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Manchester Literature Festival

@mcrlitfest.bsky.social

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Save the dates for our 20th Festival! #MLF25 runs 11-26 October 2025. www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

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Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · Aug 12

🎊CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF LITERARY MAGIC - FULL #MLF25 PROGRAMME OUT NOW!📚

From internationally acclaimed authors and cultural icons to bold new voices, our 20th edition is set to inspire, challenge and delight anyone who celebrates with us. 🧵

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Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 1h

Happy Festival day🎉 We kick it off with a very strong first day. Get your last minute tickets at manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/whats-on%F0%...

Reposted by Manchester Literature Festival

Creative Manchester @uomcreativemcr.bsky.social · 1h

Huge congratulations to our friends at @mcrlitfest.bsky.social as this year’s Manchester Literature Festival begins! 🎉 This year celebrates 20 years of literary magic - and once again @manchester.ac.uk is the proud official HE partner.

Explore the full programme: manchesterliterature...

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Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📕Fri 24 Oct: Looking for nature poems that are like no other? Join WritersMosaic as they bring global majority perspectives to the center spotlight with John Siddique, Mona Arshi, Karen McCarthy Woolf & Roger Robinson 🌿 manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/write...

Writersmosaic Mona Arshi Karen Mccarthy Woolf Roger Robinson | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📘Wed 22 Oct: Working Class Movement Library Podcast celebrates 40 years of Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges are not the Only Fruit🍊 manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/the-w...

The Working Class Library Live Podcast | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📗Tue 21 Oct: Get into the spooky autumn spirit with Bora Chung and Susan Barker manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/bora-...

Bora Chung Susan Barker | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📙Sat 18 Oct: Enjoy another Cabaret for Freedom with @salena.godden @nick.makoha @jaycmcr @youngidentitymcr
manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/cabar...

Cabaret For Freedom With Salena Godden Nick Makoha J Chambers Young Identity | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📘Fri 15 Oct: Enjoy an evening of unconventional love poems with Caroline Bird & Rachel Long manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/carol...

Caroline Bird Rachel Long | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📕Tue 14 Oct: Explore how women listen in a world of noise made by men with Alice Vincent manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/alice...

Alice Vincent | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📗Sun 12 Oct: See the latest of Swedish contemporary writing - Lisa Ridzén & Agnes Lidbeck. When the Cranes Fly South made our Social Media team cry their eyes out, featuring an elderly gentleman and his dog🥹 manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/stori...

Stories From Sweden Lisa Ridzen Agnes Lidbeck | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

If you haven’t already, we would highly encourage you to get tickets for the following:

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 21h

📣MLF25 STARTS TOMORROW📣

I hope you’re all ready for the celebration of books, writing, ideas and connection for the next 16 days!

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Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 23h

We are sorry to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances, Jennie Godfrey is now unable to take part in the joint event with Andrev Walden this Sunday afternoon at Central Library. The event will however still be going ahead with Andrev Walden in conversation with Naomi Frisby.

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

We round up the evening with words of wisdom passed down from Kiran’s mother, Anita Desai.

Thank you for a brilliant talk, Kiran and Mishika! And enjoy your signed copies of The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny everyone🫶

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

Some beautiful audience questions - paired with adoration from all - about the concept of home amidst changing political climates, Kiran’s own influence on Sonia, and coming to terms with immigrant grief & living in the gray.

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

Similarly, the people in her family who break generational cycles through action against outdated values, those who are committed to a secular democracy, were the inspiration behind The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

Kiran’s family is a huge influence on her writing. The Inheritance of Loss, for instance, was based on her grandfather’s life as a scholarship-recipient-turned-judge immigrant in the UK.

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

The first version of the book was 5000 pages - which became 2000 by the first draft, until Kiran slimmed it down to 700 for publication.

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

With the book centred around the idea of distance, solitude as a form sustenance was a key philosophy that Kiran held onto while writing the book. “This is such an Indian answer,” she says with a chuckle, “but my aunties are a huge inspiration behind this - what the taught me, and how they lived.”

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

Exploring generational differences, family histories, traditions and desires, the story revolves around a long-distance connection between Sonia and Sunny. A globalised love story that moves between nations, race, class and vanishing worlds, exploring what comes out of distance and loneliness.

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 3d

We’re at the gorgeous Living World gallery at Manchester Museum with Kiran Desai to discuss her Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny🌙 Hosted by co-founder of Brown Girl Bookshelf, Mishika Narula👋

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Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 6d

Next Saturday, we’re starting with a bang featuring Hans Ulrich Obrist, Sarah Hall & Daisy Johnson, Mary Portas, Simon Armitage, Jennie Godfrey & Andrev Walden, and Lisa Ridzen & Agnes Lidbeck JUST over our opening weekend. Can’t wait to see you all there!
manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/whats-on

Whats On | Manchester Literature Festival

manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Manchester Literature Festival @mcrlitfest.bsky.social · 6d

📣ONE WEEK TO GO UNTIL #MLF25📣

Here are some of the brilliant thinkers that we’ve hosted throughout the years. You can see a selection of more portraits at the Central Library Wolfson Reading Room until December, so make sure to catch it while you have the chance!

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