Literature Events in Manchester and the North

Experimental and avant garde poetry is getting a good look-in this month, with the return of Murmur at Common on Sunday 14 April, featuring poets and text-based artists Richard Scott, Danielle Valz Gen, SS Whetton and Bonnie Hancell, plus music from Monitor DJs. No Matter is back at The Castle, with a new format that includes brand-new work especially commissioned for the reading series. On Wednesday 17 April, No Matter Presents New Matter #1 sees Anne Boyer performing the first commission, alongside readings from Maria Sledmere, Hannah Catherine Jones (complete with theremin) and Roy Claire Potter.

Verbose continues at Fred’s, but with a new line-up of organisers – Adam Evans, Ava Macpherson and Zoe Turner (of Comma Press), all regulars on the bill, who kick off their new residency on Monday 22 April with the theme of rebirth and headliners Clare Fisher and Reshma Ruia. Bad Language follows on the Wednesday at Gullivers, featuring Women’s Prize shortlistee Yvonne Battle-Felton, and Poets & Players is back at The Whitworth on the Saturday, with poetry from Mona Arshi, Will Harris, Maryam Hessavi and Degna Stone, plus music from ‘country and eastern’ band Paula Darwish and Serpil Kılıç.

May unfolds with a double bill of international poets at The Portico Library on 2 and 16 May courtesy Carcanet Press, Feminist Book Fortnight celebrated with a Boudicca Press and Bad Language co-production, presenting new anthology Disturbing The Beast: Women Of Weird Fiction at Blackwells on 8 May, the first in The Longer Read new Man Met series on 16 May featuring Alan Hollinghurst, the opening of comic book art exhibition Kapow! at the Cooper Gallery in Barnsley on 18 May and Simon Armitage launching his new Faber poetry collection Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic at Central Library on 29 May.

Finally, tickets are on sale to hear from Bret Easton Ellis, in the UK with a new non-fiction book, and Matt Haig, presenting his latest memoir Notes On A Nervous Planet at the Leeds International Festival, and for Storyhouse Women Weekend running 26 to 28 April. Other festivals to pop in your now heaving diary include the second annual Altrincham Word Fest from 11 to 26 May, featuring Dave Haslam as top billing, and the inaugural Weekend of Words at Victoria Baths, taking place 7 to 9 June, featuring our very own Literature Editor, Sarah-Clare Conlon, as Writer-in-Residence.

And before you go, scroll down to our More in Literature stories and don’t forget to check out our guide to the UNESCO City of Literature, where you’ll find some bookworm-friendly go-tos, including John Rylands Library (where Rosie Garland is Writer-in-Residence) and the oldest public library in the English-speaking world Chet’s – with events including an Iris Murdoch evening in June.

Our updated Guide To Bookshops In Manchester is here, 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