Share your personal view of Central Library...

...and help us to build a wonderful visual history of the building for years to come. We want to borrow stories & photos from you (for a change). During March pick up your phones and cameras, pop into Central Library & take a photo of your favourite feature - whether it's the oculus in the Great Hall, an intriguing view or simply a comfortable chair. Then add your pictures to the Get Wisdom Flickr group and we'll feature your photos on Facebook, Twitter and our website. Don't use Flickr? Don't worry...simply email your pictures to centrallibraryphotos@manchester.gov.uk and we'll do the rest.

Do you have any Central Library memories you’d like to share? Perhaps it’s where you made an amazing discovery, read something life-changing or met the love of your life? Whatever your connection with the library, you can add your story to the exhibition by emailing archiveslocalstudies@manchester.gov.uk.

Pictures and memories will also be featured in the Get Wisdom exhibition which marks the temporary closure of the building with an exhibition of archives, newsreel footage, photographs and personal stories.

Catherine Cookson Drops Out Of Library Charts

I remember the days when people would queue to reserve a new Catherine Cookson book. We sometimes had seventy reservation for one of her sagas. For years she was the most ­borrowed writer from the UK's lending libraries, but the latest figues reveal Catherine Cookson has been comprehensively overshadowed by the giants of American popular fiction. Instead, the top three adult authors for July 2008-June 2009 were all Americans: the thriller writer James ­Patterson, followed by the romantic novelists Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele. There's more at the Guardian

Turn your netbook into an ebook reader

Lifehacker has posted a guide to how to Turn Your Netbook into a Feature-Rich E-Book Reader. Check out this post to find helpful tips and tricks to set yourself up with a portable e-book reader including:

• Rotate The Screen
• Adjust The Screen Brightness
• Use a Special Power Saving Mode
• Setting Up E-Book Software

Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England

In his magnum opus, Anthony Julius looks at the history of anti-semitism from Medieval times with their blood libels, through exclusion and gradual rehabilitation, to today’s alarming new brand of anti-Zionism. Here he discusses his work with one of the staunchest opponents to anti-semitism in Parliament.

Anthony Julius, is one of England’s most notable lawyers visits the North West, as part of Jewish Book Week on Tour 2010. He appears at the South Manchester Synagogue, The Firs, Bowdon, Cheshire WA14 2TE on March 7. The successful defendant of Deborah Lipstadt in the David Irving Holocaust denial trial, he is assiduous in his quest to expose anti-Semitism in all its sordid manifestations. His latest revelations are in Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in Britain.

Tickets/Enquiries 0161 928 2050 email info@southmanchestersynagogue.com

Orbis seek submissions for 150th issue

Suggestions and submissions welcome for the next issue of Orbis - the big 150 plus 40 years of Orbis and Carole Baldock's 30th issue as Editor.

Orbis is an important UK-based magazine with international scope, and an openness to various poets and poetries. It also reviews well, and widely, and has lively contests each issue. It's an essential little magazine. Email carolebaldock@hotmail.com

Trains Are Mint launch: Berlin and That

The next Trains Are Mint book, Berlin and That, will launch along with the opening of an exhibition at the International 3 in Manchester on April 30th from 6 to 9pm. Berlin and That features contributions from several collaborators, including Gareth Brookes, Guy Garvey, Malcy Duff, Jim Medway, Stuart Kolakovic and many others, so it should be a fab event for all comics and arts fans; if you’re in the Manchester area then please go enjoy it and give some great Indy artists your support.
(via The Forbidden Planet)

Commonwealth Writers' Prize Regional Winners' Shortlist Announced

The Prize is presented by the Commonwealth Foundation with support from the Macquarie Group Foundation. The final programme, starting on 7 April in Delhi, India will bring together the finalists from the different regions of the Commonwealth, and the two overall winners will be announced there on 12 April.

Full listing of regional winners at commonwealthfoundation.com

Blank Media seek new writers

Blank Media Collective are looking for new voices for blankpages – their monthly online magazine – and Issue 19 is available online now.

They accept poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction, and any themes will be considered. Though it should be noted that whilst swearing or explicit content is not automatically prohibited, it will only be included at the editors’ discretion.

