Manchester Literature Festival
9 - 25 October 2026
From Page to Stage: 20 Years of Manchester Literature Festival
26 March – 30 April 2026
Samuel Alexander Building (Glass Corridor), University of Manchester
With thanks to our Higher Education Partner, the University of Manchester, we are able to offer you a second chance to feast your eyes on two decades of literary magic with From Page to Stage, a photographic exhibition celebrating Manchester Literature Festival’s 20th anniversary.
Featuring photographs by Jon Parker Lee, Chris Bull, Chris Payne, Matthew Priestley and Ed Swinden, this collection of intimate photos charts the Festival’s journey from its early days to becoming one of the UK’s most distinctive literary events. Through striking images, we revisit the unforgettable moments and remarkable voices that have shaped the Festival – from award-winning novelists and poets, to leading songwriters and musicians, artists, comedians, children’s writers, activists and change-makers.
We’re fortunate to have welcomed some of the world’s greatest writers to our UNESCO City of Literature and From Page to Stage captures international authors Margaret Atwood, Armistead Maupin, Celeste Ng, Elif Shafak, Jo Nesbo and Asako Yuzuki rubbing shoulders with homegrown favourites Jackie Kay, Jeanette Winterson, Maxine Peake and Lemn Sissay. It also documents some of the city’s most treasured venues and landmarks.
See Johnny Marr, Guy Garvey, Bernardine Evaristo, Edward Enninful and Vivienne Westwood backstage at the RNCM. Encounter Elif Shafak, Jo Nesbo, Martin Amis, Jackie Kay and Linton Kwesi Johnson at Manchester Cathedral, Manchester Town Hall, Martin Harris Centre and Contact. Glimpse best-selling authors and poets in every nook and cranny of Central Library. Revisit the Cornerhouse with crime writer Walter Mosley and raise your spirits with Lemn Sissay and Henry Normal at The Dancehouse. Finally, join Gary Younge outside the Friends Meeting House and dance in the rain with poet Ian McMillan outside the Hallé St Peter’s.
The exhibition is in the Glass Corridor of the Samuel Alexander Building at the University of Manchester and will be open Monday – Friday, 8am – 9pm. Click on the interactive map of the University Campus for directions.
26 March – 30 April 2026
Samuel Alexander Building (Glass Corridor), University of Manchester
See Last Year's Programme (2025) and Download Festival Brochure
Check out the full programme for the 2025 Manchester Literature Festival and download a copy of the Festival Brochure and our programme of autumn events and activities for Children and Families.
Get Involved
From volunteering or participating in Festival activities to partnering on a new project or commission, there are many ways for individuals and organisations to get involved in MLF
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About Us
Manchester Literature Festival offers unique experiences for audiences to interact with some of the finest writers and thinkers from across the globe.
It’s a welcoming place where people come together to share their passion for language, to be entertained, to learn and reflect on their connections with place, politics and people.
As well as our annual Festival and Spring programme of events, MLF also delivers a year-round Creative Learning programme, nurturing the next generation of readers, writers and creative practitioners.
Manchester Literature Festival offers unique experiences for audiences to interact with some of the finest writers and thinkers from across the globe.
It’s a welcoming place where people come together to share their passion for language, to be entertained, to learn and reflect on their connections with place, politics and people.
