The full programme for the 14th annual Festival, taking place in venues all over the city from Friday 4 – Sunday 20 October 2019,has been revealed today
When the world is a turbulent and uncertain place, we turn to writers, artists and thinkers for answers, for escapism and for hope. Internationally renowned authors Deborah Levy, Elif Shafak, Colson Whitehead, Jeanette Winterson, Jonathan Safran Foer and Mona Eltahawy explore how history, identity, xenophobia, climate emergency, patriarchy and gender are shaping our world and society’s reactions.
These ideas are further explored in events by feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez (Invisible Women) who asks why the world is designed for men; John Lanchester (Capital, The Wall) who considers the future effects of climate departure and immigration laws; Kerry Hudson (Lowborn) who explores the effects of austerity on those living in poverty in the towns in which she was raised; David Nott (War Doctor) who documents his humanitarian work as a trauma surgeon in conflict zones, and Gillian Slovo (Red Dust) who gives our Castlefield Manchester sermon asking, ‘What hope democracy?’
In Poetry, celebrated Cuban writer Legna Rodríguez Iglesias challenges the hypocrisies of the Catholic church, body politics and social norms. In The Perseverance Raymond Antrobus explores the D/deaf experience. He will perform alongside Jay Bernard whose collection Surge is an examination of the links between the deaths in the 1981 New Cross Fire and those in Grenfell Tower. While visionary American poet Patricia Smith focuses on the 1955 murder of Emmett Till alongside present-day violence against African American men and its devastating impact. 25 years after their joint event to launch Manchester Poetry Festival, Lemn Sissay and Henry Normal reunite for a special event.
If you’re looking to escape into music, leading songwriters Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) and Brett Anderson (Suede) discuss their craft and their influences. Guy Garvey (Elbow) joins Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for a one of a kind event, and Joy Division drummer Stephen Morris talks to Jon Savage about the music and legacy of Joy Division and New Order.
Other welcome diversions come from David Nicholls (One Day) who discusses his nostalgic new novel Sweet Sorrow and adapting Patrick Melrose for television; comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig’s thoughts collected during journeys sitting on the front seat of the number 12 bus; and the Queens of Tartan Noir, Val McDermid (The Wire in the Blood) and Denise Mina (The Long Drop), discussing their latest fictional crimes.
In World Literature events, international bestseller Jung Chang (Wild Swans) discusses how the Soong sisters shaped the course of 20th century China; Israeli novelist and scriptwriter Ayelet Gundar-Goshen (Waking Lions) looks at the morality of lying; Palestine +100 considers, through fiction, what Palestine might look like in 2048; Finnish-Kosovian writer Pajtim Statovci looks at transgressing borders of place and gender, and Chinese sci-fi authors Chen Quifan and Xia Jia show how futuristic fiction can explore political issues.
As always, the Young Readers programme has lots to offer families including award-winning comedian and children’s writer David Baddiel, a Grimm & Co Takeover, and our fun Family Reading Day at Central Library. Our popular Weightmans Walking Tours explore literary Manchester, past and present, including The Original Punk Poet Pub Tour, following in the footsteps of John Cooper Clarke, and the Working Class Writing Walking Tour, via the words of Elizabeth Gaskell, Simon Armitage and Walter Greenwood. We can’t wait to welcome you to 17 days of world class literary events.
