The Manchester Lit and Phil

05/06/2026

Why are most gases invisible, odourless and tasteless? 🤔

Why do some poison us… while others make us laugh?

And why do some explode, while others are happy just to make our drinks fizzy? 🥂

Join Professor Mark Miodownik for It's a Gas — a journey into the weird and wonderful personalities of the substances that built the modern world.

🗓️ Wednesday 10 June, 7:00pm
📍 Friends' Meeting House, Manchester
🎟️ £15 / £6 students / FREE for members

Booking is essential www.manlitphil.ac.uk

02/06/2026

The Boom in Weight Loss Jabs: Medicines as a Solution for Societal Failure?

Miracle breakthrough or societal risk? Join us for a thought-provoking evening as we unpack one of the most talked-about medical developments of our time.

GLP-1 agonists – the injectable weight-loss medicines – have exploded in popularity, offering hope to millions. But at what cost? If given to everyone who might benefit, they could bankrupt the NHS. Are we treating a symptom while ignoring the root causes of obesity? And whose responsibility is it anyway – individuals, the health service, policymakers, or society as a whole?

Professor Rupert Payne (Professor of Primary Care and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Exeter, and practising GP) will explore the rise of obesity, the science behind these "wonder drugs," their effectiveness and safety, and how we might use them responsibly.

📅 Tuesday 30 June 2026
🕡 6:30pm – 8:00pm
📍 Royal Northern College of Music, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9RD
🎟️ £15 General | £6 Students | FREE for Members

The talk includes time for questions and discussion. Booking strongly advised.

👉 Book now: https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/the-boom-in-weight-loss-jabs-medicines-as-a-solution-for-societal-failure/

Discover how weight‑loss jabs and GLP‑1 medicines are reshaping healthcare, society, and responsibility in tackling obesity.

01/06/2026

It's a Gas - An Evening with Professor Mark Miodownik
Why are most gases invisible, odourless and tasteless? Why do some poison us while others make us laugh? And why do some explode while others are happy just to make our drinks fizzy?
Join us at the Manchester Lit & Phil for a fascinating talk by Professor Mark Miodownik, materials scientist, broadcaster, and New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Matters, as he takes us back to the exhilarating (and often dangerous!) moment when scientists first discovered the hidden personalities of gases.
From 17th-century laughing gas parties that paved the way for modern anaesthetics, to the humble air valve that gave us bicycles, cars and trainers, to the mighty steamships and flammable balloons that conquered sea and sky, discover how gases shaped the modern world.
📅 Wednesday 10 June 2026
🕖 7:00pm – 8:30pm
📍 Friends' Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
🎟️ £15 General | £6 Students | FREE for Members
♿ Wheelchair accessible venue
💬 Includes Q&A
Booking is essential, secure your seat now!
https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/its-a-gas/

18/05/2026

1776: How the Magnificent Seven Made America Great

Thursday 25 June 2026 | 6:30pm – 8:00pm
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester

As America marks its 250th anniversary, join us for a fascinating evening exploring the extraordinary individuals who shaped the birth of a nation.

Did you know? The very same year the Manchester Lit & Phil was founded in 1781, British troops surrendered to George Washington's make-shift army at Yorktown — setting the United States on its path to independence.

Award-winning trans-Atlantic journalist and author Lindsay Sutton takes us beyond the battlefields to tell the human stories behind the revolution. Forget "battle, battle, battle" — this is the tale of seven remarkable individuals (including one radical British writer and thinker!) whose vision, courage and conviction helped forge a new world.

A veteran of the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Times, ITV, Sky and the BBC, Lindsay has covered every US Presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976 — and yes, he's even met "The Donald."

Expect lively storytelling, sharp insight and a Q&A session. Light refreshments available from the bar.

Tickets:
£15 General Admission | £6 Students | FREE for Members

Wheelchair accessible venue.

Booking essential — secure your place via the link below!

https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/1776-how-the-magnificent-seven-made-america-great/

#1776

Broadening minds since 1781. We’re here to make you think. And think again. To challenge your opinions and see the world differently.

