Take a tour of Manchester: Alchemical City with Jeanette Winterson

15 Dec 2014

Last week, on Radio 4, the University's Professor of Creative Writing presented her personal exploration of the city of Manchester, from its Celtic roots to the present day and beyond

Jeanette grew up in Accrington in Lancashire and regards the city of Manchester as always influencing, always transforming - an alchemical place.

She took to the streets of the city to tell the stories of the disparate groups and events which formed this combative and insubordinate urban centre. The sounds of Manchester, past and present, are woven between her words and thoughts.

The five 15 minute programmes were broadcast on Radio 4 from Monday, 8 December to Friday, 12 December, with the final episode focussing on the University.

You can listen to all of the episodes online at BBC Radio iPlayer:

• Episode 1: Beginnings - Jeanette Winterson's personal exploration of Manchester
• Episode 2: The Golden Sewer - A journey by rail and canal into the land of Cottonopolis
• Episode 3: Politics - Anti-slavery protests and striking mill workers: Jeanette explores radical Manchester
• Episode 4: Music - The cotton had gone, the ship canal had gone, the money had gone. Then music arrived
• Episode 5: Vision of the Future - A computer called Baby, Alan Turing, 25 Nobel prize winners and the wonders of graphene