authors from around the region with a range of books for sale, signings, Q&As and workshops.

Our Tourist Telescope is set on the coast – more specifically, Morecambe Poetry Festival, back for a fourth year with an impressive line-up featuring Michael Rosen, Henry Normal, John Hegley, Robin Ince and Luke Wright.

Following a couple of months off over the summer months, Rise Up! will be back in September and welcoming to the mic Ian Duhig, Kirsten Luckens and Henry Raby.

Writing the Magic (Essays on Crafting Fantasy Fiction) is the fourth in Liverpool-based publisher Dead Ink Books’ award-winning series of guides to writing different genres, and this launch event – on the same day the book is published – hears from editor Dan Coxon and two contributors, RJ Barker and Alex Pheby.

Various independent publishing houses will be setting out their stalls on 27 September at Manchester Central Library for the latest (seventh?) now biannual Northern Publishers’ Fair, organised by Manchester’s own award-winning Fly On The Wall Press.

Celebrating its 20th year, Manchester Literature Festival returns 11-26 October, and tickets for the initial line-up announcement are now on general sale, with a special bookend event in August featuring Yellowface author Rebecca F Kuang.

We just celebrated former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes’s birthday in the town of his birth, now head to his former home Lumb Bank for Arvon’s Story House.

This Verbalise special, on 27 September, welcomes Rose Condo, a multi-award-winning poet and spoken word artist, who carefully blends poetry and prose to create live shows she performs with aplomb.

This autumn Manchester Poets returns to its usual home of Chorlton Library, following its exile to Withington while renovations took place at the Carnegie HQ. Catch Graham Mort headlining on 19 September.

Linked in with the famous and fabulous New York School of poets, Steve Malmude has a new book out with Manchester’s Carcanet Press, with a launch online so you can enjoy wherever you happen to be.

I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell is an immersive exhibition taking over the Grade II*-listed Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and the culmination of a residency by three young writers who spent the spring months being inspired by Manchester’s only literary house.