Manchester Literature Festival announces University as Higher Education Partner
31 May 2017
Manchester Literature Festival is delighted to announce that its relationship with the Centre for New Writing has been recognised by sponsorship partnership
Now in its 12th year, Manchester Literature Festival has built on its growing success in expanding audiences and creating new partnerships across the national and international literary world.
2017 marks ten years of the Centre for New Writing and over the course of the last decade, Manchester Literature Festival has enjoyed a fruitful affiliation with the Centre co-programming events that have featured some of the greatest literary stars.
To mark this announcement, Manchester Literature Festival are pleased to reveal a number of high profile writer events for this year’s Festival that will go on sale for MLF Members on 31 May and for general sale on 7 June.
The next Manchester Literature Festival event is with award-winning Indian author Arundhati Roy on Friday 9 June to launch her long-awaited second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.
Britain’s leading human rights campaigner, Shami Chakrabarti was the Director of Liberty from 2003 to 2016. Her forthcoming book, On Women, is a powerful examination of gender injustice and the way it impacts health, education, wealth, representation and opportunity everywhere. She will be in conversation with Eleanor Marx biographer Rachel Holmes on 22 October.
One of our most distinctive and beloved storytellers, American author Armistead Maupin will be appearing at the Festival on 25 October. Best known for his Tales of the City series as well a string of other critically acclaimed novels, Armistead will be talking about his long-awaited memoir, Logical Family, chronicling his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San Francisco, and his evolution from curious youth to ground breaking writer and gay rights pioneer.
Fiercely intelligent, radical, sometimes despairing but always, ultimately, hopeful – in her dazzling essays and award-winning books, the voice of Rebecca Solnit has entered the public consciousness and seized the zeitgeist. She will be in conversation with Jeanette Winterson, author and Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing on 31 October.
Professor Alessandro Scheisaro, Head of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures said: "The University of Manchester is committed to the cultural life of a great city and we are delighted now to formalise our longstanding relationship with one of this city's major arts initiatives, the Manchester Literature Festival."
Cathy Bolton and Sarah-Jane Roberts, Co-Directors of Manchester Literature Festival said: “Over the past decade we have formed a strong relationship with the University’s Centre for New Writing, and look forward to working closer with the Centre’s Co-directors John McAuliffe and Kaye Mitchell, Professor of Creative Writing Jeanette Winterson, and various lecturers and alumni."
Kaye Mitchell and John McAuliffe, Co-Directors of the Centre for New Writing at The University of Manchester said: "In the ten years of the Centre for New Writing, our co-programmed events with Manchester Literature Festival give our students first-hand experience of publishing; the festival engages our staff, as well as our students, with new work and it offers us opportunities to explore new ideas and new practices.”
Booking tickets
Advance booking for MLF members from 31 May, tickets on general sale from 7 June.
Book online or call the MLF box office at Quaytickets on 0843 208 0500.