Lara Williams, Keith Hutson and Oliver Harris online at Festival Of Libraries

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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An Evening with Writers Lara Williams, Keith Hutson and Oliver Harris.

10 June 2021

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

Author Oliver Harris
Author Oliver Harris.
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As part of the inaugural Manchester Festival Of Libraries, you’re invited to an evening in with three very different writers who have lived, worked or studied in the city: Lara Williams, Oliver Harris and Keith Hutson. Their works range from a secret society for women who throw wild Bacchanalian-inspired feasts, a contemporary spy novel set in Kazakhstan and a collection of poems that explore the lives of variety performers. Rescheduled from April last year, Manchester Libraries, Read Regional and Manchester City of Literature have teamed together to host this event, which will be taking place online and is free to attend.

As part of the inaugural Manchester Festival Of Libraries, you’re invited to an evening in with three very different writers who have lived, worked or studied in the city: Lara Williams, Oliver Harris and Keith Hutson.

Lara Williams is a writer based in Manchester, where she teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her debut short story collection, Treats (in the US, A Selfie as Big as the Ritz), was published in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Edinburgh First Book Award and the Saboteur Awards, and longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. Her much anticipated debut novel, Supper Club, was published to rave reviews in spring 2019 by Hamish Hamilton and has been translated into five languages, won the Guardian Not The Booker Prize and was listed as a Book of the Year 2019 by TIMEVogue and elsewhere. She has a piece in last year’s Comma Press anthology The New Abject and she features in Best British Short Stories 2017. Her writing has been in The Guardian, The Independent, Vice, Times Literary Supplement, Dazed and McSweeney’s, among other places, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The Bookseller reported that her second novel is chalked to come out in spring 2022 with publishers Hamish Hamilton, title “to be revealed”.

Crime writer Oliver Harris was born in London but now lives in Manchester where he has been senior lecturer in creative writing (fiction) at Man Met’s Manchester Writing School since June 2018. He has published four novels: three feature the police detective Nick Belsey (The House Of Fame, The Hollow Man and Deep Shelter), and have been described by Ian Rankin as “pacey London noir” and by Val McDermid as “a great read”, while the most recent, A Shadow Intelligence, which came out with Little, Brown last May, is the first in a new series exploring the world of private intelligence agencies. The second Kane thriller, Ascension, centring on British spy Elliot Kane, is due out in July. In 2016, he published a study of Greek myth and philosophy in the work of Jacques Lacan: Lacan’s Return to Antiquity (Routledge). He has a degree in English Literature and an MA in Shakespeare Studies from UCL, and an MA in creative writing from UEA, and he is a reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement.

Keith Hutson graduated from Manchester Writing School in 2019 and lives in Halifax, where he teaches creative writing at The Square Chapel Theatre and delivers poetry and performance workshops to schools for The Prince’s Trust. He has written for Coronation Street and numerous well-known comedians. His poetry has been widely published in journals including The RialtoThe NorthStandMagma and Agenda, and his work has appeared in The Guardian and on BBC Radio 3’s The Verb. His debut pamphlet, Routines, published by Poetry Salzburg, is a collection of 31 sonnets celebrating the lives of music hall and variety performers. He is a Poetry Business Yorkshire Prize winner and his pamphlet Troupers was a 2018 Laureate’s Choice, chosen by the former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who Keith regularly tours and reads with. His debut full collection, Baldwin’s Catholic Geese, was published by Bloodaxe in 2019.

The Read Regional campaign aims to connect local authors from the north of England to local readers via promotions in libraries, bookshops, festivals and other venues. Each year they choose a selection of the best books to promote via an open submission process. This event is part of the Festival Of Libraries programme of events arranged by the Manchester City of Literature.

Where to go near Lara Williams, Keith Hutson and Oliver Harris online at Festival Of Libraries

Hern Food
Leeds
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Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Indie Makers
Leeds
Shop
Indie Makers

Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
Leeds
Shop
Plant Point

Plant Point is designed to help you bring the jungle into your urban or suburban space. The home of beautiful plants in Leeds.

Leeds
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Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
Leeds
Restaurant
Sela Bar & Pizzeria

Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

Leeds Beckett SU
Leeds
Restaurant
Leeds Beckett Student Union

Leeds Beckett Student Union hosts big-name artists and supports students through events, live music, and a vibrant campus venue.

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There's ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and entertainment facilities, making for a great evening out!

Watch the latest film releases and enjoy the industry-leading Sony 4K Digital screens, boasting spectacular picture quality, along with enhanced audio quality courtesy of Dolby 'Profound Sound'. Stepped SuperVue seating means you will never miss a second of the action while VIP seating guarantees you an extra touch of luxury whenever you want to upgrade.

Three of the nine screens showcase the newest 3D releases while Vue Classical brings the latest stage sensations to the big screen, and parents can save as they go with Family Tickets and Kids AM screenings offering great value for money.
Leeds
Cinema
Vue Cinema – Leeds Kirkstall Road

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There’s ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and

Restaurant 2
Leeds
Café or Coffee Shop
Empire Café

Empire Café is located in Leeds’ ‘home of day dining’- Fish street!

Restaurant
Leeds
Restaurant
Phranakhon

Phranakhon Thai Tapas is a revolutionised Thai dining restaurant with a combination of European indulgence and authentic Thai tastes.

Restaurant
Leeds
Restaurant
Wen’s

Wen’s is a family owned Chinese restaurant specialising in authentic, home cooked cuisine.

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