Joanne Harris presents #Storytime at Waterside

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Book now

#STORYTIME

Waterside, Manchester
1 March 2019

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Author Joanne Harris.
Book now

Chocolat author Joanne Harris MBE was a popular keynote speaker at the last Northern Lights Writers’ Conference (which returns this year on 21 September – save the date!), with her tales from the Twittersphere and inspirational chat about how best to get up the noses of agents, and she’s back at Sale Waterside with her much-lauded #Storytime show. No stranger to combining words and music – as well as writing 16 or so novels, two collections of short stories, a Dr Who novella, guest episodes for the game Zombies, Run and three cookbooks, her career also includes writing for opera and musical theatre – Joanne reads some of her stories with accompaniment from the Storytime Band (which includes her husband Kevin on drums) plus image projections for a ‘darkly magical’ experience.

Featured in #Storytime are excerpts from Joanne’s upcoming illustrated collection of 100 dark, interconnected tales, Honeycomb, first written live on Twitter and due to be published by Gollancz in the autumn, alongside some longer pieces based on her 2017 novella A Pocketful of Crows and 2018 novella The Blue Salt Road. #Storytime premiered in 2016 as part of the ‘future of opera’ Tête-à-Tête Festival, so it’s one for music and theatre as well as live literature lovers, and ticks the boxes on the folklore, fantasy and fairytale front.

What's on at Waterside

Where to go near Joanne Harris presents #Storytime at Waterside

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

shop
Stretford
Shopping Centre
Stretford Mall

Stretford Mall has undergone a major transformation, turning a 60s shopping centre into a vibrant, community-led town centre. Led by Trafford Council and Bruntwood Works.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

Manchester
Park
Wythenshawe Park

With a 17th Century hall set in 109 acres of open parkland, Wythenshawe Park makes a super day out for all ages. Explore the historic woodlands, lush grasslands and meadows; take a stroll around the many themed gardens and check out the sports and leisure facilities on offer.

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

It’s the early-May edition of the Food and Drink Guide and here's where to eat and drink while living out your warm-weather dreams.

Hofesh Shechter - Theatre of Dreams at Lowry
Theatre

Dark comedy, visceral dance theatre, Fringe hits and open-air performances on a railway viaduct - try something new this season.

Exhibitions

From post-it-sized art to commissions that fill entire gallery walls, five exhibitions ask what the overlooked reveals.

Mermaid Chunky by Simon Pizzey.
Music

From manifesto-wielding DJs to bands blurring gigs with performance art, our music guide is newly stocked with artists who see live music as a place for risk.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.