Happy new year everyone!🎉 We hope you've enjoyed a lovely break, all ready for 2025. In the new year, we will no longer be posting on X. If you want to keep up to date with our news, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky & Threads.

You can find us at @McrLitFest on @instagram & Threads and @McrLitFest.bsky.social on Bluesky. This account will remain as an archive but won't be monitored. Thanks to all our incredible followers here over the years!

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Our friends @YOUNGIDmcr have a brilliant Holiday Fundraising Raffle with prizes including a hamper, theatre and comedy tickets. Every ticket purchased goes towards YI’s mission to empower young creatives through writing & performance. 🎟️

New Substack post - my recent @McrLitFest interview with writer Andrew O’Hagan, discussing his novels Caledonian Rd and Mayflies, his life and writing, King’s Cross, the last bus from Glasgow, the Smiths, and more.. HERE https://t.co/PON33izcJ1

Thank you so much for the kind words and brilliant review of our event with Richard Powers! @Northern_Soul_ @sferg100 “Powers has the art of distilling his huge personal knowledge bank into easily digestible arguments… It is clear from Powers’ work that he really does care.”

Don’t miss out on our rescheduled event with Alan Hollinghurst & @AMcMillanPoet! Our Evenings is a dark, compelling and wickedly funny portrait of modern England, acutely observing race and class, theatre and sexuality, love and violence. 🗓️7pm, Fri 17 Jan 📍Central Library 🎟️

If you're around Withington on Saturday night do check out this special poetry event - there's a brilliant line up of Mcr poets and it's in support of Café Blah 👇🏽

This should be a buzzing event from our friends @YOUNGIDmcr - we recommend booking your place now 👇🏽

Some brilliant audience questions as always, sparking conversations about AI, intellectual property, Richard’s secret to thorough research, and political engagement through literature. Thanks to everyone for coming!

Regarding the current political climate, Richard suggests that we’re going through grief that needs to be fully felt as grief in this first instance. What is the way forward? Staying vigilant about technology and digital platforms, and not letting them dismantle community.

https://t.co/7Y7zsmX5Oy

The idea that human craft, art, is part of creation of the world, is what inspired the first few pages of the book. Play is another big theme throughout the chapters, as Richard introduces play amongst non-human species. It’s the connecting material that brings all together.

https://t.co/7AlTPtW5jd

So lucky to get to support @McrLitFest's final event of 2025 with literary powerhouse, #RichardPowers! Discussing his beautiful and profound new novel, PLAYGROUND 🐋 at @MancLibraries #waterstonesdeansgate

A wonderful Friday night with the brilliant @PulitzerPrizes winning American author Richard Powers discussing his new novel #Playground with the fab Alex Clark. @McrLitFest @WaterstonesMCR @PenguinUKBooks

Richard drew on Polynesian culture deeply embedded in nature, as well as mythology, linguistic history and traditions of the culture, to write his new book. It’s apparent how much he learned and internalised the lessons from his research.

On his inspiration for stories, Richard draws similarities between indigenous and scientific ways of perception. and how human beings are more connected with the rest of nature in profound kinship. He crafts stories based on this notion; anti-human exceptionalism, if you will.

Welcome Richard Powers to Manchester! A lovely introduction from @AlexClark3 followed by a conversation on his new book, Playground.

TOMORROW! Don’t miss out! 🎟️