With the anticipation of Freedom Day later this month, there is much to look forward to on the literary horizon. Check out our top picks for literary events in July 2021.
Join the free live stream with Word Central Host Tony Curry in conversation with Tony Kinsella. Kinsella is a stand-up comedian, poet and writer. The event will be presented by Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries. You can book an open mic slot if you feel like giving it a go, with three minutes allocated per performer. If taking the stage isn’t your thing, you can sit back and enjoy the performance by pre-booking tickets.
With an array of both old and new secondhand books, the Gaskell’s House book sale is back, with prices as little as £1 for a paperback. The event aims to raise funds for the house and is scheduled one day of the moth till December 2021. The ticket is valid for 12 months and access to the book fair is included in the fees. Pre-booking is essential. The Gaskell House hosts various literary events throughout the year.
Poet Slash Artist is an event that explores the connections between poetry and the visual arts across cultures and continents, languages and generations. Connecting the past to the present to the future, this is a collaboration between Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator and artistic director at London’s Serpentine Galleries, and poet and Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Lemn Sissay MBE. Each of the 25 poets/artists involved has been commissioned to create a new work that brings together their visual art and poetry practice. Pre-booking is necessary for the event.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s powerful reflection on family, love, and loss journeys from page to stage in Rae McKen’s new production, which you can watch live at Manchester Central or online. The event is an undertaking of the Manchester International Festival, and aims to creating a space for those who have experienced loss to gather and reflect.
Join poet, writer, TV and film producer, Henry Normal, in a series of online in conversation events with fellow writers. The new live-streamed series will feature poetry performances, writer “chat” and Q&As, featuring Gerry Potter, Dominic Berry, Anna Percy and more. Prior booking is necessary for the event.
The Northern Publishers’ Fair will bring together ten of the leading publishers to showcase what they have to offer and champion Northern talent. Manchester Libraries are hosting the free event at their performance space which will celebrate the Northern publishing industry after what has been a long hard year, particularly for independent publishers. The event is free but prior registration is necessary.
Nestled amidst a green patch of Hardman Square, you can spot the new pitched-roof installation from its colourful Caroline Dowsett-designed façade where a red phone box has been converted into a small library. With a carefully curated collection, you can take a book and replace it with one of your own. The Little Library aims to be a self-sustaining library so support it by making a visit.
Featured image and gallery: Hoang Phan Notebooks were carried from one workshop to another. Writers from different generations sat around tables, sharing manuscripts and listening to each other. Outdoors, small groups strolled along Oxford Road, pausing before buildings steeped in literary history. This was the scene during the Manchester Writing School Summer Festival 2026, held…
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