11/05/2026

Bernard Lovell: Radio Astronomy, Faith and Cricket

Meet the man behind the iconic Jodrell Bank telescope that still dominates the Cheshire skyline today!

Sir Bernard Lovell (1913-2012) was so much more than a pioneering radio astronomer. He was a WWII hero whose airborne radar work helped turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic, a devoted Methodist who saw science as "unveiling the magnificent method and grandeur of God's creation," and a passionate cricketer who captained Chelford Cricket Club and later became President of Lancashire County Cricket Club.

When his ambitious 250ft telescope project went 10x over budget in the 1950s, critics dubbed it "Lovell's Folly." But when Sputnik launched in 1957, his telescope was the ONLY one in the world capable of tracking it, and he became an international hero overnight.

A member of the Manchester Lit&Phil and recipient of our prestigious Dalton Medal in 1959, Lovell's legacy continues to inspire.

Discover the full story of this remarkable scientist, communicator, and man of faith

https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/past-members/bernard-lovell/

07/05/2026

Discover Victorian Manchester's Hidden Cultural Gems!

Join us for a fascinating evening exploring the vibrant cultural scene of 19th-century Manchester — a city often dismissed as a "cultural desert," but in reality bursting with art, music, and literary brilliance!

The Gaskells and the Cultural Life of Victorian Manchester
Wednesday, 27 May 2026
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Cross Street Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL

Dr Diane Duffy, Chair of the Gaskell Society, takes us on a journey through the Manchester that inspired Elizabeth Gaskell and her remarkable circle. From the founding of the Hallé Orchestra to the legendary Art Treasures Exhibition, from lectures by Dickens and Ruskin to the Society of Women Painters — discover how the arts flourished alongside the mills and foundries.

Learn how Gaskell's Mary Barton divided a nation, how she championed Manchester's workers, and how two of her daughters continued her extraordinary legacy.

Tickets:
• General Admission: £15
• Students: £6
• Lit & Phil Members: FREE

♿ Wheelchair accessible venue
💬 Includes Q&A session

Booking is essential — secure your place now!
https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/the-gaskells-and-the-cultural-life-of-victorian-manchester/

05/05/2026

It's a Gas - An Evening with Professor Mark Miodownik

Why are most gases invisible, odourless and tasteless? Why do some poison us while others make us laugh? And why do some explode while others are happy just to make our drinks fizzy?

Join us at the Manchester Lit & Phil for a fascinating talk by Professor Mark Miodownik, materials scientist, broadcaster, and New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Matters, as he takes us back to the exhilarating (and often dangerous!) moment when scientists first discovered the hidden personalities of gases.

From 17th-century laughing gas parties that paved the way for modern anaesthetics, to the humble air valve that gave us bicycles, cars and trainers, to the mighty steamships and flammable balloons that conquered sea and sky, discover how gases shaped the modern world.

📅 Wednesday 10 June 2026
🕖 7:00pm – 8:30pm
📍 Friends' Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
🎟️ £15 General | £6 Students | FREE for Members
♿ Wheelchair accessible venue
💬 Includes Q&A

Booking is essential, secure your seat now!
https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/its-a-gas/

Why are most gases invisible, odourless and tasteless? Why do some poison us and others make us laugh? And why do some explode while others are content just to make drinks fizzy?

11/04/2026

How is artificial light changing the way we live, sleep, and experience time?

Join Professor Robert Lucas for Artificial Light and Biological Time, a Manchester Lit&Phil talk exploring how light shapes our biological clocks and what happens when modern life disrupts them.

From sleep and health to shift work, screens, cities, and the natural world, this talk asks whether smarter lighting can help us find a better balance.

📅 29 April 2026
🕖 7.00pm–8.30pm
📍 Friends’ Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
🎟 £15 General Admission / £6 Students / Free for Members

Includes a Q&A session. Booking essential.

https://www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/artificial-light-and-biological-time/