Manchester Literature Festival is back for 2017 with bigger book stars than ever before. The festival, over two author-packed weeks in October, will celebrate “divas, dissidents, pioneers and radicals.” Leading the charge will be debut author and comedy legend Sarah Millican, Nigella Lawson musing on food with Jeanette Winterson, Jon Savage reviving the spirit of punk through the works of Anthony Burgess and the Sex Pistols, leading human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti, a special Castlefield Manchester Sermon from War Horse writer Michael Morpurgo, and iconic Irish writer Roddy Doyle talking about his new novel ‘Smile’.
A stream of events will make a noise about activism and protest, with actor Maxine Peake presenting Comma Press’s ‘Stories of Resistance’, blogger Reni Eddo-Lodge on her book ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’, Michael Rosen remembering his communist parents, Howard Jacobson on the art of satire in an era of Trump, George Monbiot launching his new book ‘Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics in an Age of Crisis’, Paddy Armstrong on how he became one of the Guildford Four, and The Real Story presenting Dead Ink’s crowdfunded anthology ‘Know Your Place: Essays on the Working Class by the Working Class’. If you’re not full of books by the end of the festival, there’s a run of post-festival breakouts with Armistead Maupin, Rebecca Solnit, Jennifer Egan and more.
If you’re digging into the 2017 Manchester Literature Festival brochure for the first time, here are five Manchester Wire picks for you to bookmark.
1. How To Be Champion: An Evening With Sarah Millican
From South Shields to sell-out national tours, comedian Sarah Millican had a meteoric rise to fame. She won Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe, and ‘The Sarah Millican Television Programme’ was nominated for Baftas. In a special Literature Festival in-conversation with poet and comedian Kate Fox, Millican will talk about her debut book ‘How To Be Champion’. Expect oodles of anecdotes and advice on how to get over life’s unexpected humps – like school fall-outs, the excitement of IBS and how divorce is not the end. As with many Festival events, you can opt for a ticket or a ticket/book bundle if you don’t want to miss out on a copy.
Fri 6 Oct, RNCM Concert Hall, 124 Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9RD. Tel: 0843 208 0500, 7.30pm, £12/£10, www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
2. Jon Savage: Burgess, Punk and the Sex Pistols
Ever get the feeling you’ve been treated? Writer and broadcaster Jon Savage is the author of ‘England’s Dreaming’, the ultimate book on punk, and ‘Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture’. For Manchester Literature Festival, he delivers a specially commissioned talk reflecting on the subversive works of Manchester author Anthony Burgess. Burgess’s 1962 novel ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was made into a much-debated film by Stanley Kubrick, and he wrote widely on youth culture throughout the 1970s. Savage will start with Burgess then explore punk, youth culture, and the influence of a movement led by The Sex Pistols’ royalty-ribbing album ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ – which astonishingly turns 40 this year. This event is now SOLD OUT.
Tue 17 Oct, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester M1 5BY. Tel: 0843 208 0500, 7pm, £8/£6, www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
3. Nigella Lawson in conversation with Jeanette Winterson
Bestselling cookery writer Nigella Lawson explores the pleasures of eating with ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Food’ author Jeanette Winterson. Lawson shot to fame with her ‘Nigella Bites’ television series, and is the author of ten bestselling cookery books including ‘How To Eat’ and ‘How To Be A Domestic Goddess’. Her new book ‘At My Table’ heralds home cooking and hosting friends at home. For her part, Jeanette Winterson is a slow eating advocate and has her own grocery store Verde & Co in Spitalfields: her latest book ‘Christmas Days: 12 Stories And 12 Feasts’ features short stories and favourite recipes. This event is now SOLD OUT.
Fri 20 Oct, RNCM Concert Hall, 124 Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9RD. Tel: 0843 208 0500, 7pm, £17/£15, www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
4. Shami Chakrabarti: Of Women
Britain’s leading human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti knows more about inequality than most from her 13 years as director of human rights organisation Liberty. Chakrabarti – now Baroness Chakrabarti of Kennington – was called “probably the most effective public affairs lobbyist of the past 20 years” by the Times. Her latest book ‘On Women’ takes on the gender gap and its effect on health and wealth throughout the world. In this afternoon talk at the Royal Exchange with Eleanor Marx biographer Rachel Holmes, Chakrabarti reveals the roots of the problem and the radical actions that we can all take to right the balance. Only restricted seats remaining.
Sun 22 Oct, Royal Exchange, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH. Tel: 0843 208 0500, 3pm, £10, www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
5. Castlefield Manchester Sermon: Michael Morpurgo
Former Children’s Laureate and acclaimed author Michael Morpurgo delivers this year’s keystone Manchester Sermon, an annual talk previously given by Kamila Shamsie, Lionel Shriver and Ali Smith. The sermon ‘All Things Bright And Beautiful’, read amid the extravagant architecture of Manchester Cathedral, will look at our reliance and exploitation of our natural surroundings – and the growing crisis that we can’t ignore. Morpurgo, whose most famous book ‘War Horse’ marched onto cinema screens and the West End to great success, is no stranger to giving talks to people of all ages, so expect to be riveted to your pew. The sermon will be followed by a conversation with Carol Ackroyd. This event has been postponed.
Fri 13 Oct, Manchester Cathedral, Victoria St, Manchester M3 1SX. Tel: 0843 208 0500, 7pm, £10/£8, www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
- Words:
- Fat Roland
- Published on:
- Sun 24 Sep 2017
