Manchester Literature Festival Returns for 2026

Creative Manchester and the Centre for New Writing once again support a series of partnership events.

Manchester Literature Festival returns from 9-25 October, giving the city’s book lovers the opportunity to come together to share their passion for language, to be entertained, to learn, and to reflect on their connections with place, politics and people.

Creative Manchester and the Centre for New Writing will be supporting an exciting series of events, with highlights including influential and much-loved literary voices, conversations with acclaimed debut novelists, podcast recordings, poetry readings and much more!

The full schedule of partnership events are as follows:

• Maggie O’Farrell – Friday 9 October, 7pm, Royal Northern College of Music
• Sarah Hall: Burning Snowflake – The 2026 Faber Lecture (SOLD OUT) – Saturday 10 October, 6pm, Manchester Museum
• Paul Mason: Reds – Sunday 11 October, 2pm, Martin Harris Centre
• The Observer Book Club with Deborah Frances-White – Sunday 11 October, 4.30pm, Martin Harris Centre
• Patrick Radden Keefe – Monday 12 October, 7.30pm, Royal Northern College of Music
• The Observer Book Club with Yann Martel – Wednesday 14 October, 7.30pm, Martin Harris Centre
• Sufiyaan Salam and Monika Radojevic – Sunday 18 October, 5pm, Manchester Museum
• Lady Hale and Lara Feigel – Wednesday 21 October, 7pm, Central Library
• The Observer Book Club with Min Jin Lee – Wednesday 21 October, 7.30pm, Contact Theatre
• Karen Solie: Rylands Poetry Reading – Thursday 22 October, 7pm, John Rylands
• An Afternoon with Elif Shafak – Sunday 25 October, 3pm, Royal Northern College of Music

For more information and to book tickets, visit the Manchester Literature Festival website.