Where: De Grey House, Ballroom

Hear five speakers explore their lives in reading, and be part of a conversation about the transformative power of reading.

Free and no booking required.

Where: De Grey House, Ballroom

Join us for a fascinating lecture on 'Abortion Poetics in Early Modern England’, sponsored and co-hosted by the Society for Renaissance Studies, and delivered by Professor Kevin Killeen, University of York.

Free entry, no booking required.

Where: De Grey House, Cocktail Room

Join Anita Slater and Martin Krantz of the Manchester Poetry Library to explore this pop-up library and help reshape how we think about libraries, and how they can be places for action and hope.

Free and no booking required.

Where: De Grey House, Ballroom

Join us to hear Professor Rob Drummond ofManchester Metropolitan University speak about 'Voices, Identities, and Going Public', exploring the fundamental relationship between spoken language and identity; or how we speak and who we are.

Free entry, no booking required.

Where: De Grey House, Ballroom

This exciting lecture, delivered by Professor Anshuman Mondal, University of East Anglia, will explore 'The Ethics of Erasure, or, Being Open About Closure', and offer a powerful and provocative take on questions of erasure, expression and free speech.

Free entry, no booking required.

Free entry, no booking required

This lecture is generously sponsored by Manchester University Press

Where: King’s Manor, K/G07

Come along and be part of the Anthony V. Capildeo salon, which will run at King’s Manor from 10.00-16.00. Drop in to read or write a poem with Anthony, one of the world’s leading contemporary poets, recently awarded both the Windham Campbell Prize for Poetry 2025 and the Bocas Prize for Poetry. And enjoy poetry and performances at 10.00 from Lydia Wilson and at 11.00 from Kimberly Campanello, and a participatory Lishi demonstration at 14.00.

Free and no booking required.

Where: Huntingdon Room Anteroom, King's Manor

Join Adam Matthew Digital, Bloomsbury Academic, The English Association, Fly on the Wall Poetry, Little Apple Bookshop, Liverpool University Press, Manchester University Press, NATE (The National Association for the Teaching of English), Red Plate Press, Routledge, Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print and Wasafiri for a publishers' fair with a difference, bringing together small and fine presses, literary magazines and major publishers. Please come along to browse a wide range of books, chat to stallholders and collect some fun souvenirs!

Free and no booking required.

Where: De Grey House, Ballroom

Join Professor Harriet Tarlo, from Sheffield Hallam University to explore the hybridity of critical/creative enterprises within the academy (from undergraduate to Ph.D.), but also outside it at the interface where critical and creative practice within the university meets public engagement in the wider world. Harriet willl focus in particular on writing with, around and about the environment – or ecopoetics – in order to consider what practice research, teaching and ‘impact’ can contribute to the issues that define our age – climate crisis, environmental degradation and apocalyptic fears and the attendant human issues which affect all of us, but particularly our young people.

Free entry, no booking required.

Where: King’s Manor, Huntingdon Room

Join four expert speakers to explore how English Studies open doors, and what the study of English at any level can make possible for young and old alike.

Sponsored by University English

Free entry, no booking required

Where: De Grey House, Ballroom

Join Ife Thompson (Nexus Chambers, United Nations Fellow & BLAM UK Founder) for a thought-provoking lecture on Black British English and the criminal justice system, and a reimagining of linguistic rights.

Free entry, no booking required.

Join five expert speakers for a roundtable discussion of why English Studies matters more than ever, and a lively conversation about the future of English Studies in the twenty-first century.

Sponsored by University English

Free entry, no booking required

Where: The Guildhall, Main Hall

How do we keep the creative spark alive, nurture a love of writing in children, or regain that love as adults? In this session we'll look at different techniques and games that unlock the block and get the words flowing.

Teachers, facilitators and academics are welcome to join us at 11am to 'unlearn' some of those blocking habits before we bring in the kids at 11:30am to continue the unteaching! Together, we'll do activities that help everyone to get inspired and get writing. This will be a relaxed and joyful session that embraces all aspects of writing including: talking; playing; imagining; definitely not writing at all and, finally, actually getting some words down! As most writers will tell you - this is usually how the process goes...

Book your free ticket here: bit.ly/4nqJ1pn

Where: The Guildhall, Main Hall

In this interactive session, Librarian, author and Dungeon Master Lucas Maxwell will demonstrate how Dungeons and Dragons has benefited the mental health, confidence and wellbeing of the students who engage with it.

Using research and interviews conducted with mental health professionals, he will discuss how D&D has been able to change his life and the lives of his students. Aimed at both experienced D&D players and those with zero knowledge of the game, this session will be fun, engaging and full of practical advice on how to get started!

Where: The Huntingdon Room, King’s Manor

Join us for an evening of poetic celebration with performances from Jason Allen-Paisant, Anthony V. Capildeo and Maya Caspari. Optional Dress Code: Bling up the North. Free but booking required - please sign up here: http://bit.ly/4l2Whip

A small number of short, open mic slots are also available. Register your interest here by 1st July.