Plan the next Manchester Literature Festival visit around the buildings on your tickets. Exact 2027 dates have not been announced yet. These earlier conversations took place in October 2026 at venues including HOME and Waterstones Deansgate. Use them to explore the range, then choose from the new programme when it is announced.
Confirmed for 2027
The 2027 programme hasn’t been announced yet.
Check the organiser’s programme before choosing a speaker or an individual day. The earlier events below are a way to explore the festival’s range; they are not a list of returning guests. A festival date and a confirmed author appearance are separate pieces of information.
What 2026 looked like
These three events were in the 2026 programme. Follow each title to the visitor guide for the wider selection and the official event links.
Earlier 2026 conversations
Eliza Chan & Sunyi Dean: Hong Kong Ghost Stories
· Waterstones Deansgate
Eliza Chan and Sunyi Dean explored Hong Kong, folklore and family history through their novels Harbour of Hungry Ghosts and The Girl with a Thousand Faces, with host Susan Barker.
Dave Haslam with John Simm, Stephen Morris & LoneLady
· HOME (Theatre)
Dave Haslam discussed Creative Journeys with John Simm, Stephen Morris and LoneLady, considering the experiences and choices that shape a creative life across writing, music and performance.
An Evening with Jackie Kay
· HOME (Theatre)
Jackie Kay read from Selected Poems 1991–2026, bringing together work across her writing life and themes including family, community, love, loss and activism in the festival’s closing poetry event.
Plan your visit
Read the Manchester Literature Festival visitor guide for venues, official tickets, travel and access information. Compare the stay areas before reserving a room. Choose the events that matter most to you, then put their actual venues alongside the accommodation address.
### By train, tram and bus
A room booked before the programme appears is a provisional travel choice. Read the cancellation deadline and payment schedule, keep them with your reservation and revisit the booking when you know the events you want. A room rate does not include festival tickets unless the seller explicitly says it does.
For an evening visit, check the final journey from the venue as well as the outward train. Allow time to leave, collect a bag or attend a signing if one is actually listed. If a taxi is essential, check the pickup arrangements before making a reservation that depends on it.
Choosing when to book
Start with the official dates and your own flexibility. If your visit depends on one particular writer, wait for that appearance to be announced before buying inflexible travel. Check the event’s age guidance, accompanying-adult requirements and access arrangements separately from any membership or accommodation purchase.
When the programme is available, compare the length of each session and the transfer to the next venue. Leave a proper break for food and browsing, and keep the last journey home in view. You can use our first-festival planning guide to put the day together.
Sources
- Official festival programme and dates (checked 28 October 2026)
- Official 2026 programme (checked 28 October 2026)
- Visitor guide and its official travel sources