The countdown to Manchester's Literature Festival

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/jun/21/manchester-greater-manchester

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Manchester is looking forward to its literature festival this autumn with a host of big names, including Pat Barker, Richard Ford and Zadie Smith in the line-up.

The poet laureate and festival patron Carol Ann Duffy, will take place in an event at the city's neo-gothic town hall accompanied by a band of poet musicians. Zadie Smith will launch her new novel NW at a special event.

And Jeanette Winterson, who is Manchester University's new creative writing professor, will be in conversation with AM Holmes, the first event to mark her new role.

A series of events are taking place as part of the festival, in October. The rarely seen Pulitzer-prize winning author Richard Ford will appear at the Whitworth art gallery to talk about his new book, Canada, and the Booker prize-winner Pat Barker will be at Imperial War Museum North.

Other writers participating including Salley Vickers, James Kelman, Jonathan Harvey and Clare Balding, who will all speak about their work.

As well as the esteemed writers, there will be four new literary commissions and a "stimulating international strands" as well as a plethora of events that focus on families. Tickets for the seventh festival go on sale in August.

Carol Ann Duffy will perform with poetry band Little Machine in an event at the town hall. Ali Smith will present the Manchester Sermon.

Broadcaster Sue MacGregor will host an afternoon tea event at the Midland Hotel.

The festival's director, Cathy Bolton, says they have a fantastic line-up of literary heavyweights at this year's festival, but "we are equally excited to be introducing audiences to many international authors, who are already literary giants in their home countries."

Rosa Battle, the city council's executive member for culture and leisure said the festival has become one of the highlights of the city's cultural calendar. She described it as "truly innovate and exciting with its programming, staging events all around the city in a variety of venues."

Salley Vickers, author of Where Three Roads Meet and Miss Garnet's Angel, launches her new novel, The Cleaner of Chartres, at Manchester Cathedral. Pat Barker will be at Imperial War Museum North to talk about her latest novel, Toby's Room. Her Regeneration Trilogy was described by the Observer as one of the top 10 historical novels. Her appearance coincides with the museum's new exhibition on frontline medicine.

The broadcaster Clare Balding will discuss her childhood memoir My Animals and Other Family.

Poet Simon Armitage will discuss his latest book Walking Home: Travels with a Troubadour on the Pennine Way, which was trailed in the Northerner last week.

And Katy Brand reads a chapter from her first novel, Brenda Monk is Funny, a semi-autobiographical story exploring the tribulations of being a female stand-up. Mark Haddon presents a one-man talk about great sharks, cosmology, ice hockey, engine fires and creative writing.

In the short story genre, David Constantine and Pawel Heulle will launch their new collections.

Writer Jackie Kay, the newly appointed writer in residence at the Midland Hotel, will write a story jointly commissioned by the festival and hotel, set in the hotel.<br />

Manchester Literature Festival, sponsored by HSBC Premier, takes place from 8 to 23 October 2012 at venues across the city.