November Poetry Reading at Manchester Central Library

20 Nov 2007

John McAuliffe (Co-Director, Centre for New Writing) & Ian Duhig on 23 November

STOP PRESS

Please note that John McAuliffe is unavoidably unable to participate in the November Poetry Reading at Manchester Central Library tomorrow lunchtime.

His place will be taken by poet Matt Welton, whose poetry has appeared in Faber's First Pressings and New Poetries II (Carcanet). His debut collection, The Book of Matthew, won the Jerwood-Aldeburgh First Collection Prize upon publication in 2003.

Many apologies for any inconvenience caused by this change.

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John grew up in Listowel, Co. Kerry & now lives in Manchester where he co-directs the University of Manchester's Centre for New Writing. John is also programme director of Poetry Now, Ireland's biggest poetry festival.

His first collection, 'A Better Life', was shortlisted for a Forward Prize in 2003.

Today, we are celebrating the publication of his second book, 'Next Door' (Gallery).

Ian worked with homeless people for 15 years before becoming a full-time writer: he has now produced five books of poetry. The two most recent, 'The Lammas Hireling' (2003) and 'The Speed of Dark' (2006), both published by Picador, were Poetry Book Society choices and were both shortlisted for the T.S.
Eliot Prize.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2006.

FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER, 1-2pm.

Committee Room
2nd Floor
Manchester Central Library

FREE. No need to book, just come along, you'll be most welcome. There will be tea! There will be coffee! There will even be biscuits......

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THE END OF THE WORLD

A desk, three chairs, some paper,
paper clips, two elastic bands, a hole puncher.
A mini stapler. A note to say
a computer is on its way.
A fold-up map of the city centre,
an instruction manual for a printer. No printer.
A phone, a bin. And in the bin there's
a black plastic strip that bears
the name and title of the previous occupant.
A feeling that nothing will happen
if I don't pick up when my number is called, if I idle at my desk instead looking at the tangle of strings that might operate the blinds, thinking about a pun, or a metaphor, and how,
     as a matter of fact,
it's not the end of the world.

(from NEXT DOOR)