Football Writing Festival at National Football Museum and online

The Football Writing Festival is back in action at the National Football Museum, kicking off in Manchester on 2 November and running until 18 November.

The ninth edition of the Football Writing Festival showcases a programme of soccer-and-book-related events, bringing together some of the best sports writers and journalists for interviews, insight and debate about the beautiful game. This year’s line-up includes nine in-person and online events – and they’re all included in the price of National Football Museum admission (£13 full price, £11 concessions), with existing museum ticket holders and City of Manchester residents enjoying free admission.

There’s plenty to get stuck into, including a discussion about the transfer market (Thursday 2 November, 7pm), when transfer guru David Ornstein is joined by his Athletic colleague Sam Lee, Sky Sports’ Harriet Prior and BBC Sport veteran Shamoon Hafez, plus a special event for junior members of your team on Sunday 5 November (11.30am), when award-winning kids author Priscilla Mante will be introducing younger readers to her bestselling Dream Team series of books and their main character Jaz Santos.

Online, journalist Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff looks back at the major talking points and fallout from the recent Women’s World Cup, exploring issues around mental health and identity within the game. A columnist at Stylist magazine, Charlie is an award-winning freelance journalist and book editor, with focuses on features and profiles on identity, culture, lifestyle, travel, media and social politics. She has edited the books Black Joy (Penguin, 2021), an anthology that explores what it means to be Black and British today, I Will Not Be Erased: Our stories about growing up as people of colour (Walker, 2019), a groundbreaking essay collection, and Mother Country: Real Stories of the Windrush Children (Hachette, 2018), a leading exploration of the Windrush generation.

We’re also looking forward to Two Girls Talk Balls, on Saturday 18 November (11am), when the hosts of the the popular podcast of the same name Tamsin Connor and Charlotte French will be chatting all things women’s football. Their podcast blurb reads: “An alternative take on Women’s Football. Covering the WSL, NWSL, Euro 2022 and Women’s Champions League; Charlotte and Tamsin bring a refreshing voice with debate, banter and highlights from the best of the Women’s Game.”