Northwest Book Highlights – June 2015

From a medieval Fifty Shades of Grey to an evening of experimental poetry, the start of summer brings a diverse selection of literary events to the Northwest

Preview by Alice Horne | 03 Jun 2015

Liverpool’s Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is back this June, bringing its eclectic mix of art, music, dance, film and literature to venues across the city in the only annual programme of its kind in the UK. Historian and writer on Arabic literature Robert Irwin discusses the recent translation of medieval Arab fantasy collection Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange at The Bluecoat on 6 Jun. Found in a single manuscript in a library in Istanbul, Tales of the Marvellous is the earliest known collection of Arabic stories – think Arabian Nights, only stranger and, apparently, sexier. Dubbed the medieval answer to Fifty Shades of Grey, these tales are sure to fascinate, if not raise a few eyebrows.

Opened to the public for the first time in October last year, Manchester’s newest literary landmark champions its Victorian heritage this month. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House hosts the first of two Victorian literature workshops, both dedicated to 1853: a formative year in England’s literary history. Join Sherry Ashworth, writer and visiting teaching fellow of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, on 3 Jun for an evening of discussion about Charles Dickens’s social commentary in Hard Times.

Elsewhere, American humour writer and essayist David Sedaris brings his sell-out tour to Liverpool. Author of New York Times bestselling titles such as When You Are Engulfed in Flames and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, Sedaris’s sharp social critique and observational wit make his readings as laugh-out-loud funny as any stand-up comedy. See him at the Echo Arena on 13 Jun.

The start of summer certainly seems to bring out the poetic in Manchester, with three such events across the city this month. On 4 Jun, the historic Portico Library hosts readings from prize-winning poet and retired mathematician Martin Zarrop, Judy Kendall – a translator and lecturer in creative writing at University of Salford – and poet Jean Harrison. Meanwhile The Other Room, an experimental poetry project based in Manchester, will be pushing the boundaries of the poetic form at The Castle Hotel on 10 Jun.

Elsewhere, performance poetry organisation Apples and Snakes brings the popular Hit the Ode to Manchester this month. Hosted by native Mancunian Ben Mellor, a winner of BBC Radio 4’s National Poetry Slam, Hit the Ode will feature three exciting guest poets from across the UK and beyond. Head to Contact Theatre on 17 Jun for an evening of spoken word poetry at its freshest.

Finally, science meets fiction on 17 Jun as Manchester-based publishers Comma Press host an informal discussion about the relationship between science and literature. In attendance are Comma Press founder and editor Ra Page, professor of unconventional computing at Manchester Metropolitan University Martyn Amos, and director of the Sleep and Memory Laboratory at the University of Manchester, Penelope Lewis. Expect to hear about scientific dystopia, the new technologies of reading and Comma’s latest anthology, Beta Life.


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Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange, The Bluecoat, Liverpool, Sat 6 Jun, 1pm, free (booking required); Victorian Literature Workshops: 1853, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, Manchester, Wed 3 Jun, 7pm, £5; An Evening with David Sedaris, Echo Arena, Liverpool, Sat 13 Jun, 7.15pm, £26; Poetry at the Portico, The Portico Library, Manchester, Thu 4 Jun, 6.30pm, £8.50 (£5); The Other Room, The Castle Hotel, Manchester, Wed 10 Jun, 7pm, free; Hit the Ode, Contact Theatre, Manchester, Wed 17 Jun, 7.30pm, £6 (£3); When Science Meets Fiction, The Salutation Pub, Manchester, Wed 17 Jun, 4pm, free http://theskinny.co.uk/books