Where words and music collide: literary festival Louder Than Words is returning for its ninth year

Louder Than Words – the literary festival celebrating words – oral, written and published – associated with music culture – is returning for its ninth year, and the line up is absolutely belting!

It’s the only festival that’s focussed exclusively around the relationship between music and the written word, and the fact that it’s so targeted is its primary appeal. Having said that, the guest speaking are diverse and varied. Like most other events, it took a year off in-person events last year, and this year the organisers are adding online attendance into the mix, so that you have the choice to attend in person or online moving forward. It’s also moved home, to the Innside Hotel on Tony Wilson Place, next door to HOME. Highlights this year include designer Malcolm Garrett talking all things Buzzcocks, Daniel Rachel discussing his best-selling Oasis book;, Eleanor McAvoy previewing her new film and playing live, Kevin Cummins discussing his Joy Division photography and Jordan talking about life as one of the original punks, David Hepworth, Paul Morley…  On the music performance side, is it possible to get a more varied selection than one that runs from Frank Bellow from Anthrax to John Illsey from Dire Straits via Will Sergeant of Echo and the Bunnyman?

 Elsewhere, numerous academics and music writers gather for panels, discussions, Q&As, workshops… and even a music pub quiz!  And the Wilko Johnson Writing Award will make an extremely welcome return, celebrating young music writers under 25 and there is much to be enjoyed on the Festival fringe.