CityLife

Manchester Book Market: Friday-Sunday, July 17-19

Carcanet - just one of many publishers who'll be at the fair

THE Manchester Book Market is back as part of the Manchester International Festival for a three-day market accompanied by back-to-back performances from the cream of Manchester's spoken word scene.

The market , which first took place in September 2006, will give the public the opportunity to buy books directly from the UK’s leading independent publishers.

It also allows them to sample the latest emerging talent in spoken word from the North West.

The market will feature over 20 presses,  from all over the UK, ranging from from award-winning poetry and short fiction (fRoute Publishing, Crocus Books and Comma) to internationally recognised science fiction and fantasy (from Interzone, TTA and Ballista).

World-renowned

There are also childrens books (Bumble Books, DEP, Flapjack), and pioneering new literary magazines (Transmission, Bewilderbliss, Back to the Machine Gun, etc.). 
 
Manchester remains at the heart of this vibrant underground activity, publishing internationally recognised titles (Comma's Tiny Deaths won the World Fantasy Award last year) and world renowned poets (Manchester's Carcanet Press boasts five Nobel Prize winners on its roster).

In addition to shopping and browsing the stalls, the Manchester Book Market will feature readings from over 35 writers from the region, ranging from poetry through to fiction and children’s literature.

Highly popular

In a special café area, throughout each day, some of the North West’s leading live literature/spoken word artists will perform throughout each day.

Readers so far include:
Mike Garry, Chris Jam, Mike Duff, Segun Lee French, Jackie Hagan, Dominic Berry, Elly Rees, Janette Stowell, Sue Stern, Ade Jackson, Nick Murgatroyd, Eileen Pun, Danny Bird, Cora Greenhill, Jonathan Welsch, Zoe Lambert, Tony Walsh, Anjum Malik, Ben Mellor, Martin Stannage, Samira Arhin-Acquaah,

Joe Stretch, Tom Fletcher, Akiel Chinelo, Chanje Kunda, Andy Moses, Dermot Glennon, Lula Blue, Maya Chowdhry, Kim Wiltshire, Sabeen Hussein, Nabila Suriya, Gift, Matthew Curry, Tina Tamsho-Thomas, Muli Amaye, Conrad Williams,

Tim Lees, Michelle Scally Clarke, C.A. Chance, Helen Thomas, Annie Clarkson, Louise Wallwein, Peter Humphries, Tony Curry, Peter Wild, Nick Royle, Elizabeth Baines, Ailsa Cox, Julian Daniel, Ian Seed, Andrew McMillan, William Park, Chris Woods, and Jerry Potter (compere).

Manchester Book Market has been coordinated by Literature Northwest (the sector agency for publishing in the region) in partnership with Comma Press and Manchester Specialist Markets, who produce the highly popular German, Flower, Christmas and Farmers’ markets in the city.

Friday July, 17 to Sunday July  19 - St Ann’s Square, city centre Manchester. 11am-4pm. Free.