Literature Events in Manchester and the North

As the land of live literature tentatively opens the door a crack, we have some talks and walks IRL to flag up and a whole host of online dates for your diary this May, including a virtual trip to the capital and a jam-packed month of festival readings, digital book launches and spoken word showcases…

The month starts with the tailend of Queer Contact on 1 May, when Dean Atta will be reading from his debut novel The Black Flamingo and chatting about it with the UK’s LGBT History Month Poet Laureate Adam Lowe, and also running a creative writing workshop. WoWFEST also gets underway and runs all month – Liverpool’s longest-running writing and literary festival this year welcomes the likes of international bestselling My Name Is Leon author Kit de Waal and poet, performer and novelist Salena Godden.

Manchester’s Word Central, in conjunction with Flapjack Press and hosted by Tony Curry, returns to our Zoom rooms on 4 May, welcoming poet Chanje Kunda alongside a packed open mic, and Liverpool’s A Lovely Word brings The Repeat Beat Poet to the airwaves on 6 May. Also on 6 May, Flapjack Press launches Henry Normal’s new book The Distance Between Clouds with Manchester Libraries, while Emma Jane Unsworth presents her new non-fiction work After The Storm at Salon London.

Seán Hewitt introduces the Poets and Players 2021 competition online reading on 4 May, while the next night offers a choice: Adam Roberts’ Dystopian Dialogue #1 online from the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and Ben Harker’s latest book launch at the Working Class Movement Library.

Comma Press introduces readers to The New Abject: Tales of Modern Unease on 11 May, while fellow Manchester-based  publisher Carcanet Press hosts three launches this month – first up, John Gallas’s The Extasie on 5 May followed by Iain Crichton Smith’s Deer On The High Hills on 11 May and Jenny King’s Moving Day on 19 May. Carcanet-published poet Suzannah V Evans (New Poetries VIII) reads from her new Guillemot Press pamphlet Brightwork on 6 May alongside Liverpool’s Eleanor Rees, whose next collection is out with Guillemot next year. More here.

The Elizabeth Gaskell’s House book sale is back on 9 May, so get your place booked as soon as possible, and there’s a fascinating talk on DH Lawrence and Philip Larkin beaming out live on 26 May – online tickets available now.

Also on 26 May, in association with Manchester Poetry Library, Andrew McMillan launches his third poetry collection pandemonium with an online reading and chat with his Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Writing School colleague Malika Booker. On 20 May, Man Met’s Professor Emeritus Poetry and Art Allen Fisher joins the line-up for the latest in the Spring 2021 Safe Readings Series organised by Ágnes Lehóczky of University of Sheffield’s Centre for Poetry and Poetics – the other readers are Tim Atkins, Carrie Etter and Ulli Freer.

The Manchester Literature Festival spring programme continues on 20 May with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and translator Jhumpa Lahiri in conversation with Women’s Prize For Fiction winner Kamila Shamsie. As with all MLF spring events, this will be captioned and available to watch for seven days after first broadcast. We’re also heading, virtually, to the Brockley Max festival in London for a showcase of Arachne Press talent, with readings and discussion about poetry and flash fiction from Laura Besley, Manchester’s David Hartley and Rob Walton. Festival fever continues as we look forward to the first-ever Festival Of Libraries – the programme runs 9 to 13 June, but is yet to be revealed, so be sure to check back for more…

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