Last chance: Darkness and Light: Gothic exhibition at John Rylands Library

Halloween is on the way, so over the next few weeks, the folks at the John Rylands Library are celebrating the building’s spooky side. Darkness and Light is a major exhibition that looks at how the Gothic aesthetic inspired a literary genre that still thrives today. The main exhibition includes a photo gallery of contemporary goths, as well as Gothic delights, plucked form the Library’s extraordinary archives exploring how new knowledge in science affected literature and culture. Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), the first Gothic novel is among the items on display – a book which is credited with launching the gothic literary genre, which lead to the birth of such classics as Jekyll and Hyde. Some behind-the-scenes gothic-themed tours are planned too, where visitors can learn about the building’s distinctive architecture. You will see the original entrance hall, the historic reading room, and even the cellars, which are not usually open to visitors. There’s also a special spooky tour just for brave children (ages 5+) and their parents.

Until Sun 20 Dec, John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH, Main exhibtion, open daily FREE; tours Sat 19 Sep and Sun 11 Oct, 2pm – 3pm, FREE (booking required), www.library.manchester.ac.uk

Children’s tour: Sat 3 Oct, Address as above, 11am – 12 noon, FREE (booking required), manchester.ac.uk