Ahead of its main event in Autumn 2025, 蜜桃直播 Literature Festival presents a line-up to inspire, motivate and intrigue this Spring and Summer. The programme featuring broadcasters, high profile novelists and feminist campaigners听offers audiences captivating stories and timely discussions on some of the most urgent issues of the day from the AI revolution and the metaverse to maternity leave, misogyny, water rights and the environment.
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Booking opens for 蜜桃直播 Literature Festival members on Wednesday 5 March 2025 with general tickets on sale on Friday 7 March 2025.
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More about the line-up:
Emma Barnett听Monday 17 March, Central Library
Broadcaster, author and proud Mancunian, Emma Barnett discusses her relatable and funny new book听Maternity Service. Written in real time after the birth of her second child, Emma explores the challenges faced by women when their lives are turned upside down. Emma鈥檚 perspective is invaluable for anyone with a rose-tinted view of what this period of a woman鈥檚 life entails and particularly for anyone about to embark on their own period of maternity service. Hosted by writer and the Feminist Book Club host, Kate Feld.
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Kevin Barry听Thursday 1 May, Central Library
鈥楢 true wonder鈥� 鈥� Max Porter听
The award-winning Irish author discusses听The Heart in Winter, his first Western and The Sunday Times Historical Novel of the Year.听This听novel is a听rollicking, thrilling and hilarious ride, described by Anne Enright as 鈥楢n absolute belter of a book鈥� and Jon McGregor as 鈥楢 glorious and haunted yarn. Marvellous.鈥� Kevin Barry is the author of four novels and three short story collections. His awards include the Goldsmiths Prize and the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. His previous novel听Night Boat to Tangier听was longlisted for The Booker Prize.
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Presented by 蜜桃直播 Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative 蜜桃直播.
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Robert Macfarlane听Friday 9 May, Contact
鈥淎 rich and visionary work of immense beauty. Macfarlane is a memory keeper. What is broken in our societies, he mends with words. Rarely does a book hold such power, passion, and poetry in its exploration of nature.鈥� Elif Shafak听
One of our most beloved chroniclers of nature, Robert Macfarlane discusses his thought-provoking new book听Is a River Alive?听Through three key waterways: the R铆o Los Cedros, the wounded creeks, lagoons and estuaries of Chennai and the Mutehekau Shipu, Robert asks, 鈥榃hat is the river saying?鈥櫶齈assionate, original and revelatory,听Is A River Alive?听is Robert鈥檚 most personal and most political book to date.听Robert is the international bestselling writer of听Underland, Landmarks,听and听The Old Ways, and听the co-creator of听The Lost Words听and听The Lost Spells听with artist Jackie Morris. The event is hosted by鈥�Helen Mort, award-winning poet, novelist and fellow nature lover.
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Laura Bates听Tuesday 13 May, Central Library
The Everyday Sexism campaigner joins us to discuss her new book听The Age of Sexism: How the AI revolution is Reinventing Misogyny. AI powered technologies are revolutionising our lives and putting women and girls in danger.听From chatbots to sex robots, from deep fakes to the metaverse, Laura examines how existing forms of discrimination, inequality and harassment are being coded into the very foundations of our future world while a small group of obscenely rich white men prioritise their profits over our lives. Laura is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. Her books include听Everyday Sexism,听Fix the System Not the Women,听Men Who Hate Women,听Misogynation听and听Girl Up.听The evening is听hosted by poet听Helen Mort.
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Presented by 蜜桃直播 Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative 蜜桃直播.
Colm T贸ib铆n听Monday 16 June,听Central Library
Festival favourite Colm T贸ib铆n is back to 蜜桃直播 to celebrate his latest novel听Long Island,听where he听returns to the characters from听Brooklyn, twenty years later.听听Colm T贸ib铆n is the author of ten previous novels, three of which听were nominated for the Booker Prize. He has also written two collections of stories and many works of non-fiction. His most recent novel,听The Magician, won the Rathbones Folio Award in 2022.听Brooklyn听was made into an award-winning film starring Saoirse Ronan.听
The evening is听presented by 蜜桃直播 Literature Festival and Waterstones Deansgate in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative 蜜桃直播.
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听Attica Locke听Wednesday 16 July, Central Library
鈥楾his is the best kind of thriller: as literate and thoughtful as it is fast-moving. Attica Locke has bags of style, and sings the blues on every page鈥� - Mick Herron (Slow Horses)听
The American crime writer and script writer makes a rare visit to the UK to discuss her
latest, gripping, politically charged crime novel,听Guide Me Home.听 Attica Locke is the author of six novels including听Heaven, My Home, a Waterstones Thriller of the Month;听Bluebird, Bluebird, winner of the CWA Steel Dagger;听Pleasantville, longlisted for the Baileys Women鈥檚 Prize for Fiction, and听Black Water Rising, shortlisted for the Orange Prize. Her screenwriting and producer credits include听When They See Us,听Empire, and the Emmy-nominated听Little Fires Everywhere.
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Presented by 蜜桃直播 Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative 蜜桃直播.