Literature Events in Manchester and the North

There’s plenty of sunshine-drenched reading to immerse yourself in from established names and emerging talent, poets and prose writers alike, both in real life as well as online.

Kendal Poetry Festival co-director Kim Moore is at Manchester Poetry Library with Radna Fabias and MPL also welcomes André Naffis-Sahely to launch his new poetry collection High Desert. At the Portico Library, meanwhile, check out the Rewriting The North series and head to Central Library for some Northern noir courtesy the monthly Crime Central hosted by Rob Parker.

The Portico Library team up with Blackwell’s to host Portico Prize-winner Jessica Andrews and up the Oxford Road Corridor at the Bookshop itself, there’s loads going on – we’re heading over for the launch of acclaimed new author Camilla Grudova‘s debut novel. At Cheadle Village’s Greenhouse Books, meanwhile, there’s a Fly On The Wall showcase featuring Matt Broomfield and Jiye Lee (2 July, 5pm).

In Liverpool, various nights like Give Poetry A Chance, Liver Bards and the popular Spoken Word night hosted by Saint Vespaluus at the Mansion House are back in real life, while A Lovely Word is gearing up for a full-on festival at the Everyman in July, featuring the likes of Hollie McNish. Blast! gets a new venue for its number (6) outing – head to The Old Bank Alehouse on Aigburth Road on 30 June – while The Reader’s weekly Poetry Walks also continue in south Liverpool’s Calderstones Park; find out more here.

Over in Leeds, Tubthumping – hosted by Matt Abbott and Maria Ferguson – welcomes Jess Green and Erin Bolens (a last-minute change from Sabrina Mahfouz) to The Constitutional in Farsley on 30 June. Also in Farsley, head to Truman Books for various events – including a reading by Stu Hennigan of his lockdown book Ghost Signs. In Sheffield, pop 14 July on your wall calendar: new night Nine Lives Poetry has invited Helen Mort and Kate Millington to star at its second night out. In Hebden Bridge, meanwhile, this autumn’s inaugural Sylvia Plath Literary Festival will be launched on 15 July with readings from poets Victoria Gatehouse, Gaia Holmes and Eileen Wright.

West of the Pennines, Saboteur Awards Best Regular Spoken Word Night Verbose continues to fill out the King’s Arms in Salford every last Monday of the month, and there’s a special pop-up at Ducie Warehouse on 18 July, and Word Central takes over Manchester Central Library’s events space again on 26 July, with a special birthday open mic party. Speak Easy’s bumper open mic is at Dulcimer in Chorlton every first Thursday of the month (next is 2 July) and Switchblade Society is back on 3 July with performers reading their own and each other’s work at the Northern Quarter’s The Peer Hat.

The English Shared Futures conference runs Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 July, with lots to check out, including, on the Friday at The Salutation (8pm), New Prose Writing from Dostoyevsky Wannabe and The Real Story, with readings by Emma Bolland, James Davies and Maria Sledmere representing Manchester indie publisher Dostoyevsky Wannabe, and Marie Crook, Adam Farrer and Kate Feld waving the flag for creative non-fictioners The Real Story.

Online, Manchester-based poetry publisher Carcanet Press is continuing to host a number of small-screen launches, including the new “best of” by 2020 Forward Prize Best Collection winner Caroline Bird, who will be chatting about the work with fellow poet Rachel Long.

Shopping wise, check out our updated Bookshops in Manchester Guide and don’t forget you need to book in advance for the monthly Elizabeth Gaskell’s House book sale. Manchester Poetry Library, Chetham’s Library, the Portico Library and the Pankhurst Centre are all welcoming visitors, so pop them on your list too. Scroll down for more events and activities, or see our literary guides to Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Cumbria if you’re venturing further afield.

Here are our picks