Prof Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry on the natural world set to be a highlight of Manchester Literature Festival
A new poetry collection on the wonders of nature edited by Professor and Creative Director of Manchester Met’s Writing School Carol Ann Duffy is set to be one of the highlights of this year’s Manchester Literature Festival.
Former Poet Laureate Prof Duffy will join a line-up of creative writing lecturers and award-winning poets and authors from Manchester Writing School for a full programme of events including talks, readings and ‘in conversation with’ sessions.
Earth Prayers, Prof Duffy’s new anthology of poems on the climate crisis and our place in the eco-system, will be celebrated at an event at HOME on Saturday October 19th, where she will perform poems from her edited collection (out on October 24th) accompanied by music, as well as some of her own acclaimed nature poems.
The spotlight will again be on Manchester Met on Friday October 11th when creative writing senior lecturer and Forward Prize-winning poet Malika Booker will read poems from the anthology Mapping the Future: the Complete Works Poets, a pioneering initiative that supported 30 diverse poets over 12 years and produced a wealth of distinctive voices.
Hosted by Contact in partnership with Manchester Met’s Manchester Poetry Library, the event will see Booker performing the work that helped catapult her onto the UK poetry scene, after which she won the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem in 2020 and again in 2023 with her poem Libation.
The Festival’s literary genre will turn to novel writing on Friday October 18th at Manchester Central Library when acclaimed folk horror author and fellow Manchester Met senior creative writing lecturer Andrew Hurley will discuss his atmospheric new book Barrowbeck.
Following the tradition of his award-winning previous novels including Starve Acre, the film adaptation of which is now in cinemas starring Dr Who’s Matt Smith, Barrowbeck (out on October 24th) promises to be a chilling read featuring themes of superstition and the occult.
The event will be hosted by Hurley’s Manchester Writing School colleague Professor Helen Mort, herself an acclaimed and award-winning poet, novelist and non-fiction writer.
Joining Prof Mort as Festival hosts are Manchester Writing School colleagues and fellow prominent writers Professor Andrew McMillan and Anjum Malik.
Speaking about Manchester Writing School’s involvement in the Festival, Prof McMillan said: “We’re really proud of our longstanding collaborations with Manchester Literature Festival where so many colleagues in the Manchester Writing School are taking part in events, showcasing their latest publications, but where also the very best in contemporary writers come to Manchester Poetry Library and the Grosvenor East Building to take part in world-leading events.
“This continuing conversation between ourselves, the Literature Festival and the very best writers both here and beyond, means that our students benefit from being a part of vibrant and engaging literary space.”
Manchester Literature Festival has made a name for itself over the past 16 years as an annual event that provides opportunities for audiences to experience high quality live literature, poetry and spoken word.
Other Manchester Literature Festival events in partnership with Manchester Poetry Library include poets Imtiaz Dharker and Romalyn Ante (Tuesday Oct 15th), Oksana Maksymchuk (Thursday Oct 17th) and Raymond Antrobus, Caleb Femi and Theresa Lola (Friday Oct 18th).
For more information on the Festival and to see the full programme of events go to Manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk | Manchester Literature Festival
To see Manchester Poetry Library’s full programme of events go to https://www.mmu.ac.uk/poetry-library/whats-on/events
