Featured image: Ellen Byrne

As a master’s student returning to education after a career change and moving to a brand new city, I was eager to find ways to connect with Manchester and meet like-minded people before my course started. After some searching, I came across the Manchester Literature Festival – a yearly, Manchester-based event featuring award-winning poets and authors – and knew immediately that I wanted to get involved.

Volunteering was all about being a friendly face at the festival, from greeting guests to checking tickets, and the best part was, you got to watch the event you were working on. From conversations with iconic pop stars, readings from one of the UK’s leading contemporary poets, and the words of young poets set to an orchestra, the festival truly has some varied and amazing opportunities to get involved with. Here, I have rounded up three of my favourite events I worked on this year.

An Evening with Neneh Cherry at HOME

The big opener for the festival was an evening with Neneh Cherry, hosted by Bernadine Evaristo (Girl, Woman, Other). At the venue, HOME, there was a bustle of excitement as people arrived to watch a true icon speak about her upcoming autobiography, A Thousand Threads. Swedish rapper Neneh Cherry famously appeared on Top of the Pops in 1988, performing in nothing but a gold bra and bomber jacket while seven months pregnant.

As Evaristo and Cherry take centre stage in armchairs, they could be two old friends reconnecting. Think less interview, more conversation between these two powerful women. Cherry exudes cool, confidence and charisma. They discuss many themes of Cherry’s book, from her childhood growing up with her stepfather, American jazz musician Don Cherry, to moving to London alone at just 14, navigating motherhood at the height of her career and of course her iconic style. At the heart of Cherry’s book is the importance of family, and it is a delight to get a peek into something she holds so dear.

Imtiaz Dharker & Romalyn Ante at the Manchester Poetry Library

As a volunteer, admittedly, I’m a novice when it comes to poetry, having only faint memories of my GCSE textbooks. However, I had no need to be apprehensive as in the safe hands of Romalyn Ante and Imtiaz Dharker I’m guided into new realms of self expression. The event opens with Ante, a Filipino born nurse who shares myths of her homeland to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reading from her collection AGIMAT, it’s an exploration of strength, moving between her experiences as a nurse in the UK, and introducing us to the mythical goddess Mebuyan. We also hear her reconciling complex emotions as a Filipino woman falling for a man with Japanese heritage, forcing her to face her family’s treatment in the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Ultimately, it’s a collection of healing.

Our headliner Dharker performs from her new collection Shadow Reader. She opens with her poem ‘In The Year of My Death’, telling us of the time she went to a Shadow Reader to tell her the year of her death; that year has now come. What follows is a witty collection, one exploring celebration as an act of resistance. The themes discussed are prevalent in today’s society, particularly in the current political climate of war and uncertainty. Both poets offer ideas of how to find sanctuary in the unknown.

Cabaret for Freedom with The Untold Orchestra, Sukina Noor & Young Identity
at St John’s Church

The Cabaret for Freedom has become a regular feature of the annual Manchester Literature Festival. Taking place just outside of the city centre in St John’s Church, Old Trafford, this event has a strong community feel, setting it apart from other shifts I worked on at the festival. The evening consists of a blend of music and poetry celebrating the legendary poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron.

We begin with host Nasima Bee and her performance of Scott-Heron’s famous poem ‘The Revolution Will Not be Televised’. This did a great job of setting the tone for the evening, which was one of active participation and collectivism. We then moved onto the first section of the evening, featuring soulful vocals from Yemi Bolatiwa, supported by the string quartet The Untold Orchestra. The set was interwoven with the fresh voices of the poetry collective Young Identity, an organisation which empowers marginalised youth to develop their talents through writing and creativity.

It’s then time for our headliner Sukina Noor. Her poem ‘Black Gold’, which celebrates and empowers black women by defying the stereotypes often imposed upon them, was the stand out piece, and the audience erupted with applause as she closed. Overall, the event was a wonderful celebration, and a reminder that Scott-Heron’s call to action remains just as relevant to today’s world.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to immerse yourself into Manchester’s thriving literature scene – and on a budget! I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is wanting to get involved, meet new people and see some really cool stuff.

Find out how to volunteer for upcoming events by keeping up to date with the Manchester Literature Festival website.