Scribble Festival at Chapter One Books

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Book now

Scribble Festival

Chapter 1 Books, Manchester
6-7 November 2016

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

Writer Michelle Green.
Author Michelle Green.
Book now

Tell Us Another One and Cartwheel Arts have joined forces to bring us Scribble Festival, a two-day celebration of storytelling in all its forms, including poetry, prose and music. On Sunday afternoon, there will be creative writing workshops and Q&As with experts in flash fiction (David Gaffney and, oh, Sarah-Clare Conlon), performance poetry (Chris Jam) and singer-songwriting (Claire Mooney), zine-making and the chance to get your work on the MacGuffin publishing platform. Live readings and music will take the event into the evening, when there will be a poetry slam (with £50 cash prize) and a star turn from Roger Robinson, chosen by arts organisation Decibel as one of the 50 writers who have influenced the black writing canon. Monday morning will see panel discussions about different aspects of the publishing industry with writer Michelle Green (pictured), blogger Len Grant and Michael Schmidt, Editorial and Managing Director of Carcanet Press, plus a speed networking session for writers and organisations to connect.

Where to go near Scribble Festival at Chapter One Books

York Festival of Ideas
York
Tourist Attraction
York Festival of Ideas

York Festival of Ideas is a cultural festival in York, England, that aims to “educate, entertain and inspire”.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Rat & Pigeon

A slice of alternative Manchester in pub form, down a grotty, gritty backstreet and with a disgusting name. What’s not to love?

Twenty Twenty Two in Manchester's Northern Quarter
Manchester
Bar or Pub
TwentyTwentyTwo

TwentyTwentyTwo (formerly 2022NQ) is a bar, art gallery and performance space in Manchester’s Northern Quarter that’s underground – literally & metaphorically.

Manchester
Restaurant
Sampa

Colourful Brazilian fine dining at Caroline Martin’s intimate restaurant, Sampa.

Calcio
Manchester
Restaurant
Calcio

Welcoming Northern Quarter venue, held above wonderful Brazilian food concept, Sampa.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

Foundation Coffee House Manchester
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Foundation Coffee House

An echoey, spacious coffee house in the northern quarter, filled with designer furniture, a meeting room on wheels and carefully-crafted brews.

Bundobust Manchester
Manchester
Restaurant
Bundobust Manchester

Head to Bundobust Manchester for fantastic and endlessly original Indian street food, all vegetarian (and often vegan).

What's on: Literature

a poster advertising Ferlinghetti Day 2026. The text reads
LiteratureHebden Bridge
Ferlinghetti Day UK 2026

An annual celebration of the life and work of poet, artist and bookseller Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is here, so sign yourself up for some much-missed al fresco dining at these highly recommended (and mostly new) Manchester restaurants.

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 busy image created using generative AI. The image depicts a man at the centre with grey hair and rosy cheeks, surrounding him are fairies that appear to be created in his own image with multiple limbs and unique bodily proportions. Around them are hundreds of vials, microscopes and dated scientific equipment.
Exhibitions

Spring has sprung a wealth of great exhibitions in the North West, from intimate photographic shows to huge installations.

Theatre

Closer, riskier, more immediate. Our small-scale theatre picks stretch from unsettling fables about nationhood to the inner workings of a mind trying to hold itself together.

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.

Fatoumata Diawara by Alun Be.
Music

This month’s live music picks move between ambitious new work, grassroots celebrations and a few memorable settings.