To submit your fiction: Whilst simple prose is often the most effective, Blank Media are open to submissions that play with tradition or subvert expectation. Stories should be between 1500 and 2500 words, submitted as an email attachment in Word format to Phil Craggs, Fiction Editor at: editor@blanknediacollective.org

Short shorts or flash fiction between 100 and 500 words will also be considered.

To submit poetry: Again – any theme is acceptable, the main criteria are quality and that you have something interesting to say. Poems should be 60 lines or less, submitted as an email attachment in Word format to Baiba Auria, Poetry Editor at: editor@blankmediacollective.org

There is no payment offered for stories or poems.

Issue 19 of blankpages is available online now from: www.blankmediacollective.org/blankpages/

Don't miss Rosie Garland at Central Library

As part of LGBT History Month @ Central Library, Rosie will be reading from her brand new collection Things I Did When I Was Dead (Flapjack).

Rosie Garland (aka Rosie Lugosi) will be reading from, and signing copies of, her remarkable new poetry collection. This is Rosie's first performance of 2010, following her successful fight against throat cancer. Full press info to follow.

Things I Did While I Was Dead will be published by Flapjack Press on 22 February. www.flapjackpress.co.uk

Hugely entertaining, tough-talking … a celebration of female sexuality, of power and liberation - Carol Ann Duffy

One of the country’s finest performance poets - Apples and Snakes

She is the mistress of language, whether it’s making you laugh or informing your emotions. Here is a courageous artist with guile and expertise in equal measure - Gerry Potter

A national treasure - Dead Good Poets Society

A free event with free refreshments

Contact Libby Tempest for more information on 0161 234 1981 or email
l.tempest@manchester.gov.uk

Central Library, Committee Room, (second floor) Tuesday 23 February, 1pm FREE

Invitation to Lemn Sissay BBC live recording

This is your invitation to a live recording for BBC Radio 4 at Contact Theatre on Sunday 21st March at 6.30pm. This is a one-off version of Lems’s stage show with specially created new material for an invited audience. For one night only. He didn't know a black person until he was eighteen. It wasnt his fault. They just thought it was better that way. He spent most of his adult life searching for his family who were black like him. Its a story explored in his previous award-winning play Something Dark. In Why I Dont Hate White People Lemn continues the journey, not for family this time but for something more evasive – race. This is a whirlwind tour of race as seen from one mans unique and intensely personal perspective as he seeks a truth, trying to find if there is something he is missing in the quagmire of race relations.

Exploring this contentious area with humour and originality, Lemn depicts some unexpected race-related situations, from an anti-slavery workshop where he chains up his students and leaves them in the classroom, to the launch of a new Richard Pryor Centre for Equality, which implodes at the opening ceremony. The result of Lemn’s journey into race is his discovery of the many reasons why he doesn’t, in fact, hate white people.

For tickets please call 0161 244 4255 and leave a contact name, telephone number and details of how many seats you would like. This event may be over-subscribed so book early.

New look newsletter at Incwriters website

You can now subscribe to a newsletter at Incwriters, just visit www.incwriters.co.uk and type your name into the Newsletter box. You control your subscription and can unsubscribe at anytime. The new look newsletter carries no banner ads.

Incwriters (International Network & Community of Writers Society) was founded in 2004 by Andrew Oldham, William Park, Bixby Monk and Ian Parks, created initially as Inc. in 2002-2003 by Andrew Oldham it has grown into the one stop website for Promoters, Agents, Publishers, Readers and Writers. Incwriters creates networks, protects Literature (of all genres), promotes writing, publishing and reading. Incwriters promotes individuals and organisations not involved in vanity publishing. Incwriters is actively involved in visiting venues and festivals providing talks, workshops and panels on Publishing, Writing and Reading. Incwriters Patrons are the novelist Janice Galloway, the poets, Esther Morgan and Clare Pollard.

If you have any further questions, please contact info (at) incwriters.co.uk or incwriters (at) yahoo.co.uk

Knives Forks and Spoons Press

The excellent Knives Forks and Spoons Press have recently released new works by Neil Campbell, Matt Dalby and Scott Thurston.

Alec who runs the press is currently looking for two poets to publish.
View their Facebook group page for further information.

The Arthur Shilling Skype Readings

The Arthur Shilling Press is running an online reading experiment where poets will be reading and answering questions about their work live on Skype.

Recent readings are available at the Arthur Shilling Press website including Stephen Emmerson, Frances Kruk and Sean Bonney. To listen or get involved visit the website for details

Manchester Poets wanted...

Puppy Wolf Press are currently seeking submissions for the first issue of the anthology from all corners of the Manchester poetry/spoken word scene. Best of Manchester Poets is the first major attempt in recent times to showcase the stunning talent and creativity in the (Greater) Manchester poetry/spoken word scene. It's a perfect-bound book of approximately 128 pages that will retail nationally for £7.99.

Anybody who defines themselves as a Manchester poet is invited to submit work, regardless of whether they're a published name, or have only ever written one poem.

Submissions are via the website: http://www.puppywolf.co.uk. Images of
the cover can be found at http://www.puppywolf.co.uk/press.

The editorial team includes the Manchester poets Steve O'Connor (host of Write Out Loud Sale!), Cathy Bryant, and Angela Smith. The award-winning performance poet Dominic Berry will host the book's launch gig in June.

Closing date for sumissions is 14th March 2010.

Free e-book of Underlife by Robert Finn

A free e-book of Robert Finn's Underlife is available in many formats at his Snowbooks page. Underlife is the third in the series to be written but is a prequel to Adept and Ex Machina and appears to be novella length.

Blurb from amazon.co.uk: Being a thief makes it difficult to meet the right girl. And when you do, something always gets in the way. Like finding yourself trapped underground, caught in a shoot-out, with the police after you and only a supernatural killer to protect you. And if you somehow survive all that, you've still got to persuade her to part with her phone number. "Underlife" is a fast, short, sweet, tense runaway train of a thriller.




(from Euro Crime by Karen)

Manchester Cathedral's Poetry Competition

Manchester Cathedral are holding their 12th interfaith, religious poetry competition. For this year's competition, the judge is Vona Groarke. Winners of the competition will be announced at a special event at Manchester Cathedral as part of Manchester Literature Festival later this year. Entry forms for this year's competition are available by emailing Canon Albert Radcliffe at: albert.radcliffe@dsl.pipex.com

Further details at the Cathedrals web site - click here

Oddest Book Title Prize Draws Record Number Of Submissions

The annual Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year has drawn a record number of submissions for the 2009 award, announced prize organizer Horace Best.

In allowing submissions to be made via Twitter, 90 submissions were received for the 2009 award - up from 32 in 2008 - although various disqualifications bring the total number of eligible titles to 49. Read more at The Independent.

Authors @ Chorlton Library: Steve Taylor - Waking from Sleep

Steve Taylor reads from his new book, Waking From Sleep: Why Awakening Experiences Occur and how to Make them Permanent (Hay House). He suggests that our normal consciousness is really a kind of sleep from which we sometimes wake to a more intense and complete reality.

Waking from Sleep provides what is perhaps the first ever clear explanation of higher states of consciousness, or 'awakening experiences'. This book examines: the methods that human beings have used throughout history to induce awakening experiences, including meditation, sex, nature, sport, psychedelic drugs and sleep deprivation; how higher states of consciousness were normal and natural to some of the world's people (and still are in some cases); and, how we can make 'wakefulness' our normal state again.

''One of the best books on spiritual awakening I have ever come across. An important contribution to the shift in consciousness that is happening on our planet at this time'' Eckhart Tolle.

"Steve Taylor presents a revolutionary view of human nature and human consciousness which makes deep intuitive sense, and reminds you of something you feel you've always known.
Amazon review

Wine and snacks will be provided Chorlton Library, Friday 12 February, 8-10pm

Neil Gaiman 'Has Written Doctor Who Episode'...

Fantasy writer Neil Gaiman has said he is to write a forthcoming episode of Doctor Who. Gaiman, the author of Stardust and Coraline which were both adapted for the big screen, revealed the news at a sci-fi convention in Sussex. There's more at the BBC...

Some Enchanted Evening...Celebrating LGBT History Month @ Central Library:

Music from Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus, followed by Read Dating, a fun evening swapping stories and meeting other LGBT singletons.

Bring along your favourite book or film (or pick one from the library) and tell people why you like it - it's that simple! Meet new people, make new friends, or perhaps more ... your host for the evening is Dominic Berry of Manchester's famous Freed Up Poetry nights.

For more information ring Jonathan on 0161 234 1939 or email j.ebbs@manchester.gov.uk.

Take a look at the other LGBT History Month events taking place in Manchester Libraries.

Friday 12 February at 6.30pm Central Library, Science and Humanities Library, 1st Floor, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD

The first Poetry Pillow of the decade!

Get yourselves along to another fantastic poetry open mic hosted by Steve O' Connor and Dominic Berry and featuring the amazing and award-winning Matt Panesh pulling no punches with his ever edgy, ever hysterical worldly wit and verse.

You are also invited to turn up in fancy dress! "We used to have a theme" says Dominic, "but, just come as whatever you think's cool and you'll be entered into the fancy dress prize raffle".

Don't forget if want to read you get 2 minutes and you could win a sparkly prize!

Poetry Pillow takes place in the lovely cosy venue that is An Outlet. Which Outlet? AN Outlet. It is called An Outlet. Really.

Friday 12 February 7.30pm

Rosie Garland: Lunchtime Poetry @ Central Library

As part of LGBT History Month @ Central Library, Rosie will be reading from her brand new collection Things I Did When I Was Dead (Flapjack).

Rosie Garland (aka Rosie Lugosi) will be reading from, and signing copies of, her remarkable new poetry collection. This is Rosie's first performance of 2010, following her successful fight against throat cancer. Full press info to follow.

Things I Did While I Was Dead will be published by Flapjack Press on 22 February. www.flapjackpress.co.uk

Hugely entertaining, tough-talking … a celebration of female sexuality, of power and liberation - Carol Ann Duffy

One of the country’s finest performance poets - Apples and Snakes

She is the mistress of language, whether it’s making you laugh or informing your emotions. Here is a courageous artist with guile and expertise in equal measure - Gerry Potter

A national treasure - Dead Good Poets Society

A free event with free refreshments

Contact Libby Tempest for more information on 0161 234 1981 or email
l.tempest@manchester.gov.uk

Central Library, Committee Room, (second floor) Tuesday 23 February, 1pm FREE

Store your books in the rafters...

You can never have enough storage space, especially if you're a book lover. This post on Apartment Therapy shows how owners of a small apartment turned unused ceiling space into book shelves. The clever use of spaces creates dozens of feet of "book shelf" storage where nothing but empty space existed before.

Do you have a clever tip for creating more space for books? Share them in the comments section!

Important News About Central Library

2010 sees the closure of Manchester Central Library for restoration and refurbishment. The project will restore this beautiful building and create an adjoining, ultra-modern city centre community library. A temporary library will open on Deansgate for the duration of the closure.

Central Library has to be completely emptied before the work can begin: this is a massive undertaking, with more than 22 miles of shelving to pack up, as well as archive materials and treasures which need expert handling and storage. Journey through the hidden Central Library stacks in this short film by David Woodcock. For key dates and more information visit the library website.

Manchester Central Library - The Stacks from Manchester Libraries on Vimeo.

Book Launch @ Central Library: The Poet's Wife by Judith Allnatt

John Clare was a Northamptonshire farm labourer who wrote some of the 19th century’s most beautiful poetry. His descent into madness has been well-documented, but less is known about his relationship with his wife, Patty.

Judith Allnatt was so moved by letters he sent to his family while he was in Northampton General Lunatic Asylum, she felt compelled to explore Patty’s story. The result is The Poet’s Wife, an accomplished, lyrical novel. A nationally acclaimed Carcanet author will also speak about Clare’s life and poetry.

“Envy was up at my success with all the lyes it coud muster some said that I never wrote the poems … Others said that I had stole them out of books.”
- John Clare on his critics

Judith Allnatt's website
A recent Guardian article about John Clare

Central Library, Committee Room, Monday 22 February, 6pm