That’s What She* Said Live

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Book now

That's What She* Said Live

21 August 2020

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

Poet and theatre-maker Maria Ferguson.
Book now
This year, For Books’ Sake – the hardworking indie organisation behind critically acclaimed, award-winning night That’s What She* Said – celebrates its tenth birthday, and, to celebrate, you’re invited to a special online birthday party. Championing women and non-binary writers across the UK and beyond via writing workshops and retreats, along with live events and spoken word nights in Manchester, London and Bristol, For Books’ Sake have grown the operation since 2010 with zero external funding.
Maria Ferguson is an award-winning writer and performer from Essex, whose debut poetry collection Alright, Girl? was published by Burning Eye Books in March
Join them for this special That’s What She* Said Live online on 21 August and help raise money for more great programming while getting to enjoy “three of the best spoken word performers around AND a chance to win some absolutely amazing prizes, from us and a selection of our all-time favourite writers, publishers and other organisations”. The Birthday Raffle includes books and goodies from the likes of Rosie Garland, Toria Garbutt, Boudicca Press and Burning Eye Books, editing and feedback sessions, creative coaching packages with FBS founder Jane Claire Bradley and more.
The evening itself, meanwhile, features two lots of performances each by EMY.P, Malaika Kegode and Maria Ferguson. EMY.P is an award-winning spoken word artist, BBC London-featured poet and musician born and raised in Essex, and featured in the list of Top 50 Neurodivergent Women 2019. Bristol-based Malaika Kegode is a poet, promoter and workshop facilitator, working with organisations such as Arvon and Cheltenham Literature Festival. Malaika’s debut poetry collection Requite was published by Burning Eye Books in 2017 and she has performed around the UK, from London’s Tongue Fu to BBC at the Edinburgh Festival.
Maria Ferguson is an award-winning writer and performer from Essex, whose debut poetry collection Alright, Girl? was published by Burning Eye Books in March and described by Salena Godden as: “Flawless. An essential read for the 2020s.”  She has been a resident artist for the Roundhouse and Battersea Arts Centre and has been commissioned by the Royal Academy of Art, Stylist magazine and BBC Radio 1. Her debut show, Fat Girls Don’t Dance, won the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Show. Her follow-up, Essex Girl, was shortlised for Soho Theatre’s Tony Craze Award and won Show of the Week at VAULT Festival 2019. Both are published by Oberon Books.

Where to go near That’s What She* Said Live

Blackburn
Hotel
Northcote Hotel

Northcote’s luxury hotel perfectly matches its Michelin-star restaurant, nestled in the Ribble Valley hills on the edge of the Forest of Bowland.

Medlock Square
Manchester
Event venue
Medlock Square

Medlock Square is a new £300m entertainment complex betwixt the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live, with Zadie’s, Little Beast, a hotel, market hall and more.

Zadie's
Manchester
Restaurant
Zadie’s

Italo-Japanese plates and razzle-dazzle glamour at Medlock Square. Featuring live acts, a space-age bar and a bird’s-eye view onto the Manchester City pitch.

Grafton Arms
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Grafton Arms

Grafton Arms has undergone an impressive revamp. The Eagle Inn team have turned this traditional pub into a standout live venue and drinking destination.

Proloco
Manchester
Restaurant
Proloco

Honest Crust’s Richard Carver and Rainy Heart’s Dan Hope join forces at Proloco, a music-led Ancoats restaurant serving 18-inch pizzas and seasonal plates.

City Centre
Restaurant
GiGi Gusto Griglia

GiGi is a lavish Italian restaurant just off Deansgate, with 1950s décor and a menu that sticks to the classics.

Blackburn
Restaurant
Northcote

Northcote’s Michelin-starred restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the Ribble Valley. We get a first look at the new autumnal menu.

Cumbria
Restaurant
Pentonbridge Inn

Pentonbridge Inn is a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in north Cumbria. Eight courses of bunkum-free fine dining from head chef Chris Archer.

Manchester
Restaurant
Dahlia Stereo

Dahlia Stereo is a Latin American-inspired open-fire kitchen and bar off the Northern Quarter’s Stevenson Square, with a pitch perfect soundsystem.

Balance Taproom
Manchester
Restaurant
Balance Taproom

Manchester has a glut of taprooms, and Balance Brewing’s is far and away the best. Drinks, decor, service – all a cut above.

Richard Hards ‘Strangeways’
Manchester
Gallery
Moon Grove

A Georgian front room in Rusholme houses Moon Grove, an independent gallery with an unusually ambitious international programme.

Culture Guides

Exhibitions

It’s a good season for contemporary art fans in Manchester, with many of our favourite small galleries launching something big.

Theatre

The nights are drawing in. Theatre across the North is refusing to play it safe. November brings experimental performance, queer comedy and plenty of surprises.

Music

Grubby dance music meets high-gloss hyperpop and wildly ambitious opera in our latest music guide.

Food and Drink in the North

It's autumn and time to get scheduling those hearty meals. Here's the October guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

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.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...