Manchester Literature Festival
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Past Festivals

October 2026

  • Two actors on stage in the middle of a show. The man has his arm around the woman's shoulders whilst talking to her, whilst she clutches a chicken
  • Illustration of an elf with long blue fair, sitting on the toe of a large brown boot, whilst talking to a friendly mouse in front of her

The Elves and the Shoemaker

Saturday, 24th October 2026
  • Robert Tregoning resting his arms on a wooden table, smiling, with his chin resting on one hand
  • Cover of Dylan, Daisy, and the Disco Ball by Robert Tregoning and Laura Brenlla. Two children dance under a disco ball

Dylan, Daisy and the Disco Ball with Robert Tregoning (Oldham)

Saturday, 24th October 2026
  • Actors on stage with vegetables

The Enormous Turnip

Saturday, 24th October 2026
Magdalen Bartlett in a deep blue dress and head wrap, smiling and dancing in front of a green background

Dance with Magdalen Bartlett

Saturday, 24th October 2026
Adam Perrott on stage, playing a guitar and singing

Little Reads Storytime with Adam Perrott (Oldham)

Saturday, 24th October 2026
  • Robert Tregoning resting his arms on a wooden table, smiling, with his chin resting on one hand
  • Cover of Dylan, Daisy, and the Disco Ball by Robert Tregoning and Laura Brenlla. Two children dance under a disco ball

Dylan, Daisy and the Disco Ball with Robert Tregoning

Saturday, 24th October 2026
  • Two actors on stage in the middle of a show. The man has his arm around the woman's shoulders whilst talking to her, whilst she clutches a chicken
  • Illustration of an elf with long blue fair, sitting on the toe of a large brown boot, whilst talking to a friendly mouse in front of her

The Elves and the Shoemaker (Oldham) - Sold Out

Saturday, 24th October 2026
  • Eliza Chan in a black vest top and khaki sleeveless jacket, leaning against a brick wall, with a pen and notebook in hand
  • Cover of "Harbour of Hungry Ghosts" by Eliza Chan. Highly stylized classic Chinese symbology in blue, white and orange. A Foo Dog sits centrally in front of a Ba Gua symbol
  • Sunyi Dean standing side-on in a black vest top. A large tattoo of a mermaid swimming with a seal on her left shoulder and across her chest
  • Cover of "The Girl with a Thousand Faces" by Sunyi Dean. Intricate gold on black line illustration of a woman with flowing hair and dress. Her face like a porcelain doll with milky eyes

Eliza Chan & Sunyi Dean: Hong Kong Ghost Stories

Saturday, 24th October 2026

September 2026

  • Ella Otomewo, smiling and leaning against a pinewood wall, wearing a blue t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up
  • Black and white image of Okechukwu Nzelu standing sideways on and grinning at the camera. He's wearing a black t-shirt, and a small pearl drop-earring

Queered Up Now - Sold Out

Wednesday, 30th September 2026
  • Marina Hyde in a green dress with a large black collar, smiling and raising one eyebrow
  • Cover of "What a Time to Be Alive!" by Marina Hyde. Green background, with Marina in a pink shirt with a large red collar, with her head in one hand

An Evening with Marina Hyde

Monday, 28th September 2026

August 2026

  • Mieko Kawakami leaning against a grey wall in a high-necked black dress that has encased sleeves that cover her hands like mittens
  • Cover of "Sisters in Yellow" by Mieko Kawakami. Stylised image of a lemon in an empty glass, sitting on a black table top, with a pink background

An Evening with Mieko Kawakami - Sold Out

Tuesday, 25th August 2026

June 2026

Andrew Sean Greer

Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
  • Natalie Haynes No Friend To This House

Natalie Haynes - Sold Out

Monday, 15th June 2026

An Evening with Asako Yuzuki

Friday, 12th June 2026
  • Portait of Tayari Jones
  • Kin by Tayari Jones book cover

Tayari Jones

Tuesday, 2nd June 2026

May 2026

  • Portrait of Douglas Stuart
  • John of Johns by Douglas Stuart book cover

Douglas Stuart

Tuesday, 26th May 2026

March 2026

  • Portrait of Satoshi Yagisawa
  • Days at the Morisaki Bookshop cover image
  • Portrait of Emi Yagi
  • When the Museum is Closed book cover

