Get Involved

Manchester Literature Festival has a long tradition of partnering with publishers, venues, other festivals and cultural organisations on the development and delivery of our live event programmes, new commissions and creative learning projects. We believe partnership working benefits the audiences, artists and communities we serve, and we are open to conversations about potential collaboration.

Some of our many current and recent partners include Manchester Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester UNESCO City of Literature, National Trust, Canal and River Trust, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the BBC, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Z-arts, Media Cubs, Reform Radio and Greater Manchester schools and libraries.

If you share our artistic vision of encouraging everyone to discover a love of literature in all its forms and have an idea for an event, commission, or education project that you believe would be mutually beneficial to MLF and the organisation you represent, please do get in touch. In the first instance please email office@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk and your message will be passed on to the most relevant member of the team.

Our team of Manchester Literature Festival volunteers plays an invaluable role in helping to create a welcoming and joyful experience for audiences and participants. With over 40+ events going on simultaneously across the city centre every October, volunteer support is crucial to ensuring the smooth running of Festival events, making sure that audiences and authors get the most out of the time they spend together.

MLF’s volunteers are public facing ambassadors for the organisation. Tasks include directing people to the event space, checking and selling tickets, answering basic questions about the event/venue, assisting latecomers, providing a roving mic during audience Q&As, and managing the book signing queues.

In addition to event support during the Festival, there is occasional administrative work in the Festival office; in particular the mailout of several thousand Festival brochures every August.

MLF volunteers usually get a lot out of helping with the Festival, including discovering new writers, getting to know other volunteers and gaining useful experience that could support a future career in publishing, the arts or event management.

Our registered volunteers are expected to attend a briefing meeting in early September and will then be invited to apply for event shifts.

We really value the work of our volunteers and offer free tickets to events where possible. To make sure everyone can volunteer their time at MLF we offer travel expenses to all volunteers to and from shifts.

Volunteering is open to anyone over the age of 18 who lives or studies in Greater Manchester. You don’t need any specific experience or skills, just an enthusiasm to get involved.

PLEASE NOTE: we have now filled all Volunteer positions for this year's Festival and applications are now closed. Please check back in July 2025 for Volunteer opportunities for next year's Festival.

Manchester Literature Festival is seeking a new Chair to join the Board of Trustees/Directors and lead one of the North’s most innovative literary festivals as we celebrate our twentieth anniversary.

MLF provides unique and imaginative opportunities for audiences to experience high quality live literature through an annual Festival in October, as well as a year-round Creative Learning programme. A firm believer in the transformative power of words and stories, MLF’s annual Festival includes some of the most interesting voices in fiction, poetry, literature in translation, song-writing, activism and culture.

The Role of Chair

Trustees provide strategic direction for MLF, ensure that financial and other resources are well-managed, and use their skills, knowledge, experience and contacts to help support the development of the organisation and raise the profile of the Festival’s work. MLF is currently seeking to appoint a new Chair who can provide inclusive and collaborative leadership, ensuring that the Board functions as a unit, and work closely with the MLF Team to achieve agreed business and artistic objectives.

How to Apply

For full details of what’s involved and how to apply for the position of Chair please download the Chair Recruitment Pack below.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 1 October 2025

Receipt of your application will be confirmed by email.

We are currently rebuilding our board of trustees to be more reflective of the communities we serve and welcome applications from anyone with a passion for literature/the arts and a belief in the transformative power of stories.