Manchester Literature Festival

19/06/2026

So happy to see you’re all as excited as us for the autumn! All tickets are now on sale for our 5 events. Head over to our website to grab yours🎟️ https://manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/whats-on

17/06/2026

🚨JUST ANNOUNCED: first 5 events revealed for MLF26🚨

Can’t wait for the next ? Neither can we🙋So we’re sharing the first FIVE headline events of our 2026 programme: Sarah Hall, Russell T Davies & Bernardine Evaristo, Emily St. John Mandel, Patrick Radden Keefe and Elif Shafak.

Tickets are on sale for Members NOW (please check your inbox📥), and go on General Sale this Friday, 19 Jun. Skip the wait by becoming a Member today: https://www.quaytickets.com/mlf/screenloader.aspx?page=usercontent/html/manchesterliteraturefestival/memberships.html&type=include

Our full programme to be revealed Tue 11 Aug👀

https://manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/whats-on

16/06/2026

‘No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. Every sentence in this novel sings.’ - David Sedaris

Next Tuesday, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Andrew Greer joins us at Waterstones Deansgate to discuss his dazzling and witty new novel Villa Coco. Don’t miss out on this summer night full of charm, humour and magic☀️

🎟️ https://manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/andrew-sean-greer

04/06/2026

What’s Baneta’s all-time favourite book? It’s none other than ’s There are Rivers in the Sky. Gifted to her by a friend who wanted to understand more of Mesopotamia - where Baneta comes from - it’s a beautiful introduction to the region to those who are unfamiliar with its landscapes. Perhaps your next read for ?😊

04/06/2026

Behind the phenomenal almond croissants and shakshuka danishes are thousands of hours of baking and a stack of great books📚🍞🥖🥨 Bread Matters by is a book that we have to thank for fresh goods every day!

04/06/2026

Here’s Baneta’s current read - Babylon, Albion by .aldu - a love song to Iraq, Britain and the body of Earth we hold in common. An excellent bedside read🌙

03/06/2026

Baneta lets us in on a little secret - a reference book that will set you up for a delicious future. It’s the much-loved Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat, written in an easily accessible way to help all the self-taught chefs out there👩‍🍳

03/06/2026

Need books as soul-nourishing as pastries? 🥐 We spoke to .palate (aka Mother Companio) for more inspirations, about her favourite and most influential books both in work and personal life.

Here Baneta talks about Arwa Mahdawi’s book Strong Female Leads, which brought her inspiration, encouragement and comfort as a business owner.

01/06/2026

“I want to write about women who make mistakes that can’t be repaired. I want to write about women who seem like the best of friends but betray each other and the relationship falls apart,” she says, leaning intently into her screen. “I’m going to enjoy writing those kinds of books. So I am very grateful to the UK readers who have given me the courage to do that.” - Asako Yuzuki in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/feb/28/asako-yuzuki-im-very-far-from-the-ideal-japanese-woman

One of her 20 novels and the second one translated to English, Hooked (published in Japan in 2015) is a compelling exploration of obsession, friendship and control. It centres on Eriko, a woman whose perfect life conceals a profound loneliness. When she becomes fixated on Shoko, a housewife blogger whose chaotic domestic world both fascinates and unsettles her, admiration begins to slide into something far more dangerous.

Like Butter, Hooked is similarly unsettling examination of the blurred line between friendship and obsession, and a deep exploration of loneliness and womanhood in contemporary Japan. Come join us for another lively conversation with Asako!

🗓️ Fri 12 Jun
📍 Contact
🎟️ https://manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/asako-yuzuki

Butter, her novel about a female serial killer, was a global hit. As Asako Yuzuki’s second book is published in English, she talks about criticism at home – and why she’ll be writing darker stories in the future

26/05/2026

Extra tickets just released for Douglas Stuart, 7pm tonight at Contact! Get yours now👉 https://manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/douglas-stuart 🎟️🎟️