Satoshi Yagisawa & Emi Yagi

Saturday, 14th March 2026
  • Portrait of Chris Riddell
  • Chesire Cat illustration by Chris Riddle

Chris Riddell - Adventures in Wonderland Draw-Along

Thursday, 5th March 2026

November 2025

The Selfish Giant - presented by Peoplescape Theatre

Friday, 28th November 2025
  • One Aladdin Two Lamps book cover

Jeanette Winterson

Tuesday, 11th November 2025

Zadie Smith

Tuesday, 4th November 2025

October 2025

Image of Cinderella Ice Cream seller show

Cinderella Ice Cream Seller

Wednesday, 29th October 2025
  • Image of author Bobby Joseph
  • Book cover of My Dad Fights Demons

Create Comics with Bobby Joseph

Tuesday, 28th October 2025

Patrick Grant

Sunday, 26th October 2025
  • Headshot of author Jim Smith
  • Book cover of Genius Kid Goes Viral

Jim Smith – Genius Kid Goes Viral

Saturday, 25th October 2025
  • Mishika Narula holding a book
  • Headshot of Djamel White

John Murray Proof Party

Saturday, 25th October 2025

Mimi Khalvati: The Line Break Poetry Workshop - Sold Out

Friday, 24th October 2025
Image of children drumming in a creative connection performance

creative connection

Friday, 24th October 2025
  • Headshots of Mona Arhsi, Karen MaCarthy Woolf, Roger Robinson & John Siddique
  • Nature Matters Book Cover

WritersMosaic: Mona Arshi, Karen McCarthy Woolf & Roger Robinson

Friday, 24th October 2025

September 2025

  • Image of Yanis Varoufakis book cover Raise Your Soul

Yanis Varoufakis

Tuesday, 30th September 2025

August 2025

  • Katabasis book cover

An Evening with Rebecca F. Kuang

Friday, 22nd August 2025

July 2025

  • Headshot of author Attica Locke
  • Book jacket for Guide Me Home

Attica Locke

Wednesday, 16th July 2025

June 2025

  • Headshot of author Colm Tóibín
  • Book jacket for Long Island

Colm Tóibín

Monday, 16th June 2025

May 2025

  • Head and shoulders portrait of Laura Bates
  • Book cover for The New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates

Laura Bates - Sold Out

Tuesday, 13th May 2025
  • Head and shoulders photo of author Robert McFarlane
  • Book jacket of Is A River Alive?

Robert Macfarlane

Friday, 9th May 2025
  • Image of author Kevin Barry
  • Book jacket for The Heart in Winter

Kevin Barry

Thursday, 1st May 2025

March 2025

  • Portrait of Emma Barnett
  • Cover of Maternity Leave by Emma Barnett

Emma Barnett

Monday, 17th March 2025

World Book Day 2025: Musical Storyland

Monday, 3rd March 2025

January 2025

An Evening with Alan Hollinghurst & Andrew McMillan

Friday, 17th January 2025

November 2024

Richard Powers

Friday, 8th November 2024

Greg Jenner - Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy (Schools)

Monday, 4th November 2024

Greg Jenner - Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy

Sunday, 3rd November 2024

October 2024

Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Tuesday, 29th October 2024
  • Images of Tania Hershman and Emma Fox

Four Brilliant Manchester Women: A Writing & Walking Tour 2 - Sold Out

Sunday, 20th October 2024

An Audience with Elif Shafak - Sold Out

Sunday, 20th October 2024

A Morning with Rob Biddulph: I Follow the Fox - Sold Out

Saturday, 19th October 2024

A Day in The Afterlife: Francesca Beard Workshop - Sold Out

Saturday, 19th October 2024

Raymond Antrobus: The Real and the Imagined Workshop - Sold Out

Saturday, 19th October 2024

Your Local Arena presents A Day in The Afterlife

Saturday, 19th October 2024

Earth Prayers with Carol Ann Duffy

Saturday, 19th October 2024

May 2024

An Evening with David Mitchell

Tuesday, 14th May 2024

Olivia Laing: The Garden Against Time

Friday, 10th May 2024

April 2024

David Nicholls in Conversation

Monday, 22nd April 2024

Percival Everett in Conversation

Wednesday, 10th April 2024