Special Guest Northern Highlight - Manchester City of Literature
GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT
REECE WILLIAMS
(Community Engagement Management Manager).
(Community Engagement Management Manager).
When did Manchester become a UNESCO City of
Literature?
Manchester became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017 and Manchester City of Literature was set up as an organisation to manage the designation in 2019. We are a small team of three: Ivan Wadeson (Executive Director), Jo Flynn (Communications and Partnership Manager) and Reece Williams (Community Engagement Management Manager).
What are your aims for Manchester City of Literature?
Manchester became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017 and Manchester City of Literature was set up as an organisation to manage the designation in 2019. We are a small team of three: Ivan Wadeson (Executive Director), Jo Flynn (Communications and Partnership Manager) and Reece Williams (Community Engagement Management Manager).
What are your aims for Manchester City of Literature?
Our aim for Manchester City of Literature is to
celebrate Manchester as a city that is home to a wonderful and world-leading
literature sector. Our vision is to create an innovative, distinctive,
equitable, globally connected city of reading and writing, and we do this by
bringing together key stakeholders including writers, publishers, libraries,
and audiences.
Tell us about the wonderful libraries in Manchester.
Manchester is home to some wonderful, historic and unique libraries. We are proud that 99% of the residents in Greater Manchester live within one mile of a library and our libraries work incredibly hard to connect the library users with access to a range of valuable resources.
Manchester is home to Chetham’s Library, the oldest surviving free library in the English speaking world. Manchester is also home to John Rylands Library which you might have seen in certain wizarding movies. We also have Manchester Central Library which has been the UK’s busiest public library for two years running, The Portico Library is a 450 year-old hidden gem in the city, plus we are delighted to welcome the brand-new Manchester Poetry Library.
What for you is the 'spirit of the North’?
I think the 'spirit of the North' is rooted in our ability to make things happen and to include as many people as possible in our work. The North is a real hub for multiculturalism and this diversity is what makes it so innovative, exciting, and warm. The 'spirit of the North' is also rebellious and risk-taking.
Who for you are the great Northern children’s writers?
Great Northern children’s writers? Where do we begin! Danielle Jawando is a fantastic writer who wrote a stunning debut novel And the Stars Were Burning Brightly. There’s also the more historic work of Alan Garner who wrote over 20 children’s books including The Owl Service. We should also give a shout out to Dominic Berry, a children’s writer who is making waves in Manchester.
Why is it so important that we continue to promote children's books in the North?
It’s important that we continue to promote children’s books in the North because our young readers need to see their stories reflected in the books that they read. We need to allow our children to dream of becoming writers too and when they see writers emerge from the communities they are part of, this can become a massive catalyst for the next wave of writers.
What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North?
I’d personally love to see more children’s stories being published in the North which are multilingual and/or reflective of the experiences of migrant communities in the North. We have so many rich and beautiful stories waiting to be told and I’d love to see the industry really championing this work.
Find out more about the Manchester City of Literature:
Twitter @MCRCityofLit
Instagram mcrcityoflit
Tell us about the wonderful libraries in Manchester.
Manchester is home to some wonderful, historic and unique libraries. We are proud that 99% of the residents in Greater Manchester live within one mile of a library and our libraries work incredibly hard to connect the library users with access to a range of valuable resources.
Manchester is home to Chetham’s Library, the oldest surviving free library in the English speaking world. Manchester is also home to John Rylands Library which you might have seen in certain wizarding movies. We also have Manchester Central Library which has been the UK’s busiest public library for two years running, The Portico Library is a 450 year-old hidden gem in the city, plus we are delighted to welcome the brand-new Manchester Poetry Library.
What for you is the 'spirit of the North’?
I think the 'spirit of the North' is rooted in our ability to make things happen and to include as many people as possible in our work. The North is a real hub for multiculturalism and this diversity is what makes it so innovative, exciting, and warm. The 'spirit of the North' is also rebellious and risk-taking.
Who for you are the great Northern children’s writers?
Great Northern children’s writers? Where do we begin! Danielle Jawando is a fantastic writer who wrote a stunning debut novel And the Stars Were Burning Brightly. There’s also the more historic work of Alan Garner who wrote over 20 children’s books including The Owl Service. We should also give a shout out to Dominic Berry, a children’s writer who is making waves in Manchester.
Why is it so important that we continue to promote children's books in the North?
It’s important that we continue to promote children’s books in the North because our young readers need to see their stories reflected in the books that they read. We need to allow our children to dream of becoming writers too and when they see writers emerge from the communities they are part of, this can become a massive catalyst for the next wave of writers.
What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North?
I’d personally love to see more children’s stories being published in the North which are multilingual and/or reflective of the experiences of migrant communities in the North. We have so many rich and beautiful stories waiting to be told and I’d love to see the industry really championing this work.
Find out more about the Manchester City of Literature:
Twitter @MCRCityofLit
Instagram mcrcityoflit
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ReplyDeleteThe person who asks questions is more helpful than the person who offers advice
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