Sarah-Clare Conlon

Special screening of United in Anger: A History of ACT UP, an inspiring documentary about the international direct action sexual health advocacy group.

The announcement of the UK’s biggest literary awards for unpublished work takes place in the atmospheric Baronial Hall of the medieval Chetham’s Library, with judges Pascale Petit, Bonnie Greer, Mona Arshi and Angela Readman, and chair Nicholas Royle.

Bookending this year’s Manchester Literature Festival, the acclaimed American author of A Visit From The Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan makes a rare UK visit to talk about her forthcoming novel, Manhattan Beach.

Join Comma Press and The Manchester Writing School at Man Met for the third annual National Creative Writing Graduate Fair, a conference where up-and-coming writers can hear from the pros and pitch work to leading editors and agents.

A work-in-progress performance combining short fiction, spoken word, sound design and digital mapping led by Michelle Green, Caro C, Maya Chowdhry and David Cooper. Audiences will listen to or read stories about Hayling by navigating a changing map.

Lara Williams will be headlining the first Lit Up, reading from her collection of short fiction, Treats, aka A Selfie As Big As The Ritz. There are 10 open mic slots available, and the night will close with a flash fiction competition.

Bound Art Book Fair
A celebration of artist books from across the U.K and Europe. The Whitworth will be hosting a selection of contemporary independent publishers alongside artist talks, exhibitions and workshops.

Join music and Gothic culture aficionados John Robb and Dr Claire Nally for a full and frank discussion on the Gothic past and Goth in the 21st century, including the deep influence of Gothic literature on the mainstream.

Join award-winning poet, novelist and The March Violets singer Rosie Garland for a chat about gothic style, a reading from her latest novel, The Night Brother, and a book signing.

Aimed at both fans and creators of comic art, young and old, the weekend-long Lakes International Comic Art Festival is the only one of its kind in the UK, back in the Cumbrian town of Kendal for the fifth year.

Live literature night Verbose has burst into 2023 under new ownership, with Lisa O’Hare, Ilaria Robinson-Passeri and Alicia Fitton now at the helm, shepherding headliners plus various open mic performers on the fourth Monday of each month.

Part of this year’s Manchester Literature Festival, this special event sees actor Timothy West read poetry from Russia to complement songs by some of the Motherland’s most celebrated composers, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev.