Book early for a rare treat...

The Daughter-in-Law, a rarely seen play by DH Lawrence, continues the Library Theatre Company’s highly successful residency at The Lowry in Salford.

The production, which will be directed by Chris Honer, the company’s Artistic Director, opens on Thursday 23 February and runs until Saturday 10 March 2012.

Luther Gascoigne, a Nottinghamshire miner, and socially ambitious Minnie have been married for just six weeks. Luther’s mother disapproves; in her view Minnie’s pretensions make her an unsuitable match for her son. When an explosive revelation from Luther’s past is unexpectedly revealed, it threatens to derail the married couple’s new life together.

Set in 1912 against the backdrop of a bitter miners’ strike, The Daughter-in-Law, which was never performed in its author’s lifetime, is an unjustly neglected classic drama. Full of passion, sexual tension, and class conflict, The Daughter-in-Law affirms DH Lawrence, more commonly known for his novels and poetry, as a playwright of the first order.

Accompanying the production is No! Mr Lawrence!, an intimate performance of a selection of poems by DH Lawrence, which will be directed by Josh Azouz, assistant director of The Daughter-in-Law, and performed by members of the cast on the set of The Daughter-in-Law. There will performances on Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7, and Friday 9 March at 6pm and 6.15pm. Tickets are free for The Daughter-in-Law ticket-holders but must be booked in advance.

The production opens on Thursday 23 February and runs until Saturday 10 March 2012. For details and tickets visit www.librarytheatre.com

From city-pick New York …. to city-pick Manchester: a call out for Manchester writing!

Manchester Literature Festival is joining forces with Oxygen Books to put together a very special event for this year’s festival in October 2012, and we need your help in selecting content for it.

Can you recommend any writing that, for you, perfectly sums up the City of Manchester, past, present or even future?

Oxygen Books’ city-pick series features some of the best writing on favourite world cities, from New York, Berlin and Paris to London, Amsterdam, Dublin and Venice and has been called ‘wonderful’ (The Guardian), ‘superb’ (The Times) and ‘sublime’ (The Sydney Morning Herald).

Now the book publisher is working with the Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Arts Council England to find the very best writing about one of the UK’s most literary cities. ‘We know there’s a wealth of writing out there about the city,’ says Oxygen’s publisher, Malcolm Burgess. ‘We’d love readers and writers to get in touch with us with their choices, ideally 500 words maximum, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, on- or off-line, and if they can give us reasons for their choices that’s even better. We’d love to see any new published writing too about Manchester. All contributors will be fully acknowledged at our festival event.’

Oxygen Books will be presenting city-pick Manchester at the Manchester Literature Festival, together with a well-known actor. A city-pick Manchester pod-cast will also be available. Any ideas about Manchester writing should be sent to malcolm.burgess3[at]btopenworld.com. 

Charles Dickens reading group seeks new members

A new Charles Dickens reading group is looking for members. Manchester has been chosen by the Reading Agency as one of ten reading group places to champion Charles Dickens during 2012 and the group plan to read five Dickens books throughout the year:

March 1st - David Copperfield
May 3rd - Old Curiosity Shop
July 5th - Barnaby Rudge
September 6th - Hard Times
November 1st - Great Expectations

Monthly meetings will be held in the Becker Room in City Library, Manchester and the group plan to record their progress as blog posts on the Reading Groups for Everyone website. Places are limited - for more information and to reserve a place please email Jane Mathieson.

How to Inspire Change – A 30 Minute Master Class

Newly honoured Professor Damian Hughes will be presenting his exciting new seminar, ‘How to Inspire Change – A 30 Minute Master Class’ andsigning copies of his new book, Change Inspiration, on Monday 13 February at Manchester’s City Library.

The free event is to celebrate the launch of his seventh book and recent professorship at Manchester Metropolitan University. It will be held in the Becker Room, 1st Floor, City Library and will run from 1pm – 1.30pm.

Damian will also be holding a Meet the Author drop-in book-signing event between 4pm – 6pm on Monday 13 February at City Library, which is located in Elliot House, on the corner of Deansgate and Lloyd St.

Damian said: “The library has copies of all my books, which I’m pleased to say can be borrowed by everyone. My latest book is about inspiring change - whether you want things to be different at home or at work, all change has something in common: for anything to change, someone or something has to start acting differently.”

 Manchester City Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, Councillor Mike Amesbury, said, “Manchester Libraries are always delighted to be able to work with local authors and host educational seminars for our residents. Professor Hughes lives, teaches and volunteers in Greater Manchester and we’re pleased that he’ll be on hand to offer motivational advice to his fellow Mancunians on 13 February.”

There are only 50 places available for the free lunchtime seminar and they will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve a place please phone Libby Tempest at City Library on 0161 234 1981 or 07535426678 or email her on l.tempest@manchester.gov.uk

Illegal downloads: Do the math(s)

Simon van Meygaarden has demonstrated mathematically that for every $1000 of potential to be made by an authorized content provider, only $1.40 ends up in the pocket of an unauthorized user.

Having only a CSE maths I was lost by N * ( 1 – CF ). Is he right? Can it be explained in plain English?

Read the full explanation and many comments at ereads.com. Have fun!

2011 Philip K. Dick Award Finalists Announced

The Philip K. Dick Award finalists for best original Science Fiction published in paperback form in the United States have just been announced:

A Soldier's Duty by Jean Johnson (Ace Books)
After the Apocalypse by Maureen F. McHugh (Small Beer Press)
Deadline by Mira Grant (Orbit)
The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett (Orbit)
The Other by Matthew Hughes (Underland Press)
The Postmortal by Drew Magary (Penguin Books)
The Samuil Petrovitch Trilogy by Simon Morden (Orbit)

Find out more about the Philip K. Dick Award.

Rewind: Manchester’s Music Scene Remembered @ Wythenshaw Forum

You're invited to a free film screening at the Forum Library. Rewind is a new film celebrating Manchester's eclectic music scene: it's heritage: the people, the places and the music.

Using footage from the North West Film Archive's magnificent collection, this selection of films spans the 1960s-2000s & includes an arty student documentary about Roxy Music fans & frenzied backstage footage of a Beatles concert, at venues you may just recognise.

With other musical treats along the way, this screening cements Manchester's reputation as a city full of music lovers, a place that both nurtures and supports creativity be it home grown or not.

This events is a collaboration between the North West Film Archive at MMU and Greater Manchester County Records Office (with Manchester Archives).

Explore images from the Archive's collection relating to the Manchester Music Scene at: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwrRCaN


4 February 2012
14:00 - 16:30
Free

Forum Library Meeting Room B
First Floor Forum Centre
Wythenshawe
M22 5RX
Telephone 0161 227 3770

UK Literary events in 2012

More Dickens and even more Shakespeare, but also new novels from Toni Morrison, Hilary Mantel, Zadie Smith, plus exciting new voices. Explore twelve months of literary events, new books, awards and big screen book to film adaptations from The Guardian books blog.

If literature festivals are more your thing have a look at this extensive list of over 150 UK literary festivals taking place in 2012. The folks behind the list at www.literaryfestivals.co.uk have also produced a comprehensive A-Z guide to all the UK literary awards for the next twelve months.

And there's more...the Evening Standard also has a list of literary treats for 2012, as do The Telegraph.

Sherlock Holmes returns to City Library for National Libraries Day

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are set to solve a second murder at Manchester 's City Library by popular demand - but they need your help to crack the case.

An additional interactive murder mystery event will run from 5:15 - 7:15pm on Saturday February 4, after the first event (2 - 4pm) sold out in a matter of hours. The two events have been organised to mark National Libraries Day, a day devoted to libraries, library users, staff and supporters across the UK.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary fictional detective, recently the subject of two major movies and a BBC TV series, is being brought to City Library by After Dark Entertainment.  A very limited number of free tickets are available for intrepid sleuths aged 16 and over.

Attendees will hunt for clues alongside the mastermind Holmes and his faithful companion Watson in a bid to unmask the culprit, who could even be Holmes' arch-enemy, the dreaded Moriarty.

Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Mike Amesbury, said, "It's elementary - the murder mystery events at the City Library will be terrific fun.  Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are enduringly popular and still attract visitors to libraries after more than a century."

To book free tickets for the evening murder mystery event at City Library, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate on Saturday February 4 (5:15 - 7:15pm), visit www.sherlockreturnstocitylibrary.eventbrite.co.uk.

The future of digital libraries...

Mike Wolpert, founder of http://www.socialjumpstart.com interviews Sarah Houghton, Librarian, Digital Rights Management Expert and publisher of http://librarianinblack.net about the future of digital libraries and how our rights and privacy are effected now and in the future.

Indie publishers - sign up for a free ebook publishing class

On the 20th January, Literature Northwest is hosting a seminar on eBook production, with Nigel Marsh, Director of Publishing Services at Faber and Faber.

Nigel will be speaking about conversion to digital formats, the distribution of these assets to retailers, and what the Faber Factory Service has to offer independent publishers.

This seminar will be suitable for independent publishers of all sizes who are digitizing their lists (or who anticipate doing so in future). It offers the opportunity to put your questions to one of the most experienced digital production directors in the independent sector.

Nigel has worked on the production side of publishing for over 25 years. He started in Production at Edward Arnold, which was bought by Hodder & Stoughton. He then moved to Methuen Academic, which became Routledge and then Taylor & Francis. Nigel joined Faber and Faber in 2000. He is currently Director of Publishing Services, where he has a number of responsibilities, one of which is being part of the Faber Factory which was set up in 2010 as an eBook distribution service for independent publishers.

If there are any specific questions you'd like Nigel to address, please email them in advance to Jim Hinks at literaturenorthwest@yahoo.co.uk.

The seminar is free to attend for independent publishers, but please book a place by emailing ra.page@commapress.co.uk.

When : 20th January 2012 - 1pm-3pm
Where : International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Price: Free

Order the Costa Book of the Year 2011 finalists from your library...

Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy has won the Costa Poetry Award for The Bees (Picador), and debut biographer Matthew Hollis has scooped the Costa Biography Award, with both now entering the final race alongside three other category winners to be named the overall £30,000 Costa Book of the Year 2011. (Read the full story over at the Bookseller).

Former Great Ormond St. nurse Christie Watson picked up best first novel for Tiny Sunbirds Far Away and debut children's writer, Moira Young, won the children's book award for Blood Red Road.

We have five copies of The Bees for you to borrow. Visit the online catalogue to reserve your copy.  You can also reserve and borrow Now All Roads Lead to France, the highly regarded debut biography of the last years of the poet Edward Thomas by Matthew Hollis.

Who do you think should win the Costa Book of the Year Award 2011?