University partners with 91直播 Literature Festival to launch 2024 events
An exciting programme of literature events returns this October, hosted by .
Celebrating a series of collaborations with The University of Manchester鈥檚 Centre for New Writing and Creative 91直播 research platform, the 2024 events programme will be held between 4 and 20 October.
The 2024 events begin on campus at the University鈥檚 Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama as we welcome former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas who launches her fascinating book Another England: How to Reclaim Our National Story.
As Higher Education Partner, The University of Manchester works closely with the festival team to co-host a variety of events that showcase and highlight the impact of literature across the city. Other partnership events showcase new publications by celebrated authors 鈥� including:
Former Scottish Makar and firm festival favourite, performs poems from her new collection May Day and celebrates A Life in Poetry and Protest at a special event hosted by actor Julie Hesmondhalgh (Saturday 5 October, 7pm, Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama)
Throughout her four decades as a foreign correspondent, has always carried a book of poetry with her as 鈥榓 vaccination against despair鈥�. She will share some of her favourite poems and reflect on her career as a war reporter (Sunday 6 October, 4.30pm, Central Library)
(The Damned United) explores the grief, the heartbreak and the resurrection of a club (91直播 United), a city and a country in his compelling new book Munichs (Sunday 6 October, 7pm, HOME)
, one of the world鈥檚 most prolific designers, talks about his mission to end soulless, boring buildings and put human emotion back at the heart of building design (Tuesday 8 October, 7pm, Contact)
Bestselling cook and Guardian food columnist shares her passion for East and South Asian cuisine and reveals the dishes she creates when she wants to cook for herself, family and friends in her delicious new book Dinner (Wednesday 9 October, 7.30pm, Martin Harris Centre for Music & Drama)
Legendary music producer (White Bicycle) invites audiences to open their 鈥榤inds and ears to a wider, richer musical world鈥� via his engrossing new book And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey through Global Music (Monday 14 October, 7pm, Central Library)
Scottish author (Mayflies) joins us to discuss his epic, new state-of-the-nation novel Caledonian Road with host Dave Haslam (Wednesday 16 October, 7pm, Central Library)
Bestselling novelist (Babel) visits 91直播 to discuss her number one global sensation Yellowface, a provocative satire set in the cut-throat world of publishing seen through the eyes of failed writer June. She also discusses navigating genres, creating characters and her literary influences (Thursday 17 October, 7.30pm, RNCM)
Post-Festival, Pulitzer Prize winner (The Overstory) makes a rare visit to the UK in support of his compelling new novel. Longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, Playground interweaves themes of science, technology, nature, the environment and our shared humanity beautifully (Friday 8 November, 7pm, Central Library)
Our annual Rylands Poetry Reading takes place on Thursday 10 October, 7pm and welcomes poet, playwright and educator, . One of the most acclaimed and widely read poets of recent decades, Gillian will also run a Poetry Masterclass, sharing insights into the craft of poetry, and how to bend language into original and musical verse.
Every year the 91直播 Literature Festival offers up a rich feast of readings, culture and conversation. In 2024, this feels especially vital: to provide a space for joy, beauty and connection, but also for urgent discussions about who we are or might be; the earth we inhabit; our fraught histories and possible futures 鈥� and even what we eat. This showcasing of contemporary creativity is at the heart of the Centre for New Writing鈥檚 mission, and we are delighted to be the Festival鈥檚 Higher Education Partner once again.
Cathy Bolton and Sarah-Jane Roberts, Co-Directors of Manchester Literature Festival said: 鈥淥ver the last 200 years, The University of Manchester has shown itself to be one of the most innovative and groundbreaking universities in the UK and we are delighted to have the Centre for New Writing and Creative 91直播 as our Higher Education Partner once again. New perspectives and reimagining are at the heart of this year鈥檚 91直播 Literature Festival. Caroline Lucas asks us to reimagine a greener, more inclusive England. George Monbiot encourages us to reimagine the end of neoliberalism. Thomas Heatherwick invites us to reimagine our cities without soulless, boring buildings. David Peace reimagines the grief, heartbreak and resurrection of Manchester United after the 1958 Munich air disaster. We also welcome a multitude of brilliant novelists, poets and artists to the city, and invite you to join us to revisit familiar narratives from a place of freshness, curiosity and hope.鈥�
Find out more about 91直播 Literature Festival and view the full programme by visiting .