The Portico Young Writers’ Competition: A celebration of writing talent in the North West. Although you’ve probably passed it a dozen times without realising it’s there, the Portico library has sat on Mosley Street in Manchester for over two hundred years. And this week, something quite special was happening there. For the past four years…

Words by Fin Murphy  3 out of 10 Over the years it was in the making; The Book Of Mormon simmered with attention as the brainchild of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Religion, warlords and imperialism examined by two of the most irreverent voices in pop culture through the flamboyance of musicals; a promising blend…

Do you have a tale to tell? The Manchester Writing Competition is back and this year it’s bigger than ever with, for the first time, both Fiction and Poetry Prizes running together, and offering a £10,000first prize for the best work in each category. Every one of us has our own story to tell –…

MMU Creative Writing alumnus and acclaimed author, Stephen May, discusses his latest novel, Life! Death! Prizes! with Humanity Hallows. Words by Neil Harrison. Tragedy is useful. Tragedy sells. Hand-wringing politicians, casually fascinated daytime T.V. viewers and shit-stirring rags all regularly suckle at tragedy’s teat. Stephen May’s second novel, Life! Death! Prizes!, derives its title from…