Lit Up at Chapter One Books

There’s a brand-new live literature night in town, helmed by two Man Met creative writing lecturers, prose writer Chris Neilan and “the rising star of British poetry” Helen Mort (she of the recent fascinating Radio 4 series Mother Tongue). Both appear alongside the likes of September’s Bad Language headliner Kim Moore in hot-off-the-press pubs and poetry anthology One For The Road, edited by litficionado Stuart Maconie, so we should be in good hands.

Newbie Lit Up will be held in indie bookshop Chapter One, clutching onto the edge of the Northern Quarter, and will on each outing feature a headline act in the shape of a published author, 10 open mic spots (email litupmcr@gmail.com in advance to bagsy one – from what we hear, you’ll be in good company!) and a flash fiction competition for everyone to have a go at before heading off into the darkness.

Proceedings kick off with short story star (and former PINS drummer) Lara Williams (pictured), who also happens to teach at Man Met. Lara will be reading from her first collection, Treats, which has just come out in the States on Flatiron as A Selfie As Big As The Ritz, and was described, in its UK incarnation, as “a break-up album of tales covering relationships, the tyranny of choice, and self navigation”. Lara herself has been described as “a seriously impressive writer” by the Huffington Post, so well worth popping by for.