Literary Manchester

From Marx and Engels to John Cooper Clarke, Manchester has a radical literary history - and with events such as the Manchester Literature Festival and attractions such as the John Rylands Library and Chetham's Library, there's certainly a lot to explore. And to cement the city's literary credentials, Manchester became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017.

Manchester Poetry Library

Manchester Poetry Library, situated on Oxford Road, is the North Wests first poetry library and…

Millgate Arts Centre

Millgate Arts Centre is home to a thriving local arts community, providing a base for theatre, film…

The Portico Library and Gallery

The Portico Library & Gallery opened in 1806 as a Library and Newsroom and continues to be an…

Central Library

This iconic city venue, designed by E. Vincent Harris, was first opened in 1934. Following a…

Chetham's Library

About/History Chetham's is a unique cultural institution in the heart of Manchester combining…

Oldham Library and Life Long Learning Centre

Find out what's happening at Oldham Library - and all Oldham's local libraries. All our libraries…

Palace Green Library

Palace Green Library, in the heart of Durham city, holds Durham University's outstanding special…

The British Pop Archive

The British Pop Archive is a national collection dedicated to the preservation and research of…

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library

For those who set eyes on Deansgate's The John Rylands Research Institute and Library for the…

Working Class Movement Library

The Working Class Movement Library records over 200 years of organising and campaigning by working…

Saba Sams & Eley Williams in conversation

Blackwell's are thrilled to be partnering with the University of Manchester's Centre…

19 May 2025 -

Book Launch: An Unorthodox History, British Jews since 1945

Manchester Jewish Museum

Join Manchester Jewish Museum for a fascinating talk with Gavin Schaffer, Professor of Modern…

20 May 2025 -

Hazel Barkworth and Rozie Kelly in conversation with Lara Williams

Serenity booksellers are delighted to be welcoming Hazel Barkworth and Rozie Kelly to Stockport to…

20 May 2025 -

A Slice of Life: Karolina Ramqvist & Katie Goh in conversation with Ruby Martin

Blackwell's are thrilled to welcome Karolina Ramqvist and Katie Goh to the shop to discuss their…

21 May 2025 -

Murder Squad's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Join Serenity for an incredibly special event, celebrating Murder Squad's 25th Anniversary!…

21 May 2025 -

I Seek a Wild Star: Poems of Longing and Belonging

Manchester Jewish Museum

Join Manchester Jewish Museum for an intimate evening of poetry as Ophira Adar presents a…

22 May 2025 -

Writing the Unknown: A Poetry Workshop Exploring Family Histories

Manchester Jewish Museum

What do we know about our family histories? What don't we know? How do we live with the silences…

25 May 2025 -

This Is How You Remember It: Catherine Prasifka

Blackwell's are thrilled to welcome Catherine Prasifka to the shop to discuss her second…

27 May 2025 -

Benengeli 2025: Writing with the Five Senses

On Wednesday 28th May 2025, Instituto Cervantes Manchester will be taking part in "Benengeli…

28 May 2025 -

Cloudless - in conversation with Rupert Dastur

Join for an evening with author Rupert Dastur on Wednesday 28th May when he'll be talking to…

28 May 2025 -

An Evening with Hazel McBride

BORN TO RULE. BLESSED BY FIRE. BROKEN BY DESIRE... DISCOVER THE NEW ROMANTASY PHENOMENON HOW MUCH IS…

29 May 2025 -

Poetry Reading Series: Roy Macfarlane in conversation with Helen Mort

Manchester Poetry Library

Roy McFarlane is a poet, playwright and former Youth and Community Worker. In 2022, he was appointed…

29 May 2025 -

Inspired By Libraries with Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is the Waterstones Children's Laureate 2024-2026 and leading "Reading…

04 Jun 2025 -

Inspired By Libraries with Jordan Stephens

Join Jordan Stephens in conversation with Manchester Slam Champion Griot Gabriel, on how literature…

04 Jun 2025 -

Inspired By Libraries with Yasmin Evans

Join Stockport's Yasmin Evans for an insightful discussion about the impact of literature on her…

06 Jun 2025 -

The Songs The Morning Sang

The Songs The Morning Sang is an exhibition by and collaboration between poet Ian McMillan and…

06 Jun 2025 - 27 Sep 2025

'Unburied' Book Launch - The True Story of the Manchester Mummy

Manchester Museum

This event will take place in the Kanaris Lecture Theatre in the Manchester Museum. Doors: 6pm…

11 Jun 2025 -

2025 Manchester Writing School Summer Festival

This four-day intensive course is designed to give participants a taste of life in the Manchester…

16 Jun 2025 - 20 Jun 2025

Poetry Reading Series: Hannah Copley and Isabelle Galleymore in conversation

Manchester Poetry Library

Isabel Galleymore is a poet, critic and lecturer with a focus on ecopoetry. Her first collection…

19 Jun 2025 -

Manchester Literature Festival 2025

Manchester Literature Festival offers unique experiences for audiences to interact with some of the…

10 Oct 2025 - 26 Oct 2025

Strange but True Crime with Jennifer Rees

Manchester Opera House

Jennifer's previous theatre tour, The Psychology of Serial Killers, was a huge hit with…

20 Oct 2025 -

An Evening with Margaret Atwood

Manchester Opera House

How does one of the greatest storytellers of our time write her own life? Join Opera House…

13 Nov 2025 -

Manchester Central Library

Take a tour of Manchester Central Library with our drone video. The world famous library was officially opened on 17 July 1934 , by King George V, who told the crowds of thousands, "In the splendid building which I am about to open, the largest library in this country provided by a local authority…

Information
1 minute read

Celebrate World Book Day in Greater Manchester

World Book Day is an annual charity event which supports the fun of reading and improving children's lives. Did you know only 1 in 3 children say they enjoy reading? Manchester is bursting with literature, you can find poems on the pavements, up the walls and sprawling out to reach literary houses…

Guide
8 minute read

How to celebrate Manchester’s literary heritage when you visit

Manchester is renowned for being a creative hub in the UK, but did you know that the city is officially a UNESCO City of Literature? The city has a vision to create an innovative, distinctive, equitable, globally connected city of reading and writing. A city where diverse voices are celebrated…

News
3 minute read

Manchester Included in Unique UK UNESCO Sites on New Illustrated Map

Ignite your summer adventures and discover Manchester City of Literature alongside 57 other unique UNESCO sites in the UK and crown dependencies thanks to a newly illustrated map, now available to download for free from the UK National Commission for UNESCO. From expansive mountain ranges and…

1 minute read

Manchester City of Literature: A City Connects

Bringing together the whole of the Manchester literature scene; from publishers to booksellers, writers to readers and everyone in between, Manchester City of Literature has launched A City Connected. This new microsite already has 50+ events and activities listed since launching last week, several…

3 minute read

Celebrate Britain’s city of languages

Hundreds of languages will be shared and celebrated in events across the city as Manchester gets ready to celebrate International Mother Language Day between 20th and 22th February. International Mother Language Day is celebrated globally each year on 21 February after UNESCO adopted the…

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