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Lockdown may be looming large, but Live Literature Land has you covered: from book launches and literary salons to online open mics and full-on festivals, activities and events continue virtually.
As January draws to a close, Manchester Poetry Library hosts poet Valerie Bloom and illustrator Ken Wilson-Max as they launch their illustrated children’s poetry book Stars With Flaming Tails on 26 January and Libby Tempest doffs her bonnet to Elizabeth Gaskell on Wednesday 27 January in an online talk, with more Cranford action chalked up for February. Friday 29 January sees No Matter’s Nell Osborne join the line-up helping poets Kyle Lovell and Maria Sledmere as they co-launch their new pamphlets into the world at Each Sharper Halo.
Word Central is back on 4 February, with guest poet Elizabeth McGeown and a compliment of open mic acts, and Liverpool’s A Lovely Word is on, hosting queer poet Sam Grudgings, while the Write Out Loud Open Mic Poetry online Zoom edition is beaming out of Wigan on 11 February for the second time this year. Manchester publisher Comma Press has two events to bolster its Protest and Resist collections of stories – with Christopher Eccleston on 9 February and Maxine Peake on 10 February – while Carcanet Press continues its online events programme for 2021 with the launch of GC Waldrep’s The Earliest Witnesses on 3 February and Judith Willson’s new poetry collection, Fleet, reading from the work and chatting about it with fellow Carcanet poet Helen Tookey on 10 February.
The annual Manchester In Translation conference this year heads online for three days 16 to 18 February, preceding Manchester City of Literature’s fourth International Mother Language Day, on 21 February. From the Confucius Institute to the new Manchester Poetry Library, IMLD activities include a multi-language mushaira night of song and poetry and the creation of a special Manchester Audio Cookbook by artist Sumay Wu, plus the launch of a brand new Chinese Language poetry collection at Manchester Poetry Library on 16 February with Jennifer Lee Tsai, Kit Fan and Natalie Linh Bolderston.
In Liverpool, The Reader kicks off a series of exciting author events on 18 February with Chocolat author Joanne Harris. The Sefton Borough of Culture: An evening with… returns on 11 March with poet Kei Miller and on 25 March with novelist Max Porter.
Festival wise, Kendal Poetry Festival has a full-to-bursting online programme and runs 19 to 28 February, while March sees both Lancaster Litfest (12-21 March) and Huddersfield Literature Festival (18-28 March) taking place virtually.
Be sure to check back for news of some upcoming literature festivals heading into the ether and don’t forget to scroll down for more events and activities. Check out our Guide To Bookshops In Manchester – many of the indies will order books for you and deliver locally while the libraries are shut – plus our literary guides to Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Cumbria.
We are so grateful to National Lottery players, The National Lottery, DCMS and Arts Council England for supporting our freelance writers during this crisis. This means that, although venues remain shut and campaigns cancelled, our writers can be reengaged to help arts organisations and artists across the North of England share their online content with our culture-hungry readers.
Here are our picks
Each Sharper Halo double book launch online, online, 29 January 2021, free entry - Find Out More
Join poets Kyle Lovell and Maria Sledmere on 29 January as they co-launch their new pamphlets, alongside readings from four guest readers, including Nell Osborne of Manchester’s very own premier avant reading series No Matter and contributor to Manchester Review of Books.
Protest: Stories of Resistance with Maxine Peake, online, 10 February 2021, from £3 - Book now
Radical bookshop Housmans has joined forces with Comma Press to host two online events featuring readings from the publisher’s Protest anthology, with renowned British actors Christopher Eccleston on 9 February and Maxine Peake on 10 February.
Manchester in Translation, online, 16–18 February 2021, free entry - Find Out More
Running 16 to 18 February, this year’s Manchester In Translation conference heads online with panels featuring industry experts including Man Booker International Prize shortlisted Sophie Hughes, workshops with the likes of Anjum Malik, senior lecturer at Manchester Writing School, and a keynote speech from multi-award-winning translator Arunava Sinha.
Kendal Poetry Festival, online, 19–28 February 2021, from £5 - Book now
For its fifth appearance in our calendars, Kendal Poetry Festival heads online and international from 19 to 28 February, featuring nine days showcasing workshops, talks and performances by over 50 writers, from Hafsah Aneela Bashir to Michael Symmons Roberts.
Cranford Online Talks with Elizabeth Gaskell's House, online, 24 February 2021, from £4 - Book now
Find out more about the novel Cranford, a well-loved classic of Victorian literature all about life in a chocolate-box Cheshire village, in the spring series of online talks from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, the perfect way to discover or rediscover both its words and its pictures. The next talks, complete with question-and-answer session, take place on 3 and 24 February.
Our guide to cinema features brand new streaming films, classic favourites and a look back at the year’s cinematic highlights.
Lockdown 3.0 may be wearing thin but there is light at the end of the tunnel, with many galleries and museums hoping to reopen in March.
We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.
For the December guide, we’re looking at the best delivery options in Manchester, whether it’s for alcohol or food.
Discover the best things to do online from the organisations we love in Manchester and the North.
Embrace your creative side or find the time to unwind your mind in this month’s guide of Tours and Activities.