Literature Events in Manchester and the North

January, February, March, April… we’ve plenty for you to look forward to live literature wise in 2019 and pop into the unsullied pages of that just unclingfilmed diary.

Soon-to-be-stepping-down Poet Laureate and head of Manchester Writing School Carol Ann Duffy is back at the Royal Exchange with her & Friends performance and chat series. Joining Carol Ann are students and alumni, House Poets and Laureate’s Choice pamphleteers John Fennelly and Mark Pajak (winner of the Bridport Prize), and a variety of special guests: on 14 January, it’s The Glass Aisle, aka Paul Henry and Brian Briggs with a collaboration of poetry and music; on 11 March, it’s BBC radio regular and ‘stand-up poet’ Kate Fox.

Another regular fixture on the Manchester scene is Poets & Players, bringing poets Colette Bryce, Kit Fan and Martin Kratz to the wonderful light-flooded galleries of The Whitworth at 2.30pm on 19 January, with music performed by the Kell Wind Trio, and a morning poetry workshop with Colette, who’s been shortlisted for the likes of the Forward Prize for Best Poetry Collection, The Costa Poetry Award and The Roehampton Poetry Prize.

There’s more acclaimed poetry chalked up for the PN Review Winter Launch on 23 January at Castlefield Gallery (celebrating 35 years in 2019 with some amazing exhibitions planned to mark the occasion – check out their latest show, The Ground Beneath Your Feet, while you’re there). It’s free (but you’ll need to book a ticket!) and features readings from Jonathan Catherall, Suzannah V Evans, Richard Gwyn, Jamie Osborn and Claudine Toutoungi, and Man Met visiting teaching fellow and Ambit poetry editor André Naffis-Sahely.

André’s colleague Andrew McMillan is appearing at the second Poetry Pop Jukebox Co-op on 24 January (venue under wraps until we tell you otherwise). Expect snippets of his new collection playtime, recitals of influencing poets, pop lyrics, plus work by fellow writers Emily Oldfield and Jae Lythgoe.

Rounding off January will be Verbose (at new home Fred’s Ale House in Levenshulme on the fourth Monday) and Bad Language (at The Castle on the last Wednesday), and the crowning of the Word War Champion of Champions at Eagle Inn on 26 January, with fighting talk from Liv Barnes, Dominic Berry, Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin, Rose Condo, Hannah Davies, Joy France, David Jarman, David Judge, Ciarán Hodgers and Serin Thomasin.

February gets underway on Friday 1st, when The Manchester Prizes for Poetry and Fiction will be announced at a gala ceremony at Chet’s Library. The poets on the all-female shortlist are Zillah Bowes, Katie Hale, Libby Hart, Maggie Millner and Molly Underwood; the prose shortlist has yet to be announced (rest assured, we have our ears glued groundwards and will let you know). There will be a drinks reception, readings and a return of the inimitable double act James Draper and Matthew Frost, of Manchester University Press.

Next day sees a gathering of the North’s finest independent presses at the second Manchester Indie Book Fair organised by Manchester-based publishing house Dostoyevsky Wannabe. If you’re after some new reading matter for spring, head on down to the International Anthony Burgess Foundation from noon until 6pm, and don’t forget your Christmas money. Other ideas for avoiding the high-street book-buying bunfight are covered with our guide to independent outlets – Chorlton Bookshop, Magma Books and HOME are all included, and some even stock anthologies and graphic novels featured here throughout the last year.

Thursday 7 February sees That’s What She Said back in Manchester for its first show of 2019 – showcasing fantastic new writing and performance by women and non-binary writers and following sell-out events at Edinburgh Festival and the London’s Albert Hall, this month welcomes BBC Poetry Slam Champion Jess Green, and we recommend you snaffle tickets quick sharp. Also back is Outspoken, marking LGBT History Month with an afternoon of poetry and spoken word performance on 9 February, hosted by Mandla-Rae and featuring poets Ella Otomewo, Billie Meredith, Maz Hedgehog and Bryony Bates.

Manchester Literature Festival and the Centre for New Writing have Tracey Thorn in conversation with Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Manchester Jeanette Winterson on Tuesday 26 February (with more events lined up for the rest of the year to be announced), and tickets are on sale for Matt Haig, presenting his latest memoir Notes On A Nervous Planet at HOME on 15 April.

And before you go, scroll down to our “More in Literature” stories and check out our guide to the UNESCO City of Literature, where you’ll find some bookworm-friendly go-tos, including the oldest public library in the English-speaking world Chet’s – check out the tours on 17 January and 14 February.

And if you fancy venturing further afield, then our tips for trips include must-go Literary Places in Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Cumbria.

Here are our picks