The Northern Fiction Alliance Roadshow at Waterstones Deansgate

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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The Northern Fiction Alliance Roadshow

26 September 2017

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

Nathan Connolly, publisher Dead Ink.
Nathan Connolly, publisher Dead Ink.
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Move over, London – the Northern Fiction Alliance collective, made up of some of the most exciting small presses in the UK, was set up a year or so ago to shine a light on the North of England as a hive of creativity in the publishing sector.

Led by Manchester’s own Comma Press, with core members Leeds’s Peepal Tree Press, Liverpool’s Dead Ink Books and Sheffield’s And Other Stories, the NFA has eaten its own body weight in independent publishing houses, and now counts Bluemoose Books, Mayfly Press (including the Moth crime imprint), Route, Saraband and Tilted Axis Press in its numbers. Bringing together the best new titles on offer, the project was devised to showcase the diversity, creativity and spirit of risk-taking that sets Northern publishers apart, and aims to increase the exposure to and resilience of the emerging domestic fiction market in the UK.

This special event marks the NFA’s very first roadshow, showcasing the different presses and the books they are publishing, with networking opportunities, plus talks and readings from some of the authors and editors, including And Other Stories publisher Stefan Tobler and Dead Ink’s Nathan Connolly, pictured).

Authors include Martyn Bedford, whose new collection, Letters Home – aptly, a portrait of the changing face of modern, Northern Britain – is out on Comma later this year. Bluemoose author Heidi James along with And Other Stories short story writer Joanna Walsh both have books out in September, perfect timing for this event, while later this year Route publishes Paul Hanley’s Leave The Capital, about how Manchester music freed itself from the control of the London music industry.

Peepal Tree will be hosting Jacob Ross at the roadshow – his latest book, The Bone Readers, won the recent Jhalak Prize. Dead Ink’s Naomi Booth will be discussing her novel Sealed while Benjamin Myers will be talking about These Darkening Days, out with Mayfly. Finally Graeme Macrae Burnet, shortlisted for last year’s Man Booker Prize with His Bloody Project, will be along with Saraband, recently relocated to the North West.

The ticket price for the roadshow includes a drink on arrival, 10% discount on any books purchased on the night published by any of the presses in attendance and, we’re told, some freebies!

Where to go near The Northern Fiction Alliance Roadshow at Waterstones Deansgate

Manchester
Restaurant
KAI Deansgate

Kai is a Turkish restaurant on Deansgate, set up by the brains behind the well-regarded Zouk restaurant. Expect excellent mezze plates and an open grill that releases wonderful aromas throughout the venue.

City Centre
Restaurant
Côte Restaurant

Elegantly laid out with simple wooden tables and Burgundy-coloured banquettes, Côte in Manchester does brasserie food, and does it well.

CUPRA City Garage DJ Decks
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
CUPRA City Garage

Already based in Paris, Mexico City, Sydney and Vienna, CUPRA’s international expansion is driven by culture as much as cars, and Manchester’s creative energy has clearly caught their attention.

City Centre
Restaurant
Lunya Manchester

Lunya is a Spanish and Catalan deli and restaurant in Manchester’s stunning Barton Arcade. The food is reliably fresh and the staff both charming and incredibly knowledgable.

Royal Exchange Theatre
City Centre
Theatre
Royal Exchange Theatre

The Royal Exchange is one of the most celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics.

Bloom Cafe
Manchester
Bloom Cafe

Bloom Cafe is a stunning cafe based on Deansgate in Manchester, serving up an array of hot and cold drinks, including a range of CBD options.

St Ann’s Square
City Centre
Park
St Ann’s Square

St Ann’s Square is a quiet little enclave of shops, with Barton’s Arcade set back from it on one side, and St Ann’s Church, which dates back to 1712 and…

City Centre
Music venue
South

Bite-size basement dive alternating techno-house and indie nights, this stalwart of the Manchester music scene can be found just off Deansgate, next door to St Ann’s Square